The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-08
TIE RING SAFE BURGLARY.
THE IAYTNG BARE OF1N fSTOUND-
ING PIECE or IILLIINf

III r. Y fNb 10 ~ " VT y "
ING PIECE or JILLiINf.
Col, Whitley Naming the chief Conspirators
The lob set up bv GUn. Babcock ana
Dick Harrington Tho Prc.idrut ana inc
whole Ring Crowd 30 be implicated.
WASHINGTON. April 7.-On the night OF
April o. 1874. the nrc-proof safe In the office OF
the United states District Attorney In this city
vssblown open wlih powder. and a lot Of books
and papers which were dono up 10 bundle
were taken therofrom and carried by one OF the
burglars to the house Of Columbus Alexander.
The explosion occurred at about one o'clock In
the morning and was go great that
A. blew down the folding doors which
separated the two rooms occupied W tho Dis
trict Attorneys ONCE. and startled the people
living In the neighborhood he Assistant Dis
trict Attorney, Richard Harrington, was on tho
Outside with the superintendent Of Police end
the Chief Of Detectives. brother OF Boss
Shepherd and one A. D Williams, police court
lawyer were also Of the party watching. The
burglars were so bold In their opera
tions that they carried their tools In
the building at about 10 o'clock, and were OBJ
served by persons passing along the street. At
the tine Of this remarkable occurrence the
Joint mmit'ee of The two Houses Of Congress
were investigating the Board of Public Works.
and the District Ring. with Boss Shepherd at Its
head, W., heins pressed close to the wall. The
memorlalists who were pushing this nvestiga-
tion on the part Of the citizcns Of tho District
had ju 1t closed their case against the Ring Gov.
erument. and the next day. April -, WAS the dav
view the work which had been dOne by the
Board Of Publ c Works.
THE CONSPIRACY AND ITS FAILURE.
II w.s at this Juucture that iho conspiracy
which had been concocted To bring the memor-
ialiSis into disgrace was consunmated. Half a
Coz n Of the most prominent Of the centleme
who were prosecuting the case against Boss
shepherd and his fellow thieves were tn the
habit Of meeting at tho house OF Columbus
Alexander after the close Of the DAYS work at
the CIpitol, ard discussing am lng themselves
their plans Of future action. All this was noted
by the hng thlovea, and their plans
were laid accordingly. They intended
TO have the hired burglars blow open the safe In
the District Attorne, = on e, carry the papers
TO AleNludcr's house. Hn0 hand them IN TO the
gentlemen gathered there. ana right on the
heel Of the burglars the ,ficcrs were 10 come
end rest the whole party, dr.g them on to
the Police lleaCquarters. and lock them up.
lulN W'll-iuu pan ItlleU IN tne Erst In
stance by the burl'ars nllstAking their
drectloni and putting Oh tho job until
! orock. whnn II ives to have been done
at 10 o'clock. This failure to do the WORK at the
'e,ined time foilcd tue col suiiat, us, because
the meinoi liss bad all gone home, and Sir
Alexander was In ned and sound asleep before
the bu glars came with the books They failed
% arouse hm, and Major Hcnards, the superin-
tenient Of the police. VINO was not In tho secret
OF tho cons sprators, became susli, ious and ar
rested the burglar and locked him up.
now THE coNsPIRAroRs EscArED CONVICTION.
The rest OF the story is fan iliar to the readers
the matter Investigated by the jeint commiites
Of Congfess, and Harrington, Whitley, Nettle.
lp,Williams, and Cuntz cicted by tho Grand
jury OF the District Ihe tremepdous ex
ertons which were brought to bear by
the Administration saved al ihese narties from
conviction; but one Of th-m twilliams) Was
acquitted. Ibe jury DISAGREED as to tue rest.
Nr. A; 6. Riddle, who had been appointed a
Immediately after the trial. approached by
" hitley. and told that II he would secure i'm
munity Tor MIN I've (whitlsD would supply evil
deDce To- convict the real cons ptrItors. THIS
PROPOSE ion Mir Riddle at once submitted to
Attorney General George II. Williams. who said
be would consider u and let hr. hddle know
the result OF his deliberations. There was some
drond Jury which had found the Indictments
A2ainst the conspirators, and test case had
been made To determine whether the jury was
legal one or not; This qu. sti"n bad been ar
6 ed before the oupfep, Court OF the
District, and just about the time the trial of
the eafe-burelary conspirators WAS concluded
the supreme Court decided that tho Grand jury
VS. NOT legal one. lhIs decision. believe,
wss rendered the very day sir Reddle submit
ted Whitelys proposition TO the Atiorney-Cit n
eral. The next day, In the Criminal Court, the
presiding Judge, Macarthur. called up the so.
Called safe burglary case. MIR. keddlc was sent
for Hnd came into court. The JUDGE asked
bin wha' w.s his pleasure In the matter. Mr..
headiu arose and said he had Just been
nolincd that his services were no longer needed
b. the Government. and ne handed up his
letter " Dismissal the INK on which was hardly
ofy. TIE count forthwith dismissed all the par
ties wno had beon held TO bail and relea ed
tnen on Weir own recORnizances, on the ground
test as Ihe Grana jury was an illegal booy the
indicted per, ons could not oe held. This ended
teaI pat II the cas-, but Mr.. Mldle was not
ohposed to rost under this sort OF treatment
Ahd he "rnt to the Attorney General to know
NY be had been tnus summary dismissed.
Tue Attorney General told MN that he was but
o1eyinR the orders OF one whom he was bound
- respe y al tue me time indicating by a mo-
tou ~ Ais hand the White House. Not long
after his Mr.. Hill. an Assistant Attorney Cen
era VII n.d assisted MIR. RIDDLE Ia the prose-
cu luu' ana "ho had acted iearessly and hon
es'f ia ne matter, Was asked to resign, which,
OI to-fsci he did.
THR TRUTH COMING OUT.
Here the matter rested until few weeks ago,
ne House OF REPRESENTATIVES directed the Ju-
plclsri committee to investigate IL. Col. Whit
isl was suppose ed TO be out of the country. aud
was tho1gat he had gone TO be out Of tho way
wen an lhvastigaling COMMITTEE Of the Demo-
nt~tlc house snouiu call for nm. Nettleship
rno nad been h, chef assistant. however
tuIhed up and e1pressed mis- willingness 10 tell
~ ~ ".ole tTutn' ms tact was published ia
tn sIN' aud not long alterward Col
'hlNlfA tHmo 10 washington also He
~ zee pat Liiuself In communication with the
thAHLah q the Judiciary COmui tee and pro-
pvss1 u tell the whole truth, provide immunity
coulu be secured Tor him in advance He
skteed that " conditional pardon was obtained
Ioi nm he would tell his s.ory, and II the COM
hittrt WIS not iti,huu Of IT'S Lrutn the pardon
MRht be withheld. fhis " position was accept
~ ana alter tnucn delay "a y ruon wAs obtained
Honst AttoTnr y-Geueral by Proctor Knott.
~ u-y H. WI hltsy was examined by tue
Suulclail Committee and told his whole story.
n9 hsld hG WIS m Honda at the time the CON
sHt.cy " S concocted, and he ives written to by
Seh' bdo, ocA and requested to come TO Wash.
nF on lpIheGlateiy, ss tnere was au effort being
~ u 70 sec 40 MS rr mOval from the position OF
Sulel " lhe secret force II tn, TT, a,ury De art
hi'n'' nhltleY came ON without delay, and when
ne reached here tue hTst person he called upon
vas hrh. bhDcOck. Af,er sOme conversation
a,out the SUM CT uf bis removal, DaOcock told
.llu mat sJie II his freIus here wanted a lit
uSS JYo zone, lhty we're good friends OF him
tmhluf aud would stand by him In any and
~ events. hIuey EXPRESSED his willing
nness 10 hslp them In any way he could.
naoc"tk lhen told him that Harrington would
~ NUM- and whitley went To HarriuRton's
hnlse' Ihen the whole plot was disclosed To
n'll' ana he was furnished a list OF names Of the
leu uofl~lsls, and was told about their haOt OF
Il,ethg AZ Alex indeTs house. In short the
SeIls OF tue Job, as It had been studied
w pY h1rrington and mis- fellow consplratOrs
go go communicated TO Wnitley, and he was
s'Aeu L. supply tne Instruments TO carry the
conspiracy INTO effect. He did u readily apraa