The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-04-21
The Administration Spy In the Grand
Jury Room.
Especial to tn. New York wOrlal

WASHINGTON, April 2.-District- Attor-
ney Dyer's testimony before the special COM
mittee on the whisky prosecutions was the
sensation here Yesterday. IL Il considered
very important by the committee. both as
cOrrObOrating in a measure the testimony OF
the witness Bell, whose evidence uncorrob-
GRATED would be worth but little, and as di-
rectlv duplicating President Grant Ia con-
niving al, il not in>tigating, some startling
irregularities in the whisky trials. Mr..
Dyer testified that while the Grand Jury
was ia session be discovered that one OF it,
members named Fox. formerly Chairman
Of the Missouri Republican state Commit
tee. was informing General Grant Of every
thing that TRANSFERRED in the Grand Jury
room. In his Dyer's) opinion Fox had
made use 81 his position to curry favor with
Grant, and shortly afterwards a son OF Fox
was appointed Consul. Mr.. Dyer also
thinks that Fox greatly preiudiced the Pres
dent against the Government officers al st.
Louis. reporting among other things, and
for the evident purpose Of destroying him
Oyer, that Dyer had taken the stand as a
witness against Babcock while
the question OF preparing an
by the Grand jury. This report, Dyer said.
was true to the extent that he did take the
stand a. a witness 10 identify the %handwrit-
Ing Of Babcock in the Sylph telegram then
before the Grand Jury, but he did not give
any testimony against Babcock, a. was re-
ported. At the time he took the oath al the
instance Of this MAJ Fox, who, by the way,
i a brother-in-law OF Col. Dent, and who
asked him il lac was giving sworn evidence.
On coming 10 Washington. Dyer was again
surprised 10 find this same Fox here and in
communication with some Of the highest
officers OF the Government The committee
considered this evidences OF 50 much import
ance that they tried 10 keep IL secret and
have subppnaed Fox. Dyer also gave the
full history OF his connection with the IA
nous Pierrepont letter OF instructions TO the
District Attorneys and his opinion OF the
letter. Previous 10 the trial he had an inter-
view here at Washington with Pierrep0nt,
in which the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT urged him
TO be very careful not 10 throw any unneces-
sarv scandal on the Administration but said
AZ the same time hat II BabcOck was guilty
he must be punished. When he reeeiyedthe
letter OF instruction he was very much sur
prised. especially a. the past instructions to
him were to prosecute all who were found
guilty or confessed themselves guilty. He
considered that il must inevitably interfere
with the prosecution Of the trials IL IL be-
came public. and so he locked his copy up
carefully in his desk. where il has remained
ever since. A day ar two after receiving II
an editor OF a ST. Louis paper called upon
him. stating that what purported to be a
letter from Pierrepont TO him had been pub
lished in a German paper. He had had II
translated and desired 10 verify IL by the
official copy. Over was greatly astonished,
admitted that he had such a letter, but de-
elined 10 show il or tell what it contained.
He thought the difference between the pub
lished version and the original was doubt
less caused by the translation into German
and back into English again, which was
probably al the instigati0n Of Babcock or his
friends. Dyer also gave the ami some
valuable suggestions where TO look for other
evidence.