The daily gazette., 1877-08-27
From the N. Y, Sun.
KIDNAPPING CHARACTERISTIC
OF GRANT ADMlNISTRATIO

KIDNAPPING CHARACTERISED
OF GRANTS ADMINISTRATION,
The publication by the Washington
correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette
of the facts connected with the con
spiracy to kidnap Raymond II. Perry OF
Rhode Island, revives the memory of
the darkest page in the history of Grants
administration.
Mr.. Ferry had revealed certain tran.
sactions relating to tie San Domii 90
enterprise which were regarded by those
concerned In that undertaking as exceed
inglv damaging, and they determined to
put him out of the way. For this pur-
pose, as appears by the evidence given
to the world long since by the Sun and
now renewed and extended by the
Gazette, Gen. Babcock, Grants most
confidential secretary and his special
agent in San Domingo, conspired with
various persons in the detective service
of the Treasury Department to have a
bogus charge of murder raised agains
Perry in an obscure part of Texas, and
then to kidnap him in Rhode Island and
carry him off to Texas, either to kill hi m
there nr to incarcerate him in some
prison from which he could not posi- bly,
be released TO; an indefinite period of
time.
These are the simple facts as establish
ed by the testimony; and while it is pos
slble that such conspiracy could have
been gotten up by men SO near to Grant.
and in the interest of project out of
which he and his friends expected to
make great deal of money, without his
knowing and asserting to it, yet who
can believe that such was the case? Be-
sides, il he did not know it and ag rec in
it, would he not have resented it and
Sha aH xxyha h..f fra Af =
was brought to his knowledge By its
publication in the Sun some years
ago?
Another attempt to kidnap, which
certainly was devised and carried on
with the full knowledge of President
Grant, was that ma lie by Henry ID.
Cooke and Alexander II. Shepherd, when
they undertook to carry off Mr.. Dana
from this city to Washington, on a pro.
cess SO illegal .and WORTHLESS that uige
Blatchford turned it out of court as soon
occasion, too, there is little reason to
doubt that behind the kidnapping scheme
there was deadly, murderous in
tent.
Akin to both these operations was
the safe-burglary conspiracy, in which
Babcock was likewise conspicuous
actor, all his confederates being in the
same manner intimate friends OF PreSi-
dent Grant. A more wicked crime was
never undertakes than that which failed
with the failure of this conspiracy; but
the guilt of the villains who concocted
it, and the deep suspicion which his
close connection with them casts upon
the name OF Grant, cannot be eradicated
from the memory of men.
Similar to these was the conspiracy OF
Grants Secretary of the Navy to entice
Mr.. Whitthorne of the House of Repre-
hartman of an investiga-
ting committee, into house of III futoe
in Washington in order thar ne mi shr
there have him arrested, a11 tEls gt'u
over him p power to control the inn .i-
ga'ion ;tnd ltn Tor the pies-liCa; Il ia
the l,Cu>. nc the publication ii i.n,
damag ug ",'po Z.
Co piri,i's ia lnap cors pirAc;,,,
to t!acE"n lnluren" >"3o99 Nrh ~
foun ed .Iccu ,aIion IT c'iiaA, fora ~,
ot Il u most 'vnurk tble character. Stl =
rtG"a1', administration The" e,ru,
IN ~. iUIredihie, even at this brief -
BruH", a'.d yet thnS actually occurr.d Il
ne Lav" sttT-t And yet Gen. Gran
IN som" NJ his friedds still think tbat
A.. M, h't'n,inlted for IA third term
vi Plr.ail u5 ut the United States