Year: 1876

RING.


The circumstances of Babcock's triad in
connection with the Whiskey Ring never
have peen fully understood, by the public
His acquittal was shrouded in mystery the
testimony throughout censured. if it did
not convict him in the public mind OF as
deep complicity in the frauds as Joyce,
Mcdonald or Avery. The influence of the
President in his favor, Babcock's theft OF
letters intended for the President and
numerous other tricks were brought to bear
upon the case in such way as to twist
circumstances greatly in his favor, and he
came out of the fire with whole bones, but
not unscortched by the taiut Of guilt. To
an honorable man, one who had not a
blemish Of guilt upon him, the verdict oi
the jury that acquitted Babcock, would not
have satisfied, but the Presidents private
secretary, was glad enough to escape thus
easily.


The committee of Congress now sitting
in Washington, and known as the Whisky
Committee are cleaning fac:s from wit
nesses, that give Babcock's character a
tinge of dishonor, and if they are kept up
with as much strength Of truthlulness as
they have already been given may accom-
plish, what his recent trial failed to do,and
that is his conviction. An important wit
ness before the committee is Solicitor
Bluford Wilson, who at the time that the
conspiracy against the revenue laws by the
illicit distillers came into notice wasSolicitor
of the Treasury. In this position his
relations with the President were those of
intimacy, and for this reason the order for
his peremptorydisnlissal from position was
regarded with surprise, and when it Was
explained as the cause of this summary
action, that he had ordered detectives to
be placed upon the track Of the President,
the puelic mind was in a measure satisfied,
but with those who were not overweaning
in their love for the administration it gained
but little belief, and was. regarded as a
feeble argument to justify the action of the
President.


The Solicitors testimony places a
different construction upon the matter
entirely. After Mcdonald had
been indicted, and when the
President and Babcock were visiting St.
Louis, although the two had declined to
hold any conversation with Mcdonald, the
solicitor had strong reasons for believing
Joyce Mcdonald and Babcock would be
in consultation during that visit, and he in
a letter to General Henderson, asked him
to use his secret service and watch the
movements of Joyce and Mcdonald. This
letter was stolen from General Henderson,
and handed to Mcdonald, who in turn
handed it to Babcock. In the meantime
it was proven by information gained by the
prosecution at St. Louis, that the Solicitors
suspicious were not groundless; that al
though the President and his private sec
retary had virtuously declined to hold any
conversation with Mcdonald, Rabcock did
hold secret communication with him. Then
it was Babcock obtained Solicitor Wilson's
letter and so interlined it as to give con-
straction that he had ordered detectives to
be placed upon the track Of the President


When this deception had been compile.
ted, Babcock handed the letter to the Pres.
dent, who complained of it to the Secretary
Of the Treasury, and insisted upon the
peremptory dismissal of the Solicitor
This not only exonerates the Solicitor
from the. charge made against him, but
strengthens the public suspicion that Bah.
cock is deeply implicated in the whisky
frauds, and in connection with the indict-
ment found against him in the safe burg
larry case, blackens him as a graceless ras
cal, that should to-day be keeping com
pany in conyicts cell with the rest of the
whisky thieves. There is some probability
that an Indictment may yet be found
against him, and that he will ultimately
etand behind the bars.


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