Year: 1876

In the winter OF 1874 and the spring of 1873 several
cabine, Ministers aud their families and the Pres
denrs family had received ANONYMOUS letters which
excited great deal OF curiosity on the part OF those
receiving them. IL was time before the different
became that any other than their own fam
iics had received these alentions but reference to
tho matter by brought out the fact that the
others had also received these letters. AT length
formal investigation was foot by members
OF the Cabinet. the Solicitor of the Treasury General
Babcook and General Porter ard 1t the notes OF
this investigation and letters and reports
rcrning it to which General Grants attention was
called as documents contained among Solicitor Will
sons private papers which he (Wilson thought the
PRESIDENT would not to have looked over by officers
In the Treasury Department who were not aware OF
their character, and 1t was on this account that Wilson
requested the President send his to
look through the papers with wilson The prominence
given to the matter bv Mr.. Cochran in the whiskey
frauds investigation ana the still, greater prominence
caused by Attorney General Williams emphatic and
Indignant denial caused much talk here in Washington
among the eight or ten persons who were acquainted
with the various features of the story the
CATION This talk has made it possible, by inquiries
addressed to after another of them present the
following statement IN regard to the steps taken in
Cabinet circles discover the author of these letters


IMPORTS TRACE


About the 1st OF March 1875, Secretary Beknap met
Solicitor Wilson and showed MIN the envelope of what
he said had covered anonymous letter which he had
lately received charging upon himself and his family
Improper connection with the French arms sales, and
he was very anxious tha, Wilson should find man in
Ihc Secret Service Division who could the writer
of the letter. The solicitor showed this envelope to
the chief of that force, but nothing accomplished
toward discovering its author


MORE ANNOYING STATEMENTS.


About week after Secretary Bclknap to the
soictor with another letter in tho hand making
,till more annoying statements rejecting upon hts
iamly After conversation the letters were put
Into Wilson'S possession, he promising. at the request
Of the Secretary, to what he could do personally
toward finding thor author He took them TO his Office
In tho Treasury Depart nient and after obtaining an
anonymous letter which had been wriiten Secretary
Brisiow and turned over TO him by tho Secretary he
began comparison of tho two Tho letter to General
Bristow was one demanding that he should discharge
lccrtain lady from he Treasury Department because,
alleged, she had herself obnoxious toward
two ladies in Cabinet circles and because tho
President himself had expressed great dissatisfaction
with her and tho fact that the Secretary
tanned her. The whole closed with threat that unless
The Secretary made this removal charges would
be brought against him that would drive him from tho





letter except that wilson remembered that he had put
II in OF his pigeon holes An examination
OF the letters soon convinced tho Solicitor that
they not written by man. unless his hapdwrit-
Ing was much finer anu OF n more feminine than
Is usually An ainsion in OF the letters had
suggested the possibility OF their having originated
with Colonel Whitley, tho famous chief OF the Secret
service Division, and tho capital letters IN. Y s."
In the words New York sun which had been linked
over to make them appear larger appeared, on CON-
psrson with Whltley's writing, to have very strong
marks cf similarity The fact that Colonel Whitley
was on intimate terms at the house OF the Attorney
General turned attention In that direction. and Major
Wilson wrote,o Secretary Bcknap asking him to send
notes which he might have received from that house
In he had retained any One of these was subse
qrenly furnished and its comparison with the anony.
nous letter strengthened the suspicion which had
been aroused At Secretary Belknap's rcquet the
Solicitor visited the War Department and had pro
ionged interview upon the subject with General Bel
KNAPP alone, who Immediately became convinced that
they had obtained the right Glow to tho origin the
letters.


FOLLOWING Up THE cLEw.


The next day ut the Secretary request another in
tervcw was had at the War Department in regard to
The matter, at which Secretary Robson present.
The latter had also brought a letter received in his





letters then possession of these gentlemen were srb
iected very close ami critical examination by both
the Cabinet officers present and both agreed that the
first surmisc in regard to their correct
The following note Axes the fact of this interview


wAsnISGroy, sunday Morning March IL, 1875
10 BLuPoED WILSON,


Ny DEAR siR--Pleasc call at my Office, II con-
rcnicnt. tomorrow at one O'Clock, bringing the
"papcrsn with you If that hour Is not agreeable
please another. Yours truly


WILLIAM W. BELKNAP.


LETTER OF STRANGE


At the close OF this interview the Solicitor the
following note TO member OF the Cabinet then absent
from the city, in regard to the mattcr:-


March 20 1875


My DEAR siR-wc apally succeeded this morning in
rcspondence Tho writer OF the letters WAS Mrs
George II. Williams-threc to Bcknap and one TO Mrs
Robeson. The proof Is, Ia our judgment, conclusive
both from the exsrirsic circumstances and compar
Ig the writings. The letters To Beknap Infamous
md would provoke murder or killing rather n the
iuihor a This discovery we cannot but rc-
gard as OF the very gravest character and the
rcssful treatment OF the matter depend IN large
measure the good name of the Cabinet and the inGu
OF General Grant and hts administrator Ii WILL
badly managed, make scandal 10 which that of the
fatons will be ''hght to darkness endeavored
o impress this upon General Bclknap this morning,
md believe he fully appreciates 1t, bu, declines
accept my suggestion that he should
not move until lac has advised with you
and Others claiming that IN matter affecting ns this
tees his honor and that OF his family he must re-
nrvc himself the exclusive right decide upon his
,oursc aud as to tho and measure OF repafa-
ion reprsaL | suggejcd that he should Por-
or He has seen Babcock, but Porter in such au
emergency would bo wise aud discreet hand Another
hing that gives me eoncern-Mrs Robeson and Mrs
Belk nap have exchanged condolences the extent OF
ascertaining that they both victims OF the same
hand and thus the curiosity OF the ladies ali around is
ipnamed and for ths reason 1t looks to the though
ali explosion OF tho affair might occur at any time
Mrs. Beiknap suspects Mrs Williams aud General Bah