The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-14
GRANTS FALSE SWEARING.
WHAT NE DID TO SAFE BiBCOCK
EROM IMPRISONMENT
DecIa ring under Oath TINT he Knew Nothing
Of Gen. McDonaId's Bad Character -Evi-
dencc showing that he Knew all about IL.


Of Geu. McDonaId's Bad Character -Evi-
dence showing that he Knew all about IL.
WASHINGTON, April 13.-To-day Luoieu
Eaton, Assistant District Attorney at st. Louis,
was examined by the committee on whiskey
frauds His evidence wss unmportant, except
that he testified that the publication Of Attor-
ney-Gcneral Pierrepont's letter produced con-
sternatlon among witnesses, and threatened at
one time to seriously interfere with the work OF
the prosecution, But the most important part
OF his testimony bore upon the question as to
whether the President Is not a perJurer. Grant,
In his carefully prepared Statement made last
winter for Dabcock's protection, was called
upon to say whether he did not know the bad
character Of John Mcdonald, and he declared
under oath that he did not, and, furthermore,
told the quostioners that that was unlm portant,
Mr.. Eaton to-day explained why the President
was so anxious to slide over that part OF the
examination.
Internal Revenue Collector Ford OF 81. Louis
wrJ Grants personal friend They had been
quainted almost from boynood. Ford was scan
dalzcd. aud 30 was everybody else at the noto-
rious conduct OF Mcdonald, whom Ford wrote
was paradins his influence at tho White House.
This was In 1873. Ford said In his letter to the
President, substantially, " deeply regret and SO
do your many friends, that Supervisor MELON
aid IL bringing dlscredit and scandal upon you
and your Administration by mis- open declara-
tion that you are his particular friend. This he
Is doing everywhere, aud az hcDonad's ch rae
ter Is well known, II cannot but injure those
who claim to be your friends. lie Is a bad egg,
and l say to you 10 the spirit OF candor and
Prior to that Ford had written another letter,
which was Of a similar tenor, and from another
source Grant was addressed on the same sub
ject. Tho only charitable construction that
could DO put on Grants declaration was that he
did not see these letters. Baocock may have in
tercepted them, as he opened the Presidents
mail. But one unfortunate circumstance dis
closes that officially Grants attention was called
to the charges against McDontld, and ho
fused to take any notice Of them. During the
war Grant claimed, and his assumption was ad-
mitted to be generally correct, that he was
ceived. He has been assocl lated with Babcock
for seven years In the White House, and has
never discovered how dec sitful liabcock was.
Another reason Is given why Judge krum re-
signed lucrative position on the bench OF 81
Louis TO be tho counsel for those Indicted In tho
whiskey frauds. krum Is administrator for
Ford, the late Collector OF Internal Revenue at
st. Louis. Ford's private papers, from which
the autograph CODY Of the letter to the President
about McDonald's character was taken, also
II was necessary to employ hrum to conceal the
most damning evidence that could DC produced.
Tho question naturally arises: " Is tho Presl-
dent guilty Of perjury 2" He dictated what
knowledge of liaocock and declined to answer
certain questions. IL was not necessary that
any one should be present for the defence,
though W. A. Cook was employed for that pur
pose. Mr.. Eaton conducted the examination
for the prosecution, and he now te-ti0es that
the iiles Of FOrd's papers disclose the most i'm
portant facts bearing against the President.
The President must either have a very poor
memory, must have lost his Judgment about
men In keeping Babcock ABOUT him, or else be
cations which even his army record cannot save
him from.