Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-18
RASCABETY MOST FOUL.
a Little Daylight on the st. Louis
Whisky Rings Infamous
Exploits.
How tie Radical Robbers Plum
~s--- dered the People and Be
came OpUlent.

St. louis Special l,July lG) to the Chicago Times
Al a late hour this afternoon, the United
States grand Jury brought in the first fruits
of their investigation into the workings Of
the whisky ring. They return twenty IN
dictments, and will 90 on with the inyestl-
CATION. Night before last, Wearied with
their unusually long session, and with the
unpleasant task put into their hands, the
jurors adopted 4 resolution that they would
close the investigation and return the re-
suits the next daV. This was teiegraphed
10 Secretary BristOw, and he replied
urging the Jury TO stick and probe
the whole thing to the bottom,
calling on the Government for any assist
ance required. The result is, very few as
vet know who have been indicted, but the
fact that true bills have been found, fails
like a bomb. The accused parties haYe
actually persuaded their friends and the
st. Louis public into the belief that the
whole thing would end in smoke; that II
was all puJ-up job, and that II would
IrsVer be heard from after the grand jury
had done with it. One-third OF these 20
indictments are against Gen. John Nc
Donald and Col. John A. Joyce, the eN-
supervisor Of internal revenue, and eX-
revenue agent for this district. The other
bills were against the dIStllerS and tds-
missed gaucers The latter Ie L. Killer
man, }. Z Howard, J. w. Bassett, A. NJ.
Everist, J. ". KiuueaT, John 4. Meade,
and E. W. Warne.
.Joyce told the grand jury that he had
number of political friends i'm Washington,
and fhat certain telegrans signed 'Sylpha'
t5yere 10 inform him of mutual friend
coming TO ST. Louis, whom he must receive.
and entertain. Mcdonald was also put On
the stand and shown some Of the contra
hand teIecrams to himself from Washing
ton. He testified thai he mad no knowledge
of apv such dispatches having GOMEZ
20 him. and left the jury, sOiemnly as
.sT,ring them that hes was going
.o-ar IN see the Western
-VTBfoh Superintendent, and ask Why in he'll
-Ibese messages had never been delivered
10 him. So far VIM. Mckee, o. the GtO0e7
Democrat, and Constantine McGulre, Inc
latter collector, have not been indicted
SOur correspondent was told tO-nlgnL LnaL
-ts far rs the latter was concerned 1t was
vrpn9bla flat 10 criminal prosecution
Eould La undertaken, but that if anything
was done MeGuire would be sued on his
bond. With regard to Mckee, It IS
said the trouble has not yet
begun. McGrew is expected back
here to complete his story, and there
is another witness, not Yet produced, who
is expected 10 give evidence OF the mO5Il
damaging character. McGrew's story COM
plete will, /, is said, show That be was
drought here in lST1 by Mckee, aud JiaI.
the ring was organized under iae p'elelise
If raising an election fund to carry the.
Stale for Grant. CIV. Ford, now deceased.
was collector then, and was
-il
s-llcme. nv informant states, byI
the representation that Mckee had thei
sanction Of President Grant TO the plan.
He finally acquiesceL, but only on the un-I
derstaudiug that the whole business should.
stop Immediately after the election in No.
vember. 1872. McIrCw fixed Up Thugs with
Fle Gisliliers, I llrici beng the last.
10 come into the ring, and the
latter nearly broke up the whole trans
action hy MS il-cOnceaiPd aStOuishmenJ al.
finding Ford mixed up in the .disTeputable
6usiness The la11er had been the local
representative Of The United ) ates Express
C0anany, and was considered q model of
integrity. Before the ring was fairly I'M
working order he tried O. break mp The ar
ranqpment, hut McGuira lad borrowed
5000 and put it into the old Kern
distillerv, and was going in u make
a fortune. He threatened 10 blow tae
whole Iing, so that it could be made an
election document, if they backed ont, and
rlln operation went on. Jllucj held out
10 the last, and claims that he wen, on
finally when M:BoHaid, Joyce, and the
others had pushed him 50 tha. il was either
she ring or bankruptcy.
The ring grew boldeF and boidet, aud
during tie zenith Of It's glory divided 49,
..1-rs.r nH q Hs
,cara ei,,.,- forced into the hand or starved
,oYt by tbeiF suseriors at st Louis.
TTrred ON by Bri,tow, the new officers Of
the Cogeumenr here AZ going for every
ring man In sight. and il is a0slrd TO charge
II 4S SuFf 4fri work.