Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-04-05
D-B BELL.

Aprli. Adopted.
D-B BELL.
The Character Of one Of the
C1ymer Witness Shown UP.
He is a Dirty, wing Dead Beat
and Professional Black
mailer.
The Clymer Committee Rak-
ing the Cutters.
CHICAGO. April lie. A. Storrs,
who was the leading counsel for Bah
cock, was interviewed by a Tribune
reporter relative to Bells story before
the Clymer Committee Yesterday, and
he says that Bell is miserable dead
beat detective. He also makes the fol-
lowing disclosures.
Reporter-So you know Mr.. Bell /?
Storrs-Wcll l should rather think
/ did.
R.-Who is he?
S.-A dead beat detective.
ibid he make any proposition
to you concerning the Babcock case /?
S.-Ies; he came to me at Wash
ington and said that the Treasury
Department had employed him to
steal certain papers in the case of
Avery and Babcock.
R.-What did you tell him?
ST. told him that he was welcome
to all the papers that he could steal
from us, and if he got any they could
do him no good.
R.-What did he say to that?
Size still insisted that he had
been engaged by the Treasury to do
as he had stated.
R.-What further did you tell him !?
ST. told him if he could produce
any written contract to that effect |
would talk business with him.
R.-What did he say then?
She said he would see. and let
me know in day or two.
R-Did you see him again?
S.-4es: he came back and stated
that he couldn't get written contract
from the Treasury officials, but he
produced an affidavit written by him
self, duplicating Bluford Wilson,
officials in such scheme.
R.-What did you do about it?
ST. crosse-eXamincd him pretty
closely, and found out that he was a
fraud, ready TO sell out anybody for
a five dollar bill if he couldn't get
more, and bounced him.
Rid you make any propositions
to him to clanaestincly corral any doe
unne"to bcfonging 10 tire prosecution
in the Babcock case?
S.-Such an idea never entered my
head, and l never made any PROPOSE
ton to him whatever, except to get
that contract between himself and the
Treasury Department, which he boast
ed of having made.
R-Where is that affidavit now!
Sit is In safe hands and will be
exhibited to the investigating COM
mittee at Washington.
CHICAGO, April IA Washington
special 80 the Iater-Oceon furnishes
the additional evidence of Bells be-
ing fraud, and of the Clymcr COM
mittec having been sold with fiat,
stale story.
Secretary Chandler says that in
December he was in want of good
detective and mentioned il at Cabi-
net meeting, inquiring of other men,
bers of the Cabinet il they had not
some one to recommend to him.
Some days after the President told
Chandler that man who had been a
spy in his service during the war and
was very good detective, was i'm
scarce OF employment and that he.
the President had sent him to Chan
dler.
Bell called on Chandler and sent
in has card. Gen, Hl1lbut was in
the room and saw the card. He said
to Chandler: 81 know that man. he
was spy in my employ during the
war and did good service"
Chandler then sent for Bell to come
in and agreed to take him on
trial and referred him to the chief of
special agents, Mr.. Lebarnis. Bells
commission was made out but he
asked for Il few days time that he
might fix up some matters i'm which
he was engaged. Lebarnis granted
II and Bell was away for month";
When he came back he wanted his
pay saying he had been i'm the service
often. Babcock. Lebarnis referred
the matter to Secretary Chandler
Mr.. Chandler refused to pay him I'M
less he would bring a certificate from
Gen. Babcock that he had been on
government service. Somehow he
got Gen. Cowen to certify to his SER
vice while Chandler was gone and
got his pay. Then he wanted to be
assigned to duty at st. Louis because
his family was there and Lehar-
mis- having some cases TO work
up there, gave him lot of
fraudulent pension papers. Bell
had not been away many DAYS
when the President told Chandler he
had reason to believe Bell was q bad !
man, and if ho was in the Department
he had better be discharged. Babcock
was consulted about the service Bell |
claimed to have performed, and stat
cd II was myth, SO Bell was given
his discharge. Chandler says neither
Luckey nor Babc0ck ever spoke to
him about Bells appointment, and
that to his knowledge Bell was never
paid a cent by the Department, al
though the vouchers show that Gen.
Cowan then assistant secretary or
dered that he be paid. Chandler will
go before the committee.
Col. Luckey says that Bell came to
him several times, protesting TO be a
friend of Gen. Babcoik's, and gave
him what he claimed were the SECRETS
OF prosecution, but he never employed
him.
District Attorney Dyer,of St.Louis,
is here, and says Bell is fraud that
he had come to him and PROPOSED .
know all about Babcock's movements
and was willing to expose them for
money. At one time he intended to
put Bell on the stand at Babcock's
trial, but dared not do ii.
Judge Krum, Babcock's attorney, is
also here and says Bell was never en-
ployed in the case to his knowledge.
It is stated on the authority of a
member of the Judiciary Committee,
which is investigating the whisky
trials, that Bell came to them and
offered to toll what he knew
for $1,000. A Congressman from
Mississippi also knew Bell, he having
been mixed up in politics down there
some, they unitedly declared him to
be a rascal and professional black
mailer.
All q Lilo.
WASHINGTON, March 3l-Gcn. Bah
.I- n