Arizona republican., 1914-05-13
TRIAL OF GENERAL BABCOCK

An interesting trial, the outcome of the Whisky Ring frauds during Pres ident Grants administration, was that of General Orville F. Babcock, who at the time was acting as private secretary to the President. Although Babcock was acquitted he remained under a cloud and Grant was forced to dispense with his services.
 Babcock had served with distinc tion during the Civil war and in 1864 Grant appointed him as an aide de- camp on his staff On March 21. 1S67 he was promoted to be major of engineers. When Grant was elect ed President, Generals Babcock and Porter were appointed military secre- taries and attaches to the White House. In December, 1872, Babcock succeeded General Horace Porter as secretary
 It was unfortunate for General Babcock's reputation that he was as sociated so long with the White House under Grants administration. During the winter of 1S71-72 his
 
 nection with the General Order Swindle" in New York, during the trial of the participants, and four years later he was even more seri- ously involved by the revelations of the Whisky Ring trials at St. Louis.
 On account of his implication in this business he demanded a court ioI, ed in December, 1875. As General Babcock was himself indicted by the Grand Jury of St Louis later, the court of inquiry was held in abey- ance, until the trial in the civil court was ended. It took place in February. 1876. and resulted in a verdict of mot guilty"
 The trial cost BabcOck si0000 and ruined him financially But he was not at the end of his troubles, for in April, 1876, he was indicted for complcity in the famous safe burg lary conspiracy at Washington. The trial of this case came off in Sep tember following, and resulted once more in his acquittal by the jury i During 1875 an extensive whisky ring, organized to control revenue legisla ton and avoidance of revenue taxes, was discovered in the West.
 It was an association of distillers l in collision with Federal officers, and 1 for time it succeeded in defrauding ] the government of the tax on dis titled spirits. This form of corrup- | tion, after the declaration by Presi- dent Grant-"Let no guilty man es- cape"-was traced by detectives to | the portals of the White House, but l even partisan rancor could not con | meet the President herewith. The Babcock trial began in the United States District Court of St. Louis, on February s, 1876. Babcock was defended by Emory A. Storre, Judge Porter, Judge Krum and eX-Attorney General Williams, District Attorney | Dyer. special counsel. James o Broadhead. and Major Lucien Eaton appeared for the government.
 | During the trial District Attorney | Dyer made q strenuous effort to show l that Bacock not only aided the con 1 spirators in their work, but that he received money directly from them At first, it was expected that Presi- dent Grant would be called to St Louis to testify but instead of that he received interrogatories upor | which his evidence was required His dispositions were made on Feb ruary F, before Chief Justice Waite These were mainly in reference tt the question of appointments an(
 transfers of internal revenue official: in which the allegation is that Gen.
 eral Babcock took undue interest. The summing up began on Febru-
 ary IS, the District Attorney mad,
 the final appeal on behalf of tn,
 government on February 23 Or
 February 24, after the jury had beer
 out two hours, they brought in ;
 verdict for the defendant. After Bab
 cock had resigned as Grants secre
 tary, he was engaged in governmen
 work in various capacities. On Ma,
 19, 1884, Babcock left Baltimore witt
 q surveying party in d two-mastet
 schooner for Mosquito Inlet ninet,
 miles off the coast of Florida Or
 June 3, most of the party wer'
 drowned and his body being recov
 cred it was brought to Washington
 where he resided, and was buried
 several days later.
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