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CLISBY, JONES & REESE, Proprietors.
The Family Journal.—N*w»—Politics—Literature—Agriculture—Domestic Aetairs.
GEORGIA TELEGRAPH BUILDING;
Established 1826.
MACON, TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1876.
Volume LXIX—No. 85
FROM WASHINGTON.
Editorial Correspondence.
Washington, April 9, 1876.
BELKNAP
Was served, yesterday, by the Senate
Sergeant-at-Arms with the process issued
by order of the Senate as the court of
impeachment. That functionary, of
course, was "pumped” on his return from
his errand as to how Belknap received
him, and reports the er-Secretary as
quite spry, and, to all appearances, en
tirely recovered from his first depression.
He talked very freely of the coming
Luck to him in his fight with the thieves
and thugs of his party, no matter what
his motive.
The postal card business is on the in
crease every month. It nearly reached
twelve millions last mouth—to be exact,
just 11,740,500.
At least 20per cent. of the force in the
Treasure^*office in the Treasury De
partment will be discharged in a week,
on account of the exhaustion of the ap-
propriij&on. Then wo shall hear another
howl'S^ont the "Confederate” House
refusing to keep Union men and women
from starvation.
One Moseley who is, I believe, post
trial and indicated that he was going to | ^ter TriS^ aLTrEproprietor
meet the issue with a stiff upper lip- | of ft half a dozen " patent outside” pa-
head up. and eyes to the front. He de- ‘ pew 0 f the scallawag odor, is in a little
clared he had no fears of ultimate vindi- , „ C rapo here. He printed certain postof-
cation, and intimated that be would ap-! fico advertisements in his papers and
pear in person at the bar of the Senate, t charged $3,700 therefor. A ample of
. jA'yta
counsel have evidently been filling him
with the Dntch courage of soothing as-
surances that the law’s quirks and their
own ingenuity will pull him through. It
Is very clear, now, that the man’s con
science has been thoroughly quieted, and
that as the fear of punishment was tho
only thing that pricked it, so the assur
ance of escape therefrom ha3 healed all
its wounds. There are many criminals
of his sort in tho world, thongh not often
found in such exalted position.
THEKE rs
a very cheerful prospect that the Missis
sippi investigation, so-called, planned by
Morton and his fellow-conspirators in tho
Senate, may come to naught after all.
The Senato contingent fund has been
pretty well drained by the Spencer inves
tigation, and tho money for the devil’s
work will have to be raised by a special
bill of appropriation, which must pass
both houses. It i3 not probable the
House will consent to such a prostitution
of the public money for purely partisan
ends, and the bloody shirt gang will
hardly consent to pay the expenses out
of their own pockets. Won’t old Satan
rago and roar if thus baulked of his prey ?
Of courso there is not the slightest dan
ger of be and Boutwell footing the bill
refused to certify to the account until
peremptorily ordered to do so by "Jake ”
Martin then Sixth Auditor.
We have feasted on Titiens thiB, and
next week, will have another " dainty
dish fit to set before a king,” as the
nursery books say, in the shape of Soth-
ern as "Dundreary’’ and "David Gar
rick.” When I say feasted. I moan oth
ers did, not yours truly, who had tickets
for an opera in which sho was billed to
appear but did not, on account of "indis
position.” As that means drunk or the
sulks, I was considerably riled. E.
TllE RING’S CONSPIRACY*
Was the President an Accomplice—
Light at Last—The District Safe
Burglary—A Scandalous story of
Bribery and Corruption—Whitley
Telling What He knows.
Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Gazette.]
Washtngton, April 7.—On the night
of the 23d of April, 1874, tho fire-proof
safe in the office of the United States
District Attorney in this city was blown
open with powder, and a lot of books
themselves, however much their hearts and papers which were done up ia a bun-
bleed with a desire to expose tho deviltry ! file was taken therefrom and carried by
of the Mississippians and right the i one of the burglars to the house of Co
wrongs of tho loyl black lambs of that j lumbns Alexander. The explosion oc«
State. 1 enrred about one o’clock in tho morning,
babcock’s trial j and was so great'that it blew down tho
was a "sockdolager,” pecuniarily, to him. j folding doors which separated the two
The best information i3 that it cost him ) rooms occupied by the District Attor-
in the neighborhood of $40,000, and that ney’s office, and startled the people in
what with other losses on real estate op- j th 0 neighborhood. The Assistant Op
erations, and the general shrinkage in j txlct Attorney, Richard Harrington, wa3
values of that species of property, he is I on the outside, with the Superintendent
deuced hard up for ready cash. Old Zach of Police and tho Chief of Detectives
Chandler testified before the Clymer
Committee on Tuesday that he had con-
and a brother of Boss Shepherd. One
A. B. Williams, a police-court lawyer,
tributed $1,000 towards refilling Bab’s wa3 also of the party watching. The
depleted pockets, and the inference is that 1 burglars were so bold in their operations
other Cabinet officials also had to ante, j that they carried their tools into the
What with these digs into loyi pockets, j building about ten o’clock, and were ob-
and the failure of numberless other little j served by parties passing along the
gam°s that promised to pan out richly, ! street.
it is feared that all is not well with the j At the time of thi3 remarkable occur-
bank accounts of many of the elect. Somo j rence the joint committee of the two
psople oven say The "Boss]’ is in deep j houses of Congress were investigating
water himself, and sometimes has to j tho Board of Public Works, and tho Dis-
chase a fiver pretty lively to meet emer- j trict ring, with "Boss” Shepherd at its
gcncies. After all, there may be a here- j head, was being pressed close to the
after of financial unhappiness for even the ; wall. The memorialists who were pnsh-
fcighest and mightiest of tho gar g who [ ing this investigation on the part of the
have so long rioted on the substance of a I citizens of tho District had just closed
tax ridden people. j their case against tho ring government,
the silver bill, ! and the next day (April 24) was the day
as it is called, will not get through the : set by the committee to drive about tho
Senate as it passed tho Houso. The ; city and view the work which had been
former body will certainly strike out that j done by tho Board of Public Works. It
section which makes the silver dollar was at this juncture that tho conspiracy
legal tender to the amount of $50, and
coins of less denomination legal tender
to tho amount of $25. Indeed such ac
tion has already bee n taken by tho Fi
nance Committee, and will certainly be
sustained by the majority. Tho Senate
idea is to coin a new dollar easily distin
guishable from tho trado dollar, which
shall be a largo tender up to $20, except
for custom dues and interest on the pub
lic debt, and to prohibit the trade dollar
being a legal tender for any amount.
The House may, however, refuse to yield,
and tho country not have any silver
change at all to jinglo in its pockets
when jt it goes to the Centennial next
summer.
ARMY HEADQUARTERS,
as tho wires have already told you,
which had been concerted to bring the
memorialists into disgrace was consum
mated. A half-dozen of the most prom
inent of the gentlemen who were prose
cuting tho caso against Boss Shepherd
and his fellow-thieves were in the habit
of meeting at the house of Columbus
Alexander after the close of the day’s
work at the capitol and discussing among
themselves their plans of future action.
All this was noted by the ring thioves,
and their plans were laid accordingly.
They intended to have the hired burg
lars blow open the safe in the District
Attorney’s office and carry tho papers to
Alexander’s houso and hand them into
the gentlemen gathered there, and right
on the heels of tho burglars the officers
were to come and arrest the whole party
will hereafter be in this city, and old j and drag them eff to the police head'
Tecumseh is almost as happy as when j quarters and lock them up. This well-
devastating Georgia in that march to tho j laid plan failed in the first instance by
sea whieh has stained his name with j the burglars mistaking their directions,
such deep and damning shame. This j and putting off the job till one o’clock,
removal has also settled a controversy ! when it was to have been done at ten
that has been waged between the War i o’clock. This failure to do tho work at
Department and the commander-in-chief j the specified time failed because the con-
of the army for at least a fourth of a • spirators (the memorialists) had all gone
century. It is said Sherman is very i home, and Mr. Alexander was ia bed and
jubilant over the result, and of course sound asleep before tho burglars came
can afford to plaster the new Secretary with tho books. They failed to arouse
with all sorts of praise. The lieadquer-! him, and Major Richards, the superin-
ters of the army will be in the War De
partment, where they were before being
moved to St. Louis. Sherman will reside
here, permanently, though bis family
will continue to make their home at St.
Louis. How Belknap boars all this—he
and Sherman bato each other like poi
son, you know—is not known, but tho
inference is, that in the midst of other
troubles he finds timo to indulgo ia the
luxury of a moderate amount of vigorous
cursing. I don’t suppose Sherman has
been in such a beatific frame of mind
’ since he achieved his grand victory over
tho women and children of Georgia and
South Carolina.
BSLKNAP’s COUNSEL,
Messrs. Jere Black, Montgomery Blair,
and Matt Carpenter, will not bo ready for
his trial on the 17th inst., and will ask
for an extension of two weeks in order to
tendent of police, who was not in the
secret of the conspirators, became sus
picious, and arrested tho burglar, and
had him locked up. The rest of tho story
is familiar to tho readers of tho Gazette,
how the plot was unearthed and the
matter investigated by the joint commit
tee of Congress, and HarriDgton, Whit
ley, Nettleship, Williams and Cuntz in
dicted by tho Grand Jury of tho District.
The tremendous exertions which were
brought to bear by tho administration
saved all the parties from conviction, but
only one of them, Williams, was acquit
ted. The jury disagreed as to the rest
Mr. A G. Riddle, who had been appointed
a special attorney general to try the cose,
immediately after the trial was over, was
approached by Whitley,and told that if he
would secure immunity for him he would
supply all tho evidence to convict tho
complete their preparations for his de- i real conspirators. Thi3 proposition Mr.
fence. I suppose it is a lawyer’s business
to serve all, but I cannot help regretting
that Judge Black is in the case. He
seems to me entirely out of his place de
fending criminals who arc the logical
Riddle at once submitted to the Attorney
General, George H. Williams, who said
he would consider it and let him know
tho results of his deliberations. There
was some question as to the legality of
Attorney General told him that ho was
bat obeying the orders of one whom he
wa3 bound to respect, at the same time
indicating by a motion of his hand the
White House. Not long after this Mr.
Hill, an assistant attorney general, who
had assisted Mr. Riddle in the prosecu
tion of the cases, and who had acted
fearlessly and honestly in tho matter,
was asked to resign, which, of course, he
did. Hero the matter rested till a few
weeks since, when the Ho iso of Repre
sentatives directed the Judiciary Com
mittee to investigate it. Colonel Whit
ley was supposed to be out of the coun
try, and itwa3 thought he had left to be
out of the way when an investigating
committco of tho Democratic House
should call for him. Nettleship, who had
been hi3 chief assistant, however, turned
up and expressed his villingness to tell
the whole thing. This fact was pub
lished in the newspapers, and not long
afterwards Col. Whitley came to Wash
ington also. He at once put himself in
communication with the chairman of tho
Judiciary Committee and proposed to
tell the whole truth, provided immunity
conld he secured for him in advance. He
agreed that if a conditional pardon wa3
obtained for him he would tell hi3 story,
and if the committee was not satisfied of
its troth tho pardon might be withheld.
The proposition was accepted, and af
ter some considerable delay a pardon wa3
obtained from the Attorney General by
Proctor Knott. To-day Colonel Whitley
was examined by the Judiciary Commit
tee, and told his whole story. He said he
was in Florida at the time the conspiracy
was concocted, and he was written to by
General Babcock and requested to come
to Washington immediately, a3 there was
an effort being made to sccnro his re
moval from the position of chief of the
secret force of the Treasury Department.
Whitley came on without delay, and
when he reached here of course the first
person he called upon was Babcock.
After some conversation about the sub
ject of his removal, Babcock told him
that some of his friends hero wanted a
little job done. They were good friends
of his (Whitley), and would stand by
him in any and all events. Whitley of
course expressed his willingness to aid
them in any way he could. Babcock then
told him Harrington would see him,
and Whitley went to hi3 house to see
him. The whole plot was disclosed to
him and he was furnished with a list of
the names of tho memoralists, and
told about their habit of meet-
results and legitimate offspring of a party ! the drawing of tho Grand Jury which
and principles ho has combatted all his j had found the indictments against tho
life and which has denounced him as I conspirators, and it happened that a test
worse tban a rebel and traitor for the last j case bad been made to determine wheth-
sixteen years. This is m 7 notion, but ns or the Grand Jury was a legal one or not.
I am not a lawyer, I supposo it oughtn’t j This question had been argued before the
to count for anything. ' Supremo Court of the District, and-just
cone to meet belknap. j about tho time the trial of tho safe
You will, long before this reaches you, j burglary conspirators ?ai concluded, the
and if I am not utterly in tho dark, get Supremo Court decided that tho Gran!
somo very spicy details anont that model
loyalist and Christian statesman, Clapp,
Superintendent of tho Government Print
ing Office. I tried to get the whole
story this morning, but the vessel
wouldn’t leak as liberally as I liked.
This much I secured s Clapp is short, so
I Jury was not a legal one. This decision,
I believe, was rendered the very day Mr.
Riddle submitted Whitley’s proposition
to tho Attorney General. The next day
tho matter came up in the Criminal
Court, and, and Judgo presiding, McAr-
a Jus much I secured: Clapp is short, so , thur, called up the so-called safe burglary
far as known, about $38,000 on one item j case. Mr. Riddle was sect for and came
alone, and has been for two years. The 1 into court. Tho Judgo asked him which
cntireamountwa3$54,000orthereahouts, j was his pleasure in” the matter. Mr.
but he turned over $16,000 to the com- ! Riddle arose and said that he had just
mittee, which lie said remained of the ' been notified that his services were no
v. nt 'J e , EUm " Tha story Soon that ho i longer needed bv tho Government, and
broke down utterly when the feline was | he handed up his letter of dismissal, the
fairly out of the bag, and exclaimed he j ink on which was hardly dry. The court
was ruined and would surely get ten \ forthwith dismissed all the parties who
J aara iu toopcniteiitiary.” ThS is not j had been held to bail, and released them
all of tho ugly business by odds, but, as i on their own recognizances on the ground
1 said before, I can’t, at this writing, got 1 that the Grand Jury was an illegal body,
enough to make a special of. I and hence the indicted parties could not
MISCELLANEOUS. • bo held.
Bnstow^went to Kentucky last night j Thi3 ended that part of tho case, but
ing at Alexander's house, aud, in short,
tho details of the job as it had been
studied out by Harrington and his fel
low-conspirators was communicated to
Whitley, and ho was asked to supply the
instruments to carry the conspiracy into
effect- He did not really agree to it, but
he was again brought into contatt with
Harrington through Babcock, and an
arrangement was made for him to meet
certain other parties at the ring club
house to take breakfast. This appoint
ment Whitley failed to keep, buthefinally
agreed to furnish them tho men to do tho
work. He went to New York and sent J.
C. Nettleship here to attend to the de
tails, and also cent a few days afterwards
Mike Hays, who wa3 to bo used by Net
tleship, Nettleship himself having
brought with him a German named Gus
tave Zirruth. These men arranged the
preliminaries, and Nettleship went back
to New York and the burglars were sent
od, Nettleship himself coming back and
remaining here till tho evening that tho
job was to bo done. Before leaving he
wrote the instructions for the hurglars,
and in writing 10 o’clock he omitted a
cypher, and this made tho hour read I
o’clock instead of 10, and the conspira
tors failed to catoh Alexander and his
friends, a3 they had expected to. Whitley
makes a clear case against Babcock, and
sustains himself at every point by letters
and telegrams which cannot be gainsaid.
Before the investigation is concluded
it will be shown conclusively that the
President himself and the whole ring
crowd here were aware of the conspiracy,
and Shepherd and John 0. Evans and
Hallet Kilbourne will bo connected with
it directly by tho most conclusive proof.
The friends of tho ring here had arranged
with District Attorney Wells to have
Whitley, Somerville and Harrington in
dicted, and then HarriDgton was to be
allowed to turn State’s evidence and
Whitley and Somerville were to be con
victed, and thus Babcock and tho rest
wero to escape. Somerville, it will be
remembered, was the New York lawyer
who came on hero to have Walter Brown
alias Wm. Benton released on hail, and
procured from him an affidavit which
implicated Mr. Alexander.
Somerville is now here with Whitley,
and will tell the whole truth. He will
connect other parties with tho job, and
show how he managed to have Benton
released on straw bail. Banfield, former
ly Solicitor of tho Treasury, is also hero
as a witness, and will be an important
one. When Whitley discovered the plot
to have him sent to the penitentiary and
the real conspirators be allowed to escape,
he determined to unload. Ho had been
urged to leave tho country, and has evi
dence in black and white to show induce
ments were offered him to get out of the
way. The case is perfectly clear now,
and this most astounding piece of villany
will be laid bare to the very bottom.
WUili BKISTOW RESIGN?
Dying Words of Hecont States^
men.
From the St. Louis Times. I
Shed no muleteers for me.—[B. H.
Bristow. •
Tho game is played out.—[Poker Bob
Schenck.
Stand by your post tradership3—Teat
d’armee.— [Belknap.
I am glad that I die joung. It would
be a terrible thing to grow old and sin
ful.—[Williams.
My sod, never write letters.—[Pierro-
poat.
If I had only been born twins I could
have made just twice ns muob.—[Orvil
L. Grant.
Some love to roam o’er tho dark sea
foaui, but as for me, give mo a worm-ea
ten hull in a snug harbor.—[Robeson.
Don’t weep for me. I’m glad to get
out of the wilderness. Meet me in the
happy hunting grounds.—[Delano.
Look no: on the still when it is crook
ed.—[John McDonald.
They say the streets of tho New Jeru
salem are paved with gold. I want to
go.—[Boss Shepherd.
Who would have thought that cold
tongue would kill a man?—[Jim Blaine.
I go where “ mum’s the word. ”—
[Jcyees
Ben Butler Bullnic the cabinet—A
Chapter In the Delano Beslcna
nation—Grant baa na use lor -an
Honest Man—The Whiskey King—
Why did Bristow Go to Kentncky ?
Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Gazette.]
Washington, April 7.—It was gener
ally reported to-day that Secretary Bris
tow had resigned. It was stated in the
Gazette that ho had gone to Kentncky to
consult with the friends about remain
ing in the Cabinet. The origin of thi3
new difficulty i3 substantially as follows
Bristow in his examination before the
Committee of the Interior Department
in the early part of the week related the
origin of the Delano -caudal; that the
drafts paid to John Delano and drawn on
Reed, the Surveyor General of Montana,
together with letters and other docu-
meats, were forwarded to him by Reed’s
clerk, and that he laid them before the
President, who sent for young Delano
and showed him the evidences of his
guilt. Ha begged the President not to
say anything about it, and hi3 father’s
resignation ehould be given to the Fresl
dent in a few days. In tho meantime at
one of those harmonious sessions of the
Cabinet, Mr. Delano, without naming tho
party, said that he was being hounded
by those who onght to be his friends,
and that while he had proposed resigning,
he would not do so with charges pending
that affected his character. The Presi
dent agreed not to accept tho resigna
tion while Delano was under fire, and
thus the matter rested for several weeks.
Bristow was tnen questioned as to
whether ho furnished information to any-
ono else, and said that he did, by which
it became public. The day before this
examination an editorial in the White
House organ, written it is said by Ben.
Butler, arraigned Bristow’s Republican
ism, and demanded that ho give proof of
his loyalty to the party and his country,
reflecting precisely the same view that
was expressed by Senator Boutwell in
his charge against all-men who had been
brought up under the palo of slave in
stitutions. There was no way in which
Bristow could avert thfc blow. To re
gard the demand would bo weakness,
while his Eilence must bo construed as
sustaining the accusation that wo3 not
sound in Republican principles. His
opposition to the force bill, which Butler
tried to get through tho Forty-third
Congress, was alluded to by one in his
confidence. Then there w&3 added to all
this the report of Gen. Henderson’s tes
timony before the Whisky Fraud Com
mittee, in which itwa3 alleged that both
Bristow and Wilson had lost confidence
in Grant and Pierrepont, as they were
not supporting them in the prosecution
of tne whisky frauds. At this the Pres
ident became exceedingly chagrined and
sullen, doubted whether any man could
be trusted, and was disposed to give
Bristow a cold shako. Bristow, worried
and angry, left fof Louisville. To-day
Solicitor Wilson made bold to call on his
Excellency, and on his own behalf and
for Bristow deny the published state
ments that either had ever written let
ters to Henderson of a confidential char
acter criticizing the President or Pier-
repout.
The President heard tho statement,
wa3 thankful that Henderson had not tes
tified .truthfully, and was brought back
to such good humor that he authorized
Wilson to tolegraph Bristow that lie
need not return to Washington in a hurry
but to remain in Kentucky for some time,
as the recreation would do him good.
Henderson ha3 gono to St. Louis, but
will return in a fow days, having been re
summoned to tell all he knows. He will
swear unequivocally that Bristow and
Wilson both told him that Pierrepont
wa3 instructed by the President not to
press the case of Babcock, hut to dismiss
all proceedings then pending in St. Louis.
Pierrepont hesitated, as he did not see
how he consistently do so and observe
his oath of office. During the delay tho
grand jury found the indictment, thus
relieving Pierrepont of a very unpleasant
duty. It was this action of the President
that Bristow and Wilson did criticise, or
else it is a question of veracity between
Henderson and tho Secretary and Solic
itor of the Treasury. Tho testimony of
Fox, who was on the grand jury, will also
indicate the remarks of Bristow and
Wilson.
It is the opinion here to night that tho
difference between Grant and Bristow
are irreconcilable. His friends say that
ho went to Louisville at tho urgent re
quest of his friends, which in a measure
confirms tho report made to-day by Re
publican members of the House to the ef
fect that another scandal, which cannot
be talked or testified down, would be de
velopedif a certain party should go to
Washington and testify what he knows,
It was to dissuade this individual from
coming that made his friends so anxious
to have Bristow visit Louisville immedi
ately.
How Sawyer Was Bled.
From tho Baltimore Gazette.]
Wasuinoton, April 7.—Tho House
Committee on' Fostofficea aud Postroad3
to-day continued their examination cf
tho books and paper! of the late F. P,
Sawyer, mail contractor. Numerous paid
notes and drafts were identified by C. E.
Clark, Sawyer’s bookkeeper, showing,
among other things, that Sawyer paid
to Wm. H. Farran (designated in the
memorandum book examined yesterday
as one of tho “sharks”) $30,000 ou the
6th of June, 1S72. A paid note for $7,-
500, endorsed by J. J. Hinds, was found,
accompanied with a memorandum in
Sawyer’s handwriting, stating that this
was only ono half tho amount that the
“Hind3 party” got from the El Paso
Stage Company. The "party” cocsiste i
of Hinds, of Alabama, and Messrs. Mc
Donald and Chedesdar, of Arkansas. It
also appeared that Sawyer’s checks to
the amount of $33,000 were paid to
Thomas J. Hood. Tho Committee on
Expenditures in tho Postoffice Depart
ment examined H. D. Norton, who tes
tified that ho was appointed clerk to tho
disbursing clerk of the Postoffice Depart
ment, at $1,200 per year, but that by an
order of Postmaster General Jewell, is
sued last December, ho had since been
paid $150 per month out of tho special
appropriation for repairing the Depart
ment building and extending its base
ment. In reply to a question, the wit
ness said this was in direct violation of
law.
“Poll Down Tour Test.’’
‘Ycu keep vests, my frient?” Ivant
a vest, vat don’t rise up on its hint legs
mi t the neck. I bought von not long ago
mit a dow dollar pili, and by shimminy I
don’t notice dot myself, but everywhere I
go t ho boys cry out mit der streets,
Yacub! vy in dor name of der board of
drustrees don’t you pull down your vest
down ? and py dam I have pull dot vest
more’n dree dousand dimes, till I wore
all the piudings of mit de buttons.
. .... - . a— 1 .— c „„„ The clerk explained the joke and sold
o recruit ius health, they say, hut there j Mr. Riddle was not dispoied to rest un- him a vest, and tho old man went out
u a notion he has other businojs. Some* der this sort of treatment, and he weet I with the exclamation: “Py shimminy,
mng in the political line, and referring to the Attorney General to know why he i I don’t hear somethings about dot over
10 Cincinnati ca a certain date in June, had been thus summarily dismissed. The ia Shertnany before.”
Curing a Liar.
There was a wicked story-teller who
went to a doctor and said, "I’m a wicked
story-teller, and though I’m a good aud
pure man in every other respect I can’t
g6t over this dreadful habit.”
"I’ll cure you,” said tho doctor. "Take
this capsule and chew it up. Don’t be
afraid; chew away like anything. You’ll
get used to the flavor after the first bite
or two, and then I dare say you will-find
it very pleasant.”
“By all that’s filthy!” cried tho pa
tient, as he came over deadly sick, “it’s
cod-livcr oil!”
"That’s no lie!” said the doctor. "Try
one more, and you’ll be completely cur
ed.” But ho wouldn’t.
A. H. CLIFF’S FRAUDS.
Swindling in the Government Print
ing; Office—The Funds Stout.
Special Dispatch to tht Gazette.]
Washington, April 7.—A. M. Clapp,
Government Printer, was before the
House Committee on Printing to-day,
and convinced the committee that his
management had been one of gross irreg
ularity, checkered with embezzlements,
extortions and frauds of a stupendous
character. He brought with him his
cash book, and claimed, to have on band
in his safe $50,000 from the sale of waste
materials, which amount experts testified
was a small sum, considering the quantity
of material disposed of from time to time.
The clerk of the committee was directed
to go to the printing office and connt the
funds, finding only $16,257 99. Clapp
said he could not explain this disorepaney
yesterday, bnt to-day he said that it was
paid ont to hands employed in the print
ing office; that he was in the habit of
using this fund for that purpose and then
restoring the amount.
The committee wanted to know under
what authority of law ho used fands in
this way, since there wlfs an appropria
tion made for that purpose? Section
3817 of the revised statutes provides that
the congressional printer shall settle the
accounts of his receipts and disbursments
in the manner required of other disburs
ing officers. It further appeared that
persons wbo had work done at tho print
ing office, which is authorized aad paid
the money for, were not credited with
the payments, as the cash book, balanced
to date, showed. Clapp’s son, as agent,
had deposited in his brother-in-law’s
bank, tho Metropolitan Savings Bank, of
which Ruff is cashier, $2,900, received
from tho sale of congressional records to
congressmen and others.
Ruff testified that the amount was
drawn out yesterday; the deposits were
largely checks and orders on the Ser
geant-at Arms of the House and clerk of
the Senate, showing clearly the source of
the checks; tho clerk employed by Clapp,
named Collins, who had charge of the
fund, said that it had been in hi3 posses
sion all the time, locked up in a tin box.
Wm. P. Morrison, a largo book seller,
testified that he had from year to year
purchased five hundred copies of the de
cisions of the Court of Claims, but not a
dollar was entered 03 having been re
ceived, for no other reason than that the
firm had not been called upon to pay,
Clapp said he did not know that the
firm owed tho office a dollar, and that the
neglect must be attributed to his subor
dinates. Another transaction showed a
payment of $231 to Philip & Solomons,
but for what the account did not set
forth.
Mr. Solomons testified that in March,
1872, his firm had on hand a lot of blank
books they wished to sell tho Treasury
Department, but the law provided that
all such books should bo furnished by tho
government printer. They were pur
chased, however,and the expenso charged
to legal cap paper.
Tho examination to-day bothered Mr.
Clapp exceedingly. Ho was compelled
to make admissions which criminated
himself, and ho nervously arose from his
seat at one timo and attempted to take
his account books and leave tho room.
The chairman told him to leave tho
books, as they would have to be exam
ined by the committee, whereas Mr,
Clapp pompously declared that ho was
an officer of tho Senate, and that the
House committee was proceeding with
out authority. The scene wa3 very ex
citing; but, as the Government printer
found it was useless to attempt to bully
the committee, he dropped his books and
left in an angry mood. The committee
are ot opinion that they will be war
ranted in presenting articles of impeach
ment against Clapp, enumerating eight
counts in the articles. The law declares
that n disbursing officer who fails to ren
der his accounts for public money as
provided by lav, shall bo deemed guilty
of embezzlement; shall ho fined the
amount emoezzled, and imprisoned not
less than six months, nor more than ten
years. The investigation has fully sus
tained the charges long known about tho
conduct of the Government printing
office.
lingo Files of New Silver Coin.
Washington correspondence ol the Now York
Tribune.]
Coin is boin" rapidly accumulated at
tho Treasury, in anticipation of tho re
tirement of the fractional currency. This
morning, $300,000 in silver was received
from San Francisco—$200,000 in dimes,
and $100,000 in quarters. An additional
$100,000 in quarters i3 expected to-mor
row or next day, whieh will complete
tho present order, which is for $500,000,
The weighing of this last supply is going
on at the Treasury to-day, and it will bo
stored in the vaults at once. The vaults
were examined yesterday by Supervising
Architect Potterjisto their capacity, and
he expressed thfo opinion that there is
capacity for the $500,000 by storing the
'coin in the upper and lower vaults. Both
vaults are to be strengthened at once,
however, as there is necessity for still
more coin, and ordora will be forwarded
to San Francisco for additional supplies.
The manager of tho Virginia Consolidat
ed Mining Company reports the product
of that mine for March a3 being over
$3,600,000.
TI10 White House Banditti.
Carl Schurz in the Westliclio Post. 1
The band is well arranged. Wherever
threo or four scoundrels were gathered
together in Grant’s name, there he was
in the midst of them, in the person of a
brother, brother-in-law, cousin or friend.
No custom-houso or whisky ring could
divide its plunder without the Devil be
ing present to cry "Halves 1 ”Tho ubiqui
tous Asmodeus, us Murphy in Now York,
or Casey in New Orleans, filled the
fathomless pockets, and wherever tho
White House cast its shadow a brother
Orvil or a brother-in-law Dent came
forth out of it with extended palms. If
Shepherd and Babcock could make their
hundreds of thousands out of the District
Ring, and Belknap scarcely less out of a
single department, how shall we esti
mate the probable total sum ground out
of tho toiling citizens and tax-payers of
tho country during eight long years, by
tho well-organized band created by that
nepotism of tho White House which has
thrown the chief patronage of the Ad
ministration into their dirty hands ?
“Bishop Beckwith’s Niece.”
From the Savannah Morning Nows.]
I desire, through your columns, to call
attention to a rumor pervading the com
munity, started by an item in the South-
ern Cross about a month since. It is to
this effect: First, that a niece of Bishop
Beckwith had been converted to the Rom
ish faith; and secondly, that tho contro
versy of the Bishop with the editor of
that paper on Papal Infallibility wo3 the
cause of her conversion. A communica
tion from Bishop Beckwith ho3 been in
tho hands of tho editor since Tuesday,
March 28. Two issues of the Cross ha,ve
appeared, and the rotractionhas not been
made. I deny by authority the whole
story as without shadow of truth, and I
am prepared to prove it so.
Samuel Benedict.
Savannah, April 8.
PACKARD’S BLANKS.
Ks Need of Force Bills In Louisiana.
Washington Conspondence of the Chicago Tri
bune.] •
The Caulfield Committee on Expendi
tures in tho Department of Justice is
conducting an examination into the af
fairs of United States Marshall Packard’s
office at New Orleans. Charges have
been made that Packard has long been
engaged in issuing blank warrants for
distribution throughout the State, to bo
used prior to the elections for the arrest
of jiolitical opponents. One witness has
testified before the committee that he
himseif swore ont eighty warrants be-
foro one of the recent elections, and that
tho persons designated had been arrest
ed the day before tho election. When
the question was asked whether the snits
were prosecuted after the elections, the
witness answered in the negative, stat
ing that his purpose was accomplished
with the arrest. Marshal Packard will
soon be summoned. The Louisiana del
egation in Congress appear to be con
ducting tho case against Packard. The
United States Marshal of Texas is also
to be investigated.
A CLERGYMAN’S STORY.
Elder Lelnnd’s Famous Gift to PresU
dent Jefferson Seventy-live Years
Ago.
From the New York Sun.]
‘In tho year 1800,” said the Rev. Dr.
Dowling, last evening, "four small Bap
tist churches were leading a precarious
existence in New York State. Of that in
this city, John Ganot was pastor, and
Elder Leland was presiding over tho
congregation in Cheshire. The latter,
honored with the title of ‘hard-shelled,’
deserves a position at the head of the
priesthood. Just after tho election of
Thomas Jefferson to the Presidency in
1801, the Elder, impressed with the pro
priety of an expression of loyalty by tho.
entire Baptist denomination, issued a
proclamation that all men, ‘holy and
good,’ of that faith, should contribute
material for the manufacture of a ‘mam
moth cheese,’ to bo given to tho newly
elected President. The result was a
cheese weighing 1,450 ponnas, which the
Elder placed on his wagon, and started
for Washington. People flocked from all
the country adjoining the towns through
which the saintly man passed. As ho
expressed it, ‘I preached all the way to
the Capital and back again.’ Conver
sions were made along the route of the
pastor and his cheese, and a great revival
sprang up in the Baptist churches
throughout the land.” Mr. Dowling at
tributes tho prosperity of the church to
the eccentric Elder and his gigantic
cheese.
THE GREAT CHANNEL TUNNEL. I the drily requirements of the population
—— I would make no sensible impression, is
Its Ventilation—Physical Possltolll* I thus hardly to be doubted. And the
ties and Impossibilities—Bed of tbe I fact of the depth to which it is neoesaary
Channel. to descend is conclusive as to the perrue-
New York Commercial Advertiser.] ability of the chalk. If we oonld ever hear
Just at the moment when French and of the barrage of the channel now open to
English capitalists have succeeded in the Wey, and of the conversion of the
raising the $300,000 necessary to under- Talley of that river into a deep lake to
take the preliminary surveys of the chan-1 the south of the Hog’s Back, there can
nel tunnel, great doubts are entertained be no reasonable doubt that the water
about tho possibility of the undertaking. I would rise in the old town wells at least
The London Society of Engineers dis-1 to the level of the surface of this lake,
cussed on the 20th of March the engi- What, then, must be the effect on the
neering question of the ventilation ot wetness of the same geological rock, of
the tnnnel. It was said that it would the enormous pressure of the watery
be necessary to renew the rir once an contents of the whole depth of the uppA
hour, which wonld need the keeping of a I chalk, or of the hydraulio pressure of the
current through the whole bore of the I whole depth of the channel, which noth-
tunnel at the velocity of twenty miles ing but an absolutely impervious inter-
per hour. Still perhaps no one is in a veiling stratum (which is nowhere pre
position to say that the construction of tended to exist) can prevent from weigh-
a tnnnel under the Straits of Dover would ing on the “ craia fendrs” and "mams
be opposed by insuperable physical dif-1 bleuatre" through which it i3 proposed
ficnlties. But it must be admitted that 1 to tunnel ?
the scheme involves an attempt to pene- It thus seems that we have got some-
trate an unknown region, in which snch thing to do before we come to the dlffi-
difficulties are extremely likely to occnr. culty of ventilating the channel tunnel.
And, apart from these grave obstacles—
»• *«*• «■>■* «■•-
tical troubles besetting the preliminary l-New York Sun.]
steps which are of no trifling magnitude. All the testimony taken before the in-
Thus it is well known to all persons vestigations at Washington during tho
such a work as the tunnelling of statements 0 f the Sun. before, pending,
the Channel either from one end and since Babcock’s trial. The efforts
alone.
of the President and his Attorney General
to prevent an indictment aro now made
transparent, and date back to the time
Senator Eaton on tho Situation.
Senator Eaton made a tolerably lively
speech in Hartford just before tho Con
necticut election. The Hartford Times
abstract says:
Ho believed but a single department
of the General Government (that of
State) had been administered honestly.
One of the ablest men in Washington
says he would like to take a contract to
carry on the Treasury Department with
1,500 clerks, instead of 4,000. There
are hard-working, honest men in the
department, who aro entitled to our
thanks; the drones are those who bring
discredit on the public service. He de
sired the reporters should say that when
they get hold of the whisky ring in New
Orleans, and they are after them now,
the White House will bo touched. If
one place is rottener thau another it is
that department called tho Department
of Justice—he called it the department
of injustice. He knew that no man liv
ing could perform all the duties devolv
ing on tho Secretary of the Treasury.
In his opinion there should he two de
partments formed from tho one—one of
public works, one of commerce. Corrup
tion creeps in there without knowledge
of the head of tho department, but not
in the State, War and Navy Departments.
The head of the Postoffice Department,
Mr. Jewell, had got into new business.
The department had not paid expenses;
bnt there wero expenses it had paid—
sending men to Connecticut, to Mississip
pi and Alabama to aid in carrying elec
tions. Mr. Jewell might not know every
thing t^at took place in his department,
but he ought to."
Political Morality or Womeu at
Low Ebb.
From tho Nation.]
Mr. T. W. Higginson, in a recent num
ber of the Woman’s Journal, gives an in
teresting acconnt of his submission of the
Belknap case to five ladie3 of hi3 ac
quaintance, one of them a person “ whose
moral standard is rather exacting, and
whose absolute directness and truthful
ness would drive Charles Eeade to des
pair." Tho last one saw nothing wrong
: n Belknap’s performances, and argued
the matter with Mr. Higginson. Of the
other four, only one looked at it as an
honorable man would look at a case of
brioery; the others denounced the ex*
Secretary and his wife solely on philan
thropic grounds—i. e, because they
raised the prices of the sutler’s goods to
the soldiers.
The conclusion Mr. Higginson draws
from this state of things (which ho deep
ly deplores) is that the loose views of these
ladies on the subject of public morality
wero due, not to their sex, bnt to the
habit of their sex—that is, to their re
moteness from public affairs, and their
want of familiarity with them; and ho
compares their notions about bribery to
those of a recluse or unworldly man to
those, for instance, of Cherles Lamb,
who humorously approved of smuggling.
As a matter of fact, we think Mr- Hig
ginson greatly underrates tho political
morality of recluse or unworldly males.
We have never happened to come across
ono who, in his retirement, wa3-not much
more sensitive and exacting on tho mat
ter of official purity than "thoso more
actively engaged.”
Railroad Through a Sea.
A singular sight is now presented to
passengers on the California Pacific
trains between Davisville and Sacramen
to. For miles the road passes through a
broad sea, stretching for an immense dis
tance on either side. The water averages
three oc four feet in depth. In some
daces the top rail of fences 13 alone vis-
ble, and occasionally houses may be
seen islanded in the vast ocean and cut
off from all approach save by boats.
The water is not merely stationary, but
moving down the valley with more or
less rapidity. There is apparently a
hundred times more water on tho tules
than in the Sacramento river itself; and
the reflection is naturally suggested that
it all the swamp and tule land on the
western bank of the river should ho re
claimed and protected from overflow by
dykes, the waters confined in snch a nar
row channel would rise to an unprece
dented height and deluge the streets of
Sacramento. Although there has been
no rainfall for over a week, the water
draws off from the tales very slowly, and J
or by means of running a
SMALL PIONEER TUNNEL,
or heading, through from end to cnd*be-
fore the main enterprise was commenced.
This is tho method nowtgenerally adopt- [ when tho matter wa3 first laid before the
ed. It ha3 much to recommend it in Grand Jury, and when the public was in
‘‘•““““•rr.?’ 4 * ^
tionofthe main work. It is obvious, I an “ tho P rco - b 7 wIl ich they wera sup.
however, that the construction ot a little [ ported.
head way of from 4 feet to 6 feet high by It is now in evidence that tho Attor-
.3 feet or 4 feet wido for the distance of ney General required the testimony
fifteen miles, at a depth of hundreds of given in the Grand Jnry room to be sent
feet below tho bottom of tho channel, is I to him by the District Attorney, and
in itself a task of no small magnitude. (then made it known to the President.
To construct two such driftways and to While tho President was thus kept
run them with such accuracy of level and informed through Mr. Pierrepont, he
of direction that they should meet half had his own private source of informa
way is to double the difficulty. But al- tion through Fox, tho foreman of the
lowing that it is within the power of sci- Grand Jnry, who daily communicated its
ence as to ascertain both direction and secrets to an intermediary for the use of
level os to bring the two sets of miners the White House. Independent of theso
within hearing of tho pickaxes of one I two. Bell, the detective, was "looking
another, this only meets tho theoretic I into the hand of Mr. Dyer,” of course
part of the difficulty. Tho physical diffi-1 merely to satisfy the curiosity of the
culties remain. Tho driftway will have President.
to be ventilated, the material excavated For a month or more .preceding the
willhavetobo removed; above all, the trial, the chief counsel of Babcock eatah-
driftway will have to bo drained. lished himself at Washington to watch
It i3 here that we run most closely to I tho interests of his client and to prepare
the verge of phyaical impossibility. The for the defence. Horace Porter, former-
question cf . ly Secrotary of tho President, waB also
physical possibility there, and had abundant reason for aid-
is allowed by tho advocates of tho tnnnel ing Babcock in every possible way, be-
to depend on tho existence for the whole yond the claims of personal friendship,
distance to be traversed of an unbroken They had been associated together on
stratum of tho lower chalk. If the for- the staff of Gen. Grant, were with him
rnation of the Channel has been the result us President, and were equally deep in
cf one of those great faults or convulsions the secrets of the Whisky and other
which aro so familiar to tho geologist, rings. Porter was on tho most familiar
this hope h illusory. In what other way footing with Pierrepont, and had freo
this great rift may have originated is not entry to his office. Tho Attorney-Gene-
very clear. But, apart from any doubt ral protested with much vehemence, in a
of that'kind, and supposing that the- Matter tejfcto-Chairman of the Judiciary
most sanguine hopes of the advocates of Committee, that he had no memory of
the tunnel ate realized, what iB the proh-1 ever having seen Mr, Storrs, Babcock’s
ability of the reasonable drynes3 of the | counsel, in his life. That statement was
driftway ? What is tho ground for sup- intended to negative the impression
posing that the long culvert under the that he informed him of tho testimony
floor of the Channel would bo anything received from St. Louis. But it was not
but a perennial spring ? As to the perco- necessary for Mr. Pierrepont to see or
lation of water through tho upper chalk know Mr. Storrs in order that the latter
it is needless to speak. Not only do the shonld get the information ho desired,
flint banda give free passage to water, Horace Porter had access to the papers,
but there is good reason to believo that I and put his knowledge whero it would
there 13 good reason to believe that there do most good. ‘ Pierrepont recently told
is a circulation of some sort through the Gen. Henderson that "he did notptirpose*
body of the chalk itself. At all events ly or desijnedly let Porter or Babcock
there are fissures enough, if such he not’ have access to the files of his office;”
the case, to produce tho same results, buthedid not dare to deny that the tea-
But tho lower chalk is a more homogene- timony was inspected and utilized,
ous rock, less traversed by fissures. It It i3 well known that the President
is so compact and fine grained as to form gavo Babccck and hi3 counsel all the in
ti very excellent building stone for inte- formation that came into his hands, from
rior work. Pierrepont or from the Grand J ury room;
The question then is, how far can vre 00 that while the Government was osten-
expect that sibly prosecuting a conspirator to defraud
ths grey chalk tho revenue, the Executive, sworn to see
which underlies the ocean resembles that the laws faithfully executed, and the At-
substance, of similar character and coo- torney General, charged with their up-
val date, which is exposed on tho lofty I right administration, were secretly con-
bluffs of our downs and quarries P All niving to thwart the course of justice,
limestone is to somo extent damp when and betraying their trusts to save tho
first quarried; that i3 to say, it is to a President’s Secretary from tho peniten-
greater or less extent pervious to water, tiary!
The question is, whether tho lower chalk Hr. Bristow and Mr. Blnford Wilson
can be regarded a3 so practically imper- could cot help knowing this treachery,
vions that a shale or adit ten or fifteen and also that the wholo official power
a miles long, presenting a snrface of three outside the Treasury Department was
yards for every yard in length, can by any exerted in behalf of Babcock. The Dis-
practical means be kept dry. As to this, tnct Attorney and the special counsel at
there are two remarks of somo weight St. Louis had likewi30 reason to know
which wo commend to the consideration that instead of being aided they were
of those interested in tho matter. The obstructed at every step, and that the
substance of tne lower chalk, at the point influence of tho Administration collect-
whero tho level of the tnnnel ha3 been j ively was openly thrown on the side of
fixed according to the Blue-book recently the accused. To such an extent was this
issued on the subject, is described a3 carried, that the letters which passed be-
“ craie tendre” on tho French side, and tween the Secretary and Solicitor of the
as “ mar no bleuatre” on the English Treasury and 5t. Louis preceding and
aide. The grey chalk, where used for during tho trial, wero marked “Confi-
building in Surrey, is of a very pure dential. Bum when read.” The testi-
whito color; its blueness or grayness mony of Mr. Dyer, Gen. Henderson, Bell,
may probably be attributed to its damp Pierrepont, and others, makes these facts
condition. The expression " tendre” is stand out in bold relief, and together
by no means reassuring. But to pass presents a case, which justly subjects
from inference to practico. The lower Grant and Pierrepont to the gravest pen-
chalk occurs in that long rampart of alties for conspiring personally and offi-
dowo which extends from Farnham to- cially to defeat an honeBt administration
ward Epson under the name of tho Hog’s of the law.
Back. It is from this hill that the chalk In the light of theso developments it
used for building, already mentioned, ha3 I i3 easy to understand why Pierreponfs
been taken. The river Wey runs through I disgraceful instructions to the District
a cleft in this long barrier ; and on the Attorneys were written last January, and
slope running up from tho ancient ford why the President ordered him to per-
stands tho county town of Guildford, form that base service. They were a
Guildford 13 now supplied with water part of the conspiracy, and quite In keep*
from a well sunk for thirty-five feet in ing with tho unworthy conduct of Grant
depth through shingle and bonlders in and Pierrepont thronghout.
the Valley of the Wev, which derives an __ The statements made by General Hen-
ample supply of the purest water from derson under oath of course intensify the
tho perennial source of tho green sand hostile feeling toward Bristow, and have
and stratum immediately underlying the provoked the strongest expressions of
lower chalk. But before the construction roscntmcnl from tho President and his
of the waterworks tho whole town was loyal Cabinet. He wa3 isolated.before,
supplied from wells -sunk in that chalk but hi3 position at this time must he
itsolf. Tho depth of ono of positive antagonism. Henderson
these wells- was dismissed as special counsel for
is such as to descend pretty nearly to tho speaking irreverently of Grant; bnt here
level of tho river. Tho supply, though is a caso in which the Sscretaiy of the
constant and adequate, wa3 not copious. Treasury is known to have expressed a
The water in a well might be lowered j want of confidence in the good frith of
eighteen inches in a day by tho con- the whole Administration, beginning at
sumption of a family; but on tho next tho head and making no exception,
day it would be found to have recovered Grant would order him out instantly hut
its level. Now this seems to bo a bit of for the condition of public sentiment,
experience of old date, calculated to It is to be regretted that Mr. Bristow
throw much light on the question of tho should have chosen this peculiar time,
permeability of the chalk under tho I and right on the heels of Henderson’s
Channel. An admirable section of the 1 testimony, to visit Kentucky for “hia
geological rock in question is exposed at health. He is wanted at 'Washington
Guilford; The material i3the finest that now more than ever; and hia evidence
canbefoundofthekind.lt is, as far 03 the I may soon bo needed on various matters
faces of the great quarries and chalkpits] of the greatest moment. The appear-
go, singularly dry. So also to a certain] ance of retreat does not become hisrep-
depth it i3 found to he by the well sinker; 1 utation. If Grant should get another
but on attaining or approaching the level I attack of "neuralgia of the brain,” the
at which the green Band or detritus of I Kentuckian may never return to the cap-
the Wey Valley is full of water, the | ital as Secretary of the Treasury,
chalk is found to be wet—not wet as the I ■ -
upper chalk would be, only partially per- | The Governor of Great Britain’s latest
vious; but pervious enough to have sqp-1 acquisition, the Fiji Island, Sir Arthur
plied the daily wants of a populous town I Gordon, would seem to be a very differ
ence tho days of King Alfred. That a! entkindof man from the ordinary Amer-
headint' or driftway running at the j ican officeholder or salary grabber. Ow-
° water level I ing to the revenae having fallen short of
P of tho Guilford wells for a mile or two I previous estimates. Sir Arthur, although
during the'last few days the'fau'has been ‘ ihrough or round tho site of the town entitled to his salary of £5,000 a year,
very slight.—Vallejo Chronicle. would provido a supply of water on which« accepts only -£3,000.