The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-27
Great Trials Of History.
TRIAL or GENERAL BABCoCK.


tho whiskcy ring frauds during Pres
ident Grants administration. was that
OF General Orvillc Il. Babcocis, who at
the ,i:nc was acting "a private sec
rotary 10 tho President Although
Bachcock was acquitted. no remained
under a cloud. and Grant was forced
! 10 dispense with his services.
l3ahoock had served with distinc-
tion during the Civil War. aud In 1864
Grant appointed him as an aide de
! camp on his stan. On March 81, 1867,
he Was promoted IN be major OF en-
e!necrs. when Grant was elected
President, Generals sabcoci, and Por-
ter were appointed military secretaries
and attaches 10 the White House. IL
December. 1872. Babcock succeeded
General Horace Porter as secretary.
1T WAS unfortunate for General Eab-
cocks reputation that he was asso-
ciated so long with the White House
under Grants administration. During
the winter OF lS7l-73 his name be-
came very prominent in connection
with the general order swindle" IN
Ncw York. during the trial OF the par
Elephants. and -four years later he w.
even more seriously involved ~ tho
revelations OF the whiskey ring trials
II -. Louis.
On account OF his Implication In this
business he demanded ~ court OF In
QuiFy. which request WAC granted IN
December, 1875. As General Dabcock
was himself Indicted by the grand jury
OF 81. Louis later, the court OF in
qu!iy was held In allegiance until tho
trial IN the civil court Was ended. II
took place In February, 1876. ana re-
quilted IN 4 verdict OF mot guilty.
The trial cost I3abcock $4,000. anI
ruined him financially. Put NJ was
not NJ the end of his troubles. for In
i
piicity In the famous safo BURGLAR
conspiracy At Washington. The trial
~ this case came on In September fol-
lowing. and resulted once more in his
atpnittai By tho jury. During 1875 an
extensive whiskey Ing. organized 10
control revenue legislation and avoid
hnce OF revsnut taxes. was discovered
in tho West.
IL was an association OF d!s,ilIers
In collision with Federal officers, and
for time IL succeeded In defraudinE
the government OF the tax on distilled
spirits This form of corruption. utter
tho declaration by resident Grant.
Let no guilty man oscape"--was traced
by detectives to the portals OF Tho
White House, but even partisan rancor
could not connect the President there
with. The l3abcock trial began In tho
United states District Court Of ST
Louis, on February e. 1876 Babcocll
was defended by Emory A. Store.
Judge Porter, Judge Krum and cx-At
torney-Gencral Williams District At
torncy Dyer, special counsel James c,
Broadhcad and Major Lucicn Eaton an
peared for tho government
During tho trial District Attorney
Dyer made strenuous effort to show
that Habcock not only aided the con
spirators In their work, but that he re-
ccived money directly from them. al
first II was expected tEat Pres,den.
Grant would be called to ST Louis 70
testify, but instead OF that he received
Undergraduates upon which his cyi-
dence was required. His depositions
were made on February II, before
chief Justice Waite. These wero main
Iy IN reference to tho question of an
pointments and transfers of Internal
'evenue officials, In which tho allega-
Ion Is that General Babcock took nm
duo interest.
The summing up began on February
IS, The district attorney made the nnai
appeal on behalf Of the government
IN February %. On February "a. af
ter the jury had been out two hours.
they brought in a verdict for the de,
fencant. After Babcoci had resigned
as Grants secretary. he was engaged
In government work In various capacI-
ties. On May 10, 1884. Babcock left
Baltimore with Il surveying party I'm
two-mastcd schooner for Mosouito
Inlet. ninety miles off the coast Of Iior
ida. ON June 3, most of the party vera
drowned, and his body being recoy-
cred 1t was brought to Washington.
where he resided. and was buried uey-
eral days later.