The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-13
The St. Louis Whisky Ring

A letter from st. Louis to the New
York Sun gives detailed history Of each
known member of the st. Louis whisky
ring, their habits and occupation up to
the time GRAFT appointed them to Office,
showing how Grant removed good, honest
men and Republicans and put scoundrels,
his chums, in their places, against the
earnest remOnstrance of the best Republi-
four millions OF dollars were stolen by the
st. Louis whisky ring After four col
umus of details in regard to the robbers,
the letter says:
Putting all these facts together, do they
not clearly establish two things:
First That the admitted intimate re
lations which existed between President
Grant, his brOther-iu law, Jim Casey, and
his private secretary, Gen. Babcock, and
the Two head devils of the whisky ring,
Mcdonald aud Joyce. precludes the belief
that the former were without knowledge of
the stupendous frauds that were practised
upon the government.
'Second-That it is preposterous to eX
pect the public to believe that W. ..
Avery, chief clerk of the Internal Revenue
Bureau, aud afterward chief clerk of the
Treasury Department was the only person
in official position at Washington who re.
ceived rake from the two millions of
dollars that had been divided by the Off
GERS Of the government during the four
years existence Of the ST. Louis whiskey
ring"
The letter gives an account of large
presents to the inmates of the White
House, and especially of costly diamonds
to the ladies' of the White House. The
writer of the letter says:
In one year, am informed by sales
man at Jaccard' 5, Joyce purchased moro
than $4,000 worth Of diamonds, and Ne
Donald's investments in this line, first anC
last, were not less than $25 200. joyce
gave Babcock a solitaire pin that cost hin
more than one years salary, and his wifi,
is made conspicuous at White House re
ceptons by flashing gems that were be
slowed by the same hand. McDOualC
purchased q span of blooded horses of Jo
Hickey, the famous fancy stock raiser, o
Galloway county, Mo-, for the avowed pur
pose of presenting them to the president
and they can be seen almost every drawinl
the presidents landaulet in Pennsyvani;
avenue, Dazzling jewels from the Orient
by the hand of the late steamboat bully
came to the ladies of the White House
and among the many costly wedding
presents piled up in the blue room on tn
occasion of Miss Nellie's marriage, that o
Mr.. and Mrs. Gen. Mcdonald was not th
least conspicuous. These things were no
done in a corner, but with indecent pub
LEFTY, and they excited public comment
Whenever the president visited 81
Louis, Mcdonald escorted him to an
from the depot, and to all public places
Everywhere, in public and in private, thi
ignorant and unaccomplished parvenu
was the recipient of marked attention fror
the president. If he visited Washington
as he did last spring, bearing $1,000 tina
had been collected from the distillers
secure the revocation of Bristow's orde
transferring all revenue officers, he wa
cordially welcomed at the White HousC
and he rode side by side with the presider
in Pennsylvania avenue behind the gail
comparisoned four-in-hand
For several years Grant aud his house
hold have regularly attended the stat
agricultural fair at st. Louis.
This fall year ago, when the presiden
attended the fair, he appeared on tn
grand stand arm in arm with Mcdonald
and the statement that be refused to sc
his old friend at the time of his last Wis
here few weeks since is not true. Ii
did see Mcdonald, and the meeting wa
as cordial as in the olden time, Imak
the statement upon the authority Of
well known and entirely responsible
gentleman who knows whereof he speak
A few years ago Fred Grant accompanie
by Secretary Delano, visited the Pacif
coast, aud by special invation McDonal
made one of the party. At st. Louis jus
before the excursionists departed
Mcdonald gave dinner in Fred's homo
and presided at the head of the table, vii
Fred on his right and Delano on his lei
A special car was provided at governmel
expense, and the party spent sever
weeks doing" the mountains aud Il
Pacific slope.
The fact that Mcdonald aud Joyce wei
living riotous life aud spending annual
thousands of dollars in excess of the
legitimate income was known to bot
Grant and Babcock, as it was to eve
intelligent man who occasionally yisitt
st. Louis. Grant knew that McDona
LII .ok onv laoti otn in, oma that xuou