Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-13
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF GENERAL sAscock.

An interesting trial, the outcome of the Whislkey Ring frauds during Pres ident Grants administration, was that of Gen. Orville E. Baccock, who at the time was acting as private secre- tary to the President. Although under a cloud and Grant was forced to dispense with his services.
 Babcoclz had served with distinction during the Civil war and in 1864 Grant appointed him as an aide-de- camp on his staff. On March 21, 1861, gineers. When Grant was elected President, Gen. Babcock and Porter were appointed military secretaries and attaches to the White House. In December, 1872, Babcock succeeded Gen. Horace Porter as secretary.
 It was unfortunate for Gen. Bab- cocks reputation that he was asso- ciated so long with the White House under Grants administration. During the winter of 1S71-T2 his name became very prominent in connection with the General Order SWindle'' in New York, and four years later he was even more seriously involved by the revelations of the Whiskey Ring trials at St. Louis.
 On account of his implication in this business he demanded a court
  ed in December. 1875. AS Gen. Bab- cock was himself indicted by the Grand Jury of St. Louis later, the court of inquiry was held in abeyance, 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 s4O,0 900 and ruined him financially. But he was not at the end of his troubles. for in April, 1878, he was indicted for com plicity in the famous safe burglary conspiracy at Washington. The trial of this case came off in September fol- lowing, and resulted once more in his acquittal by the jury. During 1875 an extensive whiskey ring, organized 10 control revenue legislation and avoid ance of revenue taxes, was discovered in the West.
 It was an association of distilIers in collusion with Federal officers, and for a time it succeeded in defrauding the Government of the tax on distilled spirits. This form of corruption, after the declaration by President Grant Let no guilty man escape"-waS traced by detectives to the portals of the White House, but even partizan rancor could not connect the President herewith. The Babcoclz trial began in the United States District Court of St. Louis, on Feb. 8, 1876. Babcocx H1S utLSHuc4 UN ILHOTy A. SIOrrS, Judge Porter, Judge Krum and former Attoy. Gen. Williams, District. Atty-. Dyer, special counsel, James 0. Broad- head and Maj. Lucien Eaton appeared for the Government
 During the trial Dist. Atty. Dyer made q strenuous effort to show that Babcock not only aided the conspir- ators in their work, but that he re- ceived money directly from them. At first it was expected that President Grant would be called to St. Louis to testify but instead of that he received interrogatorieS upon which his evil dence was required. His dispositions were made on Feb. 12, before Chief Justice Waite. These were mainly iu reference to the question of appoint ments and transfers of internal reve- nue officials in which the allegations that Gen. Babcock took undue inter est.
 The summing up began on Feb. IS the district attorney made the final appeal on behalf of the Government on Feb. 2S On Feb. 24, after the jury had been out two hours, they brought in a verdict for the defendant. After Babcock had resigned as Grants sec. retary, ne was engaged in Government 19. 1884, Babcock left Baltimore with 2 surveying party in a two-mastcC schooner for Mosquito Inlet, 90 mile. off the coast of Florida On June s most of the party were drowned anC his body being recovered 1t wa, brought to Washington, where he re- sided, and was buried several dayI later: