Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-04-01
CLYMEn'S COMMITTEE.
Testimony of c. L. Bell of
Mississippi.
HOW BABCOCK GOT CLEAR.
Serious Charges Against High Officials.

morning before Clymer's committee that he made
an application for post leadership at Fort Davis,
Tex, and come here in June, 1872, to see Belknap
about it. lie had number of recommendations
from army officers, but Secretary Belknap told
him that if he had known that he had come to
make such an application, he (Belknap) would
not have seen him. Witness replied that it would
take him but very little time to get out of his office
CLaughter), and he then got out. Qaughter).
This brus4ue treatment made him angry, but as
he got out to the west front of the building,
young man came running after him and requested
him to come back. When he returned, Mr.. Belk-
nap said (rather apologetcally) that he was great
y annoyed over the many applications for post
traderships Mr. Belknap then turned to him
(brusquely) and said How much is that position
worth lie replied that he did not know. Is it
worth $4,000 yearf he asked. He replied that
he supposed it was worth that Would you be
willing to pay that Mr. Belknap pursued. |
would not be willing to pay anything, he ie-
sponded, and then left. Witness could not re-
member that he had said to anybody that Col.
Goodfellow and Mr.. Crosley. the Secretary's
chief clerk, were Belknap's go-betweens in post
leadership bargains.
Mr.. Danford - Did you not think it your duty
to inform the President that the Secretary had
made an infamous proposition.
Mr.. Bell-No sir. | concluded that the Secre-
tary weighed little more than did, and that /
had better leave him alone (Laughter).
had seen other men shelved because they tried
tc fight heavier men than they, and l made up my
mind not to try it again. QLaughter). Mr.. Bell
after stating that he was appointed secret agent
of the pension office at the recommendation of
of President Grant and Mr.. Luckey, in Feb, '76,
at salary of S2200 and travelling expenses, re-
luctantly admitted that he was engaged as de-
tective IN the Babcock trial. under the employ of
Luckey. Luckey told him to consult A. c. Brad
ley. Bradley told HIM to get the evidence against
Babcock from District Atty Dyer's office, in order
to destroy it. He thought this was going rather
too far and would not do it, but he got hold of all
the evidence surreptitiouslv from the lawyers &C,
of Dyers office and from Dyer himself, who did
not know that he was in Babcocks employ, and
then told Luckey the case against Babcock was
weak. lie was to be appointed special agent Of
the Attorney Generals office, and to be sent to ST.
Louis, bu: he was not appointed. That was on
Dec. 18th, and the Atty Gen. DELAYED the ap-
pointment and finally told him that Dyer would
NOT consent to his (Bell's) working any longer.
Dyer understood the object Of his going there and
as he could be of no further use there he was ap-
pointed special agent to the Interior department.
lie submitted cypher between himself and Luck
ey, in which he (BelD was to communicate with
Luckey while out at st. Louis. The President
knew that be was to be sent out to st. Louis
officer of the Atty Gen, to find out the evidence,
and told him if Babcock was guilty he wanted to
see him punished. lie thought it was a prosecu-
tion against Grant, but when he got hold of the
evidence he made up his mind that Babcock was
guilty and so informed the President, and three
days after he was dismissed. He tried to inform
the President personally of Babcock's guilt, but
as he could not see him he made this fact known
to him through giving to the Herald the copies
between him and Lnckey, and mailed copy to
him, which he had reason to believe the Pres-
dent received. Three days after he was dismissed.
He met Babcock here several times, and when he
told him Bradley wanted him to get the evidence
Babcock said it would be no use getting part of
ii. If he did not get hold of the whole of it it
was no use. Babcock said that if he got the evil
dence he WOulI q well rewarded and that there
were papers and kilograms in existence which if
Dyer got hold of then he should never ex plain or
get over. (Sensation). Mr.. Pierepont was ad-
verse to his going to St. Louis to play the spy on
Dyer, and told him that high Treasury official,
whom he took to be Bristow, had found out what
he was going TO ST. Louis for and that therefore
it was of no use for him to 60. The President
told him that he wanted Bell to find out if any
attempt was made to manufacture evidence against
Babcock, or if Babcock was really guilty, and he
therefore gave him card to Pierrepont, so that
the latter should employ him 10 go to st. Louis as
secret officer Under the guise of this appoint
ment he was to be used by Bradley, Luckey and
Babcock to get the evidence and destroy it. He
abstracted some papers and kilograms from the
Atty Generals office, July IA. When he returned
to St Louis he explained to Dyer that he had been
commissioned to steal the evidence and destroy it.
This warned Dyer against Roger NJ. Sherman,
who was sent there from Bliss in New FORK to do
the same elrand, so that Sherman could not ac-
complish it. He was Md very particularly to get
hold of any kilograms signed b. Finch or Bull
finch, but subsequently Babcock told him he did
not think kilograms under such signature had
been sent IN that quarter. Bell wished II particu-
lally understood that he only acted for Babcock
so long as he believed him innocent, but when he
became convinced that Iabcock was really guilty
he threw up the sponge lie regarded Bah
cocks prosecution at first as political intrigue
against the President, for whom he had been a
scout during the war, and his main interest was to
saV the President RabrCrE wanted all the evil
dcncc to destroy it. Bradley was a brother-in law
of Shepherd. Bradley was sent out to st. Louis
by Babcock, to keep on the watch.
Mr.. Robbins-Iou say Babcock said he had not
seii any kilograms signed "B Finch" or Bull
finch" to that quarter Did you understand he
seLt it to any other quarter?
Mr.. Bell thought he might have sent some
to Chicago.
Q-The President never wanted you to cover up
the truth?
l}-No sir he never did.
Mr.. Danford, the republican member of the
committee, cross examined the witness.
You say that you came to the conclusion that
Babcock was guilty, but the jury thought he WAS
innocent. What further proof did you see beyond
that the jury saw ?
Be-Nothing, excepting a conversation with
Bradley, Iuckey and Babcock.
Q-Three days after the publication in the Her.
aid you were dismissed by Secretary Chandler.
Didn't he do right in dismissing you when he
found that YOU were to be spy on Dyer for Bah
cock
B-Well l Il give you plain answer to your
plain question. think that Chandler knew all
about what was going to do. (Sens stion) l told
him was going TO New York for Gen, Babcock
and asked him if should enter into the details,
and he said 'No."
Mr.. Danford pressed the question whether he
meant to say that Mr.. Chandler had appointed him
special agent fully confident of his secret mission
and he said that the question should be asked of
Mr.. Chandler. (Laughter).
Luckey had told him at st. Louis that if he got
hold of the evideuce he would get big office
in Washington. Oaughter.) While he was in
st. Louis working for Babcock he drew his pay
special agent of the pension Office but only for
five weeks. While holding that appointment he
went to New York for Gen. Babcock, but would
prefer not to say for what object Bahcock knew
all about the cipher. All the recommendation he
had for his appointment under Chandler, was the
card from the President. The President told him
(l}ell) that he would speak to Chandler about him.
He said that he would tell Chandler that Bell was
to be ordered to St. Louis. While he was away in
New York for Babcock, his pay as agent of the
pension office was stopped, but on his return he
got it, when he told Chandler that he was there
for Babcock. All Chandler asked was whether
Babcock knew he was in New York, and when he
said "yes" he got his pay. The only purpose of
his employment as pension office agent was to
work for Babcock.