The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-04-29
END OF THE McKEE CASE.
Two Years. Imprisonment - $40. .0eN
Fine-vain Attempt to "Save the
Old Man,"

Especial Correspondence Of the N. o. Democrat
| ST. LOUIS, April 26, Is76.-The uncer-
tainty which attended the case Of VIM.
| Mckee, chief proprietor of the Globe
democrat, was terminated today in the
! United States courtroom. Judge Dill
! lon decided the last point raised in his
| favor by his persistent counsel ad-
versely, and he was sentenced to the
maximum fine of ten thousand dollars
and to imprisonment in the county iail
Tor two Years. Viewed in the light of all
/ the circumstances attending the CON
/ spiracy, the sentence must be re-
/ garded as a very light one. The
| fine, though the maximum under the
statute IS mere vest-pocket affair to
man who has received, as the fruits of
| his unlawful industry, not less than
100000, and possibly $500, 900, and who
is known to have salted down every
nickel Of it. That he escaped the pain
and ignominy of Imprisonment in the
penltentiary is due, as stated by the
Judge, to the mitigating facts Of his not
being sworn official of the Government.
and that he made prima facie showing
of a long life of usefulness.
There will be political allies who will
regret his fall, but William Mckee, as n
man, would seem never to have inspired
in the bosom of a single individual u
sentiment Of pure personal regard. Sor-
did and selfish he would not have part
ed with single nickel of his ill-gottep
gains to have saved the whole lot of his
associates, if he could have felt safe in
ignoring them-and they were all per
fectly aware of it. There is now little
doubt that it was this well known con
stitutionai hoggishness that made his
ruin sure. Joyce was the soul and spirit
OF the corrupt organization here. Bril-
liant, we'll educated, Jovial and gen
erous, with an almost irresistible air Of
good fellowship, he was, in truth, the
head of the Republican party in Mis-
souri,, and by his nerve and audacity
controlled his more vulgar associates.
He did not fail to note that Mckee was
getting the lions share of the plunder.
and he knew that, in the event OF an e1-
posure, he could, and unquestionably
would, step quietly to one side and hold
up his hands in holy horror at the wick
edness OF his fellOw-conspirators, and
that he would relentlessly allow them to
be swept into prison without an effort
on his part. Joyce determined to bind
Mckee irrevocably to the compact, and
so contrived the one piece of evidence
which, under judicial investigation,
could be relied upon to secure his con
NiCbioll. II Cub ICSt WSI0 IHlSs
from no desire to overturn Mckee, but
in order to make sure Of his strong in
fiuence, If the day Of danger came.
Fitzroy was made witness to the pay
ment of sum of $3.50, and the time
chosen for this was Immediately after the
death of Collector Ford. Mckee stepped
under the deadfall in his acquired bold
ness, took the money, and remarked
upon the increased amount 1t was
more than usual. Why asked Mckee.
Ford is dead, F" replied Joyce, and the
explanation was satisfactory. This one
circumstance not only proved the re-
ceipt of money, but was conclusive that
the payments had been regular and
constant, and McKee's fortunes were
then bound fast to his co-conspirators,
though he seems to have been too dull
to comprehend the full force of his
transaction, and even attempted sort
of witticism as to its being a ''sound
thing" This was the one piece OF
evidence that the ingenuity of counsel
could not explain away or weaken.
Like Mercutio's wound, it was suffi
cient.
The interest in the st. Louis whisky
trials eliminated with the Babcock
case, and in the interval during which
counsel have set up dilatory motions,
the tension Of the public mind has les
sened. This morning there was nota-
BILE absence of groups about the post
office, such as were at all times seen
while the trials were progressing Singly
and by twos and threes spectators filed
into the court room and ieisurely took
seats, until the hall was full There
were few of the chronic loungers usually
visible on such occasions, but on the
contrary fair representation of the in
telligence and wealth of the city The
dismal old second hand affair that
serves to indicate the time for the judi
cial representatives of the ''best Gov
ernment on earth" :" showed a half hour
past ten when Judge Dillon, accompa-
MED by Judge Treat, filed in and took
their seats. The room was now we'll
filled, though bailiffs kept the aisle
open. After disposing of some brief
matters, Judge Dillon commenced read
ing his decision on the motion for new
trial in the case of VIM. Mckee. Every
mans last button, and if that gave way
there was nothing further to be done
The Judge had proceeded but a
few sentences when it became plain
that the point relied upon Wa
not we'll taken, and that it would
be overruled. Mckee, with bloodshot
eyes, leaned over and whispered to his
counsel. At that moment it was impos-
sible not to feel something of pity for the
gray-headed, sodden, selfish, remorse-
less man, who has attained wealth and
leading voice in the Republican party
of Missouri, and who has unhesitating-
ly sacrificed every man who ever trusted
to his good faith in either fair or unfair
schemes. At the close of the reading
District Attorney Dyer rose and moved
for sentence. The prisoner was asked
il he had any statement to make and
shook his head. The Judge then, after
few predatory remarks, OF no con-
soling tenor. fixed punishment at
$4,000 fine and two years imprison-
ment in the county Jail. The crowd
swept out of the room at once, the play
was over; the apostle OF Re-
publicanism in Missouri had been
Investigated his last speculation
rewarded, and the general COM
ment was that he had got off very cheap.