The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-22
STORIES FROM ST. LOUIS.
M,poNALD BLABs on "BABu

GEN. M'DoNALD, OF ST. LOUIS, CoNFEssEs
AND EXPLAINS HIS CONNECTION WITH THE
WHISKY RING-sAYING 1T GREW OUT OF
ORDERS FROM HEADQUARTERS TO RAISE A
CAMPAIGN FUND.
The st. Louis special TO the Chicago Times
of yesterday says: The former collector of
internal revenue in the second district OF
Missouri, comprising several counties in the
southeastern part of the state, was Lindsay
Murdoch, of Marble Hill. Murdoch was on
terms of thorough understanding with Nc
Donald and Joyce, and well into the secrets
OF the ring. In the mountainous and set
tied parts OF Murdock's district there was
always more or less Illicit distilliDg going
Oh, similar to that in the mountainous dis
trict OF West Tennessee. Periodically, in or
Donald and Joyce would make raid down
into Southeast Missouri, capture three or
four ten gallon stills In out of-the way places
and then rest on their laurels. In June,
1878, Murdoch, from motives OF remorse or
tear of ultimate exposure, came TO st. Louis
and wrote out a full account OF all he knew
respecting the whisky frauds being per-
petrated in Missouri. This account was
sworn to before a judge and acknowledged
before witnesses. Three copies were made
of the document, and each copy sworn and
certified to. They were mailed separ-
copy to Col. o. K. Babcock, and one copy to
the then Secretary Richardson. The fact
that these were thus addressed and mailed
was attested by three witnesses. Not a
word ever came from Washington In re-
spouse. The document contained
A FULL STATEMENT OF WHAT WAS GOING ON
here, sworn to by q collector OF internal
revenue. Murdoch was soon afterward re-
moved from Office. Last summer, when the
grand jury were first investigating the
whisky frauds, Murdoch came up to the
city, and would probably have gone before
that body and testified as to what be knew.
Soon after his arrival, however, he went, by
appointment, to the Planters House to meet
Joyce and Mcdonald He was shown up to
room, and as soon as he entered the door
Mcdonald and Joyce denounced him, and
gave him most unmerciiul thrashing.
When he got out OF the room he was
covered with blood, and his face was peeled
and mass OF contusions. Without wait.
ing to prefer charges of assault or to make
his revelations of what he knew of whisky
frauds, Murdoch got out OF town and has
hardly ventured here since. The fact of the
transmission OF the documentary evidence
to these three Washington parties Is agtested
now by the Judge before whom the oath was
taken and one of the witnesses. Nothing
was said of this matter till alter the recent
trouble with Henderson, and the possibility
of the Implication of Grant, when these
facts, with others, were brought to the at
tention OF the government officials.
M'DoNALD ooNFEssEs.
The most startling information that hiss
been developed from the " crooked whisky"
business, of late, comes from General John
Mcdonald, the convicted criminal, who is
now in jail awaiting sentence. 1t has not
even been whispered abroad In this city, but
when 1t Is promulgated 1t will create a SEN
sstion second to none in the history of all
this dark business. Just how 1t was OBJ
tanned must remain q mystery for the pres
ent. Suffice 1t TO say, that prominent and
in every respect reliable gentleman called
on General Mcdonald to-day aud had
long interview, and that "walls have ears"
During the conversation Gen. Mcdonald
confessed to him his completely with the
so-called whisky ring, but claimed as mat
ter OF abstract justice he was innocent. He
explained that the inception of the scheme
resulted from "oroers from headquarters"
to raise fund for campaign purposes. At
first he was 10th to enter into lit, but at
length considered 1t in the nature of an
order, and endeavored to carry 1t out. The
money was raised and regularly applied to
the purpose for which it was intended.
After the machinery had been prepared and
set in motion, the ease with which it manu-
tactured wealth to subserve political ends
induced the engineers to apply its workings
TO their own personal aggrandisement, and
the application was quite generally made.
Thus it was that they all got into it, and
were
SWEPT ALONG ON THE FULL TIDE OF PROS
PERITY
for years. Gen. Mcdonald stated that
Avery was innocent OF the alleged offense
for mo bicb ba has baav convfctad He said
he could have made a fortune out of the
ring he had consented TO cooperate with
it, but that he bad made nothing, and al
though man of good habits, and economi-
cal, has not today enough money to pay
bis lawyers fees. The immured general as
serted that the notes and kilograms attrip-
uted to Col. Bsrcock were bona fide, but he
positively asserted that none of them per-
tanned to the w Risky business. His exola-
nation was, that during the late Collector
Ford's administration, woman employed
In his Office was authorized TO act as his
deputy; that considerable controversy
sprsng out OF this arrangement, and that
Babcock's enigmatical notes and kilograms
all had reference to this woman and the
official position she occupied. Those who |
have the best opportunities Of knowing the |
secrets of the ring, do not hesitate to declare |
that the late Collector Ford was, toward the |
last, inveigled into the rlng, and that his |
SUDDEN deatn was the direct result OF his |
modification and shame. 1t Is said that
Mckee, of the Globe-Democrst, was directly |
responsible for the implication of Ford; that |
Mckee had long had knowledge OF the
existence of the ring, and been clamorous |
for admission, but had been showed aside. |
At last he was informed that he could be |
admitted to mem ership on one condition, |
viz: that he induce Ford to participate In |
the steal, or to connive at 1t. The task was |
undertaken, accomplished with great diff |
Guilty, and Mckee was rewarded according |
to promise. immediately thereafter the |
Globe became lavish In its expenditures, |
and in the course of time Mckee purchased |
over $500, 900 worth OF property.
A terrible runaway accident occurred near
McCook, Dakota, eight miles west of Sioux
City, on Tuesday, by which three men were