The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-26
THE WHISKEY CONSPIRACY.
TAKING SOME TESTIMONY OF THE
RINGS ICCOMPLICES.

showing McKee's Connection with the Con- |
tpirators - Tho Testimony of Deputy |
Collector who was Under McKce's Orders. |
ST. Louis, Jan. 25.-Judge Dillon rem
dored decision upon the opening OF tho trial Of |
VIM. Mckee this morning, ruling that the case |
must go on. The conspiracy had been one OF |
numerous acts and extending over a long period |
OF time. and the declaration OF the co.conspira- |
tors, or accomplices, must be heard. II, how
ever. when the casc should be all In. and the
connection OF Mckee with the conspiracy should
rest solely on the testimony OF the accomplices,
then the Court would instruct tho jury how
little weight was to be attached to their evil
dence. The ntimation was that the evidence OF
the Ring and Mckee's connectio with 1t
would not alone be SUFFICIENT
Following the decision OF the Judge, the tes-
timony of Sanford N. Barton, the manager of
the Bingham Brothers st. Louis distillery, was
taken. lie testified to the general operations OF
the Ring; the amounts Of crooked whiskey
made by their house the sums Of money paid
to tho Ring fund.- and the special assessments
for the alleged purpose Of buying OF revenue
officers ana to prevent seizures. One Of the
sums raised in this way witness was told by
Joyce was to go to Babcock. Witness had n
conversation with Eugelkc about the interview
the latter had with Mckee at the GlpL, Office,
but ho could not recollect II distinctly enough
to repeat II.
duIu ~. tuncannOn. Deputy tOllcCtur uuier
Charles w. Ford. aud for q short time Under
Cons'ariinc Maguiie testified;
lave known Mckee tHeniy years. lie wn' good
time. perhaps Inn there during The .st h,fc Of
tiat 10 wanted to see ft1rav: t1at he lad an impar
,at coinmrnicaiiSn e. MAKE T. I'M fi,ztay was not
at b,,, fIaS,r,s d,liliery would Do and be wrote
pS, e p n K na nnd o afTsrf e & ' sU s
g town End nc Si,hsa E9es 70 kno. v subs @ aacniy
in the cy had caused theu lose Of mash
Witness then recounted tho manner In which
! John LeAvcnworth tried to get him to join the
King and proceeded:
Ih.da bref talk with Mckee on the street aud told
him Br,Ter' ne r.yenIe agent. nag arrived, AZ
from Nf T Ford 0 Wen e tn" ~ Tire, other sscs came aud
etms " foid %ss gSi ., ih@ oHSs 4 ~ tiac: sna
M 10 him and tod me tfa, all csnhdentrl matters
nStS Sarcd r. ,6oui son.u SeRe n fiei Es asrnc.
fceton. ,Mgie Ford was .9.eit IA CoOrage uli.
started aSay Tor aieis,Sy trio he wrote me ic,cr re-
ro S no ss TEA can ys! I've s Te'
The defence objected to the witness ftatins
what was In the letter. unless its TX vet words
cou,d be given. Discussion followed, aud toe
| objection was Withdrawn. witness continued:
IN. note vas about thus 81 have Just lcarl tnat
possibly some detectives viii come here II 9ey o.
Ks'. Knew simeon hay. a nspess q McEse va.
appointed eausei aiicr Mckee sold hc D'ngcrd ju.t
Win Mckee about nc pay Of RAY as sIus-r. M.k.S
|
w'iHny to r part Of the .alafy nm ,eif sNc
raft to +, brother aad LEI me have ihr ie,naina,
sos 70 Surps. S tse sfangenc 9 Il
The defence objected to this KIND Of tesii-
| mony, aud held that before It was admissible
| the tiovernu cnt should prove that at the ime
| II was n violation OF the revenue law for Il gau-
| ger to do his work by proxy.
Judge Dillon TO tncss-It Ray entitled TO tbs
1.I ,i ,Ss oa 'sH ~sr 70 % 70 pi3 @ The p,y
witness-l don't knSri except a. sad pyiplre' gre We
| l.. a. d a
to assist me.
The cross. sx animation Of this witness brought
out long statements concerning Mr. Ford, tue
M uner In whca he conducted tho oIlcc OF
Collector, &c. which was quite favorlhle to thnt
gentleman. In the main ne W - described ms a
cTeful. cautious man. ami IN the matter oi
seizures he never took any action uutll le had
ground to proceed. Witness SAID. however that
tue once was virtually run by McDonad'
Gcent. Joyce could write ont memoranda,
and II witness d'H not carry tneni out out
struct witness to do as joyce requested. Nc
kce was on Ford's bond, and their relations
cSsG.e Ts.a n;,s ~ Ss an hs nsss canaaed @
whichever Fora " aM Mil, ana Tas und.r m
structtons 20 consult Nchee NJ sucn tines ABOUT
anything that came up. After ford's death,
Oct. "a, le.3, and the Tine Mcguire took change,
NOV. l5 Mcdonald took direct cllrge ~ the
ONCE, and acted under his instruct ms" lhc
| witness then gave a long account oi The purnlu-
OF largo portion OF the iec9rds 81 the Col
| lcctor's oihce on SUNDAY, Sly. ID. lie sal
d9mpiSg papers csecialy those OF Bevs AMI Frazer
AsSs "a. my upSor ifg FsS a IN n 5 ess "a zaac rc
tncretgic told him he coni loo@ at tnrn any TIM.
Sni a,6ous6 they DID gi,c cvens fir' ifst lhr'
hlu 1c IgI, paBcT, we're efi :, tl ,h M i ~. ~
Mat va donc. / knew vas doug wron-. nd
let l was morally responsible f,r the safety oi
'lgn,l rcmo, Ing inc Iap.rs, out had no idca
T e.pseay GsnsfS i BsS Vs d " ri M
were iahen mace 'no No fePS' anpmrn,s 90 is s
91s io Nv II rr 9s o. 'YiGc a poi aG n
Gcrase an explanation 10 Mcguire about the nlfin
papcrs and for son die no. deem = n,eess iy Ma
nice that Invited ny commence ana lrNllesed nc T.
:'y S5a P&s & 'S a. q. ai a5 is Sa BSsl Ra
vih the ring business heretofore and he dia no, pr
taa.tf Win kaow.dSe oiihe revenue bushes, coaid
not run hass @ dif1 o "Se 5 ,n 'a s' & ss,
Stre mssins telling MIN al tae ercrim'iaaess q tneiI
rnce thc Shskey mt tlonf BE-. an 20 not ~ stos
leye he Government VIII u at NE d'nereh'yfom any
witnes. denied ever having belonged to the
Ring. They took particular pains he said, u
Keep him out, Tor had he been IN II would have
reduced the weekly shars OF each. He received
; money, however, from fitzroy and Leavenworth
, pc tssibly Sl,UcO In all.
> ON redirect examination the witness said h'
met Mckee by accident on his way to New foTl
! IN 1879 and told him all about Magure's affairs
! the destruction Of the records OF the collector
| ONE, aud other matters connected with tha
I onicer.
l Alfred Devs, Of tho firm OF Beyis 4 Fraser
| testified to receiving information OF Gen. Sew
| ellis arrival mere In 49,: from Finley hubb, whd
| was then storekeeper In their dtstillefy
. They had sev raj tubs OF crooked mast
; that morning, which were run into thei
! beer sink. Some unstamDed which wa
0 | In their warehouse was disposed Of In thei
: house they straightened up generally. Sewel
I reached their distIllery two hours after thel
| were Informed of his arrival and found every
| thing right. witness continued:
/ had a conversation with Mckee either in or nea
the Gobe oftcc | spoke about Joyce removing
the HardanaYs and several others, and sal
r that / thought II unNise 10 remove then
as they knew what was going on AM
would certainly cause a deal OF trD ube. The
u were bitter again.t Mcdonald and Joyce. and wou
certainly raise fuss. Mckee sali that he would tai
10 and Mcdonald about the mattel or sQmci Mn
Of that kind | aso had conversation WIN Meke
While the May Grand jury was In session; asked M
N now he was getting along. lie sad, Pretty rough
IHsked MIN II he indicted. aud he said that lie ht
not heard II II he WAS, ana H. he WAS not he c9ul
help very much. We had not then entered our plea
. Of guilty.
. This closed Bevlss direct examination, an
Il the court adjourned.
INDIANAPoLIs, Jan. 25.-In the Unite'
- States Court, the argument In the Brownie
, crooked whskey case was closed AT noon TO
\ day. After the Instructions Of tho Court IN
Q Jury retired, and at o'clock brought In aver
y | dict OF not guilty.
I Gen. Hen. Harrison made tho closing argl
y ment for the defence, and Gen. Tom. Brown IL