The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-04-16
BABC0CK'S BODY GUARD.
4 Trusted Onirini who Surrounded
Himself Win Professional ScOun.
drcls.
lrrom the Boston transcript, iRcp.)l

Miles, the Barre Bank burglary, who
Is now in the Vermont State prison OH a
| sentence OF fourteen years, has made an
| Interesting confesSing. Miles is the no.
| turious Washington safe burglar. He
| was employed To do the job 10y Ilarfipg-
| ton, the district attorney OF the District
| OF Columbia. as he states. and he also
AYERS that General Babcock knew well
| all about il. Miles statement i too long
| for our crowded columns. According to
| M0es, Whitley ana Ncttlcship first ac-
| quainted him with the service required.
! aud then subsequently Harrington and
Babcock Were interviewed by him at
Washington with regard to the matter.
Bascock at the interyiewpromisl d to make
good all the assurances OF Harrington
! respecting lie Transaction. This was be-
fore the crime. Afterwards, Miles SAYS.
he met Babcock on the train between
Washington and New York, when the
presidents daughter was married to Sar-
TORS. and had some conversation with
the eX-private secretary as to the COM
paratlvc failure OF the job. II matters
little what the conversation was.
Col. Broadhead testified before the con-
gressional investigating committee. yes
tcrday. that government detective re-
ported TO him. while the trial was in
progress. that the latter had two profess
sional safe burglars in st. Louis Tor the
purpose of stealing evidence from the
District Attorney. These burglars were
called in one account Whitley favor
ties" They were driven from -. Louis
by the detective. after stating that Bah
cock paid them $500.
This testimony, it must be admitted.
all comes from tainted sources. But II
Babcock's course has been upright pro-
tessional criminals would not make free
with his .,namc and reputation. They
don't do this with men above suspicion.
Babcock, ii not criminal. is singularly
unfortunate III his associations. He has
proved more careless of his good name
leaving it in the keeping of professional
villains than any American who ever
before occupied Il prominent position.
lie apparently had body guard OF bur-
glars TO do his Il ecial bidding. and whose
services were constantly necessary to
prevent his exposure and ruin. The de-
nounenasHt has at last come. and either he
l is the victim OF a gigantic burglarious
| conspiracy. set on foot by detectives
once in his employ, or guilty OF acts for
| which the penitentiary would be par
disc az compared with punishment
commensurate to his alrocious mi.deeds.
In the light OF these developments.
how must President Grant bc cOmmiser-
ated for exhibiting such lamentable ina
bilty to discover the true character OF
| one upon whom 30 much OF the success
of his administration depended. II Bel.
knap's official prohigacy clicitcdso many
| ieers at RepuDlcanism Oh the Other
| side of the Atlantic. how will these b,
intensified when the advocates OF ire
sponsible tyranny learn that the presi
dents private secretary was for nearly
two years the cOnsort and friend OF bur
glars Here, nj home, among the intel
ligent and incOrruptibe masses. the in
dignation aroused by the shameless con
dition OF affairs now laid bare will deeper
and strengthen the popular determination
that the infamous crew nj Washington
| and those In any connected with then
shall be forever banished from the publi(
| confidence.