The Portland daily press., 1876-02-22
BABCOCK'S TRIAL.
Argument for the Defence.


ST. LOUIS, Feb. 21.-Emery A. Storrs, of
Babcock's counsel, resumed his address to the
jury this morning. He said at the close of his
discussion Saturday afternoon, ~ had finished,
as | supposed, the dispatches between Joyce
and Babcock relative to a successor of G. W.
Ford. 1t seems to me that had demonstrated
that Maguire's appointment was the result of
most honorable motive from the highest prin-
ciples of Justice. The President consulted the
wishes of Ford's bondsmen who were bound to
the extent Of thousands of dollars for the con-
duct of that officer. All the correspondence
passed in October, 1873. From that time down
to March, 1874, there was period of dead ST.
lence between Gen. Babcock and Joyce and
Mcdonald. 1 come now to the next despatch
in the order of time, from Joyce to Bah.
cock in March 1874:
"Start for San Francisco tomorrow night.
Make d. call off his scandal hounds that only
blacken the memory of Ford and friends
BUSINESS"
Douglass himself tells you in his testimony
there was no direct suspicion against Joyce,
but the revenue agent sent out here from time
to time brought back such stories of excessive
hospitality that the Commissioner felt the me-
cesslty OF transferring him for the time being to
another sphere of usefulness. Joyce attempted
to resist Washington when he received the Or
der, but was thwarted. Had Gen. Babcock
then been a member of the conspiracy his
offices would have been called in use to prevent
Luo Ddu TdnClsCO tItp, VI dG ledSG 10 secure
Joyce's desired visit to Washington. Gen.
Babcock was not applied to, and that is the
best proof of his innocence and ignorance of
any ring at this time. Referring directly TO the
scandal hound despatch, Mr.. Storrs asked:
Who was Ford? and in reply quoted the Pres
idents deposition, in which the latter refers to
his lifelong friendship with Ford, and says for
several years before Ford's death he was the
recipient of hundreds and thousands of dollars
which he disbursed. and of which so implicit
hio hat fha
account. Said Mr.. Storrs: The tooth of scan
dial may have bitten Ford through and through
but the President still m ,intain5 the same con-
fidence in his old friend which existed in New
York State 25 years ago.
1t is absolutely delightful in the vast desert
of this case, in the great void of truth and hon.
esty to find green spot like this. Knowing
that the relations between Ford and the Presi-
dent Joyce sent his despatch "Make D. call
off his scandal hounds, that only blackens the
memory of poor Ford" Is it any wonder that
the private secretary of the President receiving
if any Investigations were afoat touching
Ford.
Mr.. Storrs then read the letter of March II,
from Babcock to Joyce, in which he says that
Douglass informs him that no charges have
been.made concerning Ford or any other st.
Louis official, and then tells Joyce that he
don't know why Douglass sends him to San
Francisco unless it is because of the confidence
he feels in him.
Mr.. Storrs said: Can that be the letter of one
conspirator to another. Il do not know the OBJ
ject of your visit to San Francisco Would
that be possible if Babcock was conspirater?
Wouldn't he have known; wouldn't Joyce have
informed Gen Babcock as soon as he was or
-dered to San Francisco and have sought him to
intervene and prevent the trip? Gentlemen. 1
think l can safely leave the scandal hound de-
spatch in your hands. After this Joyce was in
San Francisco several months. No words pass
ed between him and Babcock all that time.
Did you ever hear of such an uncommunicative
conspirator. Here is conspiracy from 1873
down to the last of May, aid only one telegram
from Babcock to Joyce and two answered ones
from Joyce to Babcock, and these creditable to
the latter.
Storrs then passed to the despatch of Octo-
Der, 1874, to Babcock. "Have you talked with
D.? Are things right? Answer, &c. and
said that no attention was ever paid to this. 1t
remained unanswered. Now you must remem-
Der that Mcdonald, whom Joyce represented,
was the supervisor of this district He was a
trusted officer. He had right to make those
inquiries. 1t was not only his right but his
duty to know every act in connection with the
revenue service which concerned his district