The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-02-16

OF contemplated visits of revenue agents.
on such occasioss. and il almost always hap
pencd that age nts came out after information of
their coming had been received. Ii. q. Rogers,
deputy commissioner of the internal revenue,
was then called and testified that in August,
1874, Mr.. Douglass, at that time the commits
Revenue Agent Brooks in regard to
making an tnvestigation OF affairs al Chicago
came to Washington for consultation. Brooks
wished revenue agent Hoag 10 assist him. He
was written to and
AFTER A CONSIDERABLE DELAY, U<.f
he came 20 Washington and then went to Phils-
delphia to confer with Brooks. They returned
to Washington together and after several days
left again. The witness said: About the seventh
CT December, General Mcdonald came to my
room and stayed bat a few momeR Is.
The next day he came in and said,
"Rogers. don't want you to tell
me anything, but want to tell you some-
on special business and protest against sach
secret investiga tions- If the officers there
t to De IN ofice' they need & no investigator. II
moved. then telegraphed to Brooks
to delay the investigation. W. o.
internal revenue bureau. 1 received a letter
about tins time from Mr.. Brooks. All the let
ters were addressed 10 me personally, and in
OF a nature wanted TO go on the hIes. In the
latter part of November received a letter from
Brooks 1t referred TO the contemplated
investigation and said something about The de
lays being profitable TO the government and sat
missioner. showed me a cory OF this letter In his
own handwriting. i think Mr.. Douglass sa Id
that has attention had been called TO certain OBJ
jecuonable provisions in the letter, and he was
cautioned 10 beware of persons who made
use OF such expressions. Shortly afte. this
Mr.. Douglass informed NE that we would
abandon the Investigation. The witness was
briefly cross-examined, but nothing new was
brought out j. w. Douglass, ex commissioner
a a w y mt ha
stand and said: During 1873, 1874 and 1875 there
were e6Srts constantly made 10 ferret out the
frauds that were being perpetrsted. Several
REVENUE AGENTS WE'RE SENT TO ST. LOUIS
in 1872. bat received no definite information
from them. Later Brooks and Hoag were sent
out especially TO look into Frazer's affairs, and
that firm paid the government forty thousand
dollars as a compromise. When sent Joyce to
California, 1t was to get him out OF the wav of
the agents whom sent here and who com planned
of an excessive attention on his part, wining
and dining them so that they could not do any
work. Mcdonald and Joycs never came TO see
me mueh when they were in Washington. I
had conversation with Mr.. Roge.s in regard TO
the investigate ms in the West. Iremember
SHOWING him a copy of letter received between
the lUth and 10Th of December rom
proSe oS equally % protabIe to oeia she wSoIe goT,
ernmeDt and gratifying to ourselves
or something of the kiud. A copy OF the letter
that gentleman had shown 1t to him and he
was afraid that was going TO be deceived by
these men. He said that ne would mold me re-
sponsible for their conduct told him l had
Ae asked what might sensi:
letter Babcock told me ihe letter had been
given TO him conidentially and requested me
not a3s to say from rom, whom ~ received l.;
Washington, i remember, coming out
of my house one day, when met Babcock, and
exactly what was said. We talE ed about the
revenue agents coming here once in 1874. Bab-
cock came TO my office, and we talked about the
sCHAR.sEs AGAINST FORD
who was dead at the time. 1 told him there
We're no charges against Ford, that the charges
was getting up were against the living. He
asked what examination had been made and
said something about b.ackening the memory
of Ford. and that the only way a man 5 memory
could be blsckened who was dead was by
an examination. Afterwards Babcock came TO
me about sending bird, thrush, out West. He
came to my office once or twice that remem-
son went out Of Office. l had talk with the
president. TssSd roos and nd told him that things
/ thought that II proper INVESTIGATION ton
was made, IL would result clearly to the benefit
of the treasury. Hs concurred with me aud
January, 1910, addressed a letter to the sc cre-
tary OF the treasury In regard to the change of
S72 caused me 70 write this letter. @ AfterWard I'd
secretary Bristow came into the Of
flee, and we talked the matter
SyS Ss slec Sns over We waited and ,fen
there were number Of senatorial elections and
we had to wait until they were over. After that
produced and read in regard to the change of
officials OF the internal revenue supervisors.
The witness proceeded: After l addressed the
supervisors We're made, 1 had
conversation with the defendant. The
y 1se ~ &s told hm
IL was un wise and would result IN bringing such
a strong pressure on the president that the order
pleasant fos me. The conversation was held az
BabcocB' room in the White House. The pres
ident was not present. don't remember to
have had any other conversation with the de-
fendant about the matter. The secretary was to
notify parties on the fourth that the order would
be reversed. .-
cRoss-ExAMINATIoN BY sroRRs. 49,.
Gen. Baocock is the private secretary of the
president. He receives all the correspondence
for the president, opens and examines 1t, and
distributes IT among the departments. In
special cases he consults the president. Stoirs-
Do you know that in many cases when special
favors were desired, people over the country
have sent their requests to Gen. Babcock direct?
Witness-Yes, sir. He lays the matter before the
president for action. Complaints frequently
came from officials al the visits among them Of
revenue agents or Spies Storrs-Hsve you
known OF the best of your officials complaining
OF this? Witness-Yes, SIR such complains
came from all parts OF the cou ntry. 1t was not
infrequent that inquiries were made. officials
asking IL detectives were to be sent in their dis
tricts. Storrs-If Supervisor Fulton had asked
you If yon were going to send detectives into
his district would you have had any hesitation
in telling hfm7 wftness1,Not at al: StoIIs-lt
depended on your opiaion of the officers?
Witness-Yes, sir. Storrs-Something was said
of an interview between you and Gen. Babcock
in which the name OF Ford was used. WASN'T
II as regards Ford and him alone that Babcock
askedf VITA ness-I believe 1t was. Storrs-Did
you understand that Bsbcock desired to infin-
ence your action, as regards your plans to break
up the frauds. Witness-I only understood it
as have explained the circumstances. Storrs-
Did you not understand him to be anx-
fous to protect a man whose repu-
talon he bel eyed pgse, and who
was the presidents ffiend. Witness
Yes, sir, told him tnere were no charges
against Mr.. Ford. sfy suspicious were against
other ofncials IN Sc. Louis. Storrs-I desire 10
sali your attention to the letter which Genera
Babcock, you say, showed you. Wasn't Hoag's