The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-31
Tie 81. Louis whisky Trial.

in anticipation OF the argument Of Hon.
Daniel w. VOORHEES, in closing the de-
fense, OF VIM. Mckee, for alleged COM
plicity in the whisky frauds. The doors
were opened at 10 o'clock, and . limited
number admitted, after which the crowd
pressed against the door, hour after hour,
catching thedrift Of the address through
an open transum. Mr.. Voorhees, poured
ont his invectiye upon the accomplices
who had sworn for the Government and
then compared with them the defendant,
a resident OF St. Louis for "a years, whose
character had been unsullied up to the
time OF this charge. The jurors, he said,
might have frequently sat on juries in
criminal cases in, their own counties, but
they had never been called upon TO try a
man Of such towering character as Mr..
Mckee. He had lived a public life as a
pure exponent Of party and social princi-
Piles, and in the hour Of his trouble the
great men and the honorable men Of the
country had gathered around and upheld
him. II n man like he was to be bounded
to death, fora conviction that would be
even worse than death TO the defendant,
by perjured scoundrels, thieves and sub
orners Of perjury, then what is q life Of
rectitude worth. A charge Of conspiracy,
when sustained by men who have turned
States evidence, as il Is called, is one Of
the most dangerous charges that can be
brought against man, and some OF the
noblest and best heads Of old England fell.
upon the block as a resuitlof such tesi.
mony. So fully alive to the danger did
England finally ybecome thatin ahundred
years not one man has suffered con-
yiction by such means. II you allow
dishonest men to tell their infamous
stories, and at the same time close the
mouth OF the honest citizen whom they
persecute, and II you give efedence to
their uncorroborated testimony, then we
will have the strange spectacle, not OF
honest men prosecuting the lawless, but OF
rogues and thieves prosecuting good citi-
zens. When q man has committed per-
jury with every change Of the moon, how
can it be told where his lies end and the
truth begins. 1t is deplorable that such
witnesses as those produced should come
forward as representing the Government.
God forbid that the Government Is in any
need!of such representation. A majority
of over forty millions ofpeople are honest,
and i'll an outrage that their boasted
Government should come into Court with
thieves and perjurers at the right on the
left and behind it, to prosecute one Of its
citizens. II Mckee could go upon the
stand and deny the statements Of these
scoundrels, which story would be entitled
to belief, theirs or his? But under the
Of the law he is not permitted to
do that. 1t was acause for congratula-
ton that Congressional Commission is
now considering favorably bill which
will permit an honest man to 60 upon the
stand and contradict the perjuries OF men
who have conspired to ruin him. McKee's
own denial was more than the oaths OF
perjurers, and the jury had no
right to destroy his life on such uncorro-
borated testimony. The only logical con-
clusion OF Colonel Dyer's own argument
was that the testimony Of his own wit
nesses should not be credited by any jury,
and that il was an insult to ask a convic-
tion Of feven dog upon such testimony.
There is no testimony in this case to war
rant the 'blotting out Of life, and II the
jury decide that there is, every mans
is at the mercy Of villains, and
the jury shut weapon as against honest
men. ~ .' l'l
The speaker then took up each wit
ness in turn, made an analysis Of his tes-
timony, and poured forth such stream
Of denunciation and invective against
each rs has not been heard here perhaps
ever. No words were too bitter, no epi-
thets too ,opprobrious to hurl at or cast
upon the conpirators who, he said, had
not only cheated, robbed and defrauded
the government, but attempted todrag a
pure and honest man down to their own
level. II the government has to found It's
Justice on men Of this class, then its sky
Is gloomy indeed-more gloomy than the
speaker had ever regarded it in It's darkest
day. II system such as this is to pre-
vail, it is a standing advertisement for
rogues and Williams to. sacrifice reputable
citizens to save their own blackened
selves. ..l-.
Colonel Broadhead followed Mr.. Voor-
hees and closed the argument. Hisspeech
was plain and unpretentiouS. and con-
sisted largely Of reading the testimony to
the jury, making a concise and connect
ing story Of 1t, and dwelling npon and ex.
planning its various points: He placed
particular stress upon the fact that the
defense had freely admitted the existence
Of a conspiracy, proven, too, by evidence
OF accomplices, but when the same kind
OF testimony was brought directly against
their client they pronounced 1t perjury
and worthy Of no consideration. He pro-
nounced the testimony Of Louis Bohle,
concerning Engelke's interview with Nc.
Kee, rs extremely improbable, and con.
sidered 1t absurd that Mckee should tell
a stranger that be would use his influence
with Collector Mcguire to have seized
goods released. r4H "a
After Mr.. Broadhead finished the Court
The jury will be instructed
on Monday morning, and the case given
a.. tknr, h., ~ hafaHa mann