The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-05-18
ST. LOUIS WHISKY GANG.
DISCOVERY OF NEW EVIDENCE
AGAINST MCKEE.
How. He Got a TriAe of 81 900 a Week


St. Louis, May I2.-McKee's friends
were hopeful last night that he would
escape the Imprisonment part of his sen.
tence, but the developments of to-day
are Of so serious a character as to make
Executive interference exceedingly i'm
probable. Mckee will be convicted
mainly upon the testimony of Fitzroy,
the second paymaster of the ring who
testified to paying over $3.50 to Mckee
OH one OCCASION, McKees chief claim
for clemency was the fact that Fitzroy's
was the only testimony that connected
him with the ring, and that as Ftzroy
was an infamous witness his evidence
should not be taken as conclusive. The
folio wing affidavit has, however, thrown
additional light on the subject. 1t was
filed to day with the Clerk ofthe United
States District Court, and copy for
warded to President Grant:
Fannie w. Leavenworth, of lawful
age, being produced, sworn and examin.
ed, deposeth and saith as follows: | re-
side at 1921 Olive street, in this city, and
have lived in St. Louis all my life. John
Leavenworth was my husband. We
were married in St. Louis on the sd of
June, 1862. He died June sd 1873. |
have met VIM. Mckee occasionally
during the last six years. have seen
him at the residence of my husband in
his lifetime as many as three or four
times. These visits were made to the
house by him in the years 1871 and 1872.
When he came to the house he always
came alone. | also know Conduce G.
Megrue. | met him first in 1871, in the
summer of that year. have seen him
at our residence perhaps six or seven
times. In 1871 my husband first told
me of the of the organization ofwhat was
known as the Whisky Ring, He told
me that it was organized for political
purposes, and | know of my own knowl-
edge that my husband spent large
amount of money for this purpose. |
learned from him that the money collect
ed from the distillers was distributed at
the office of the Supervisor, and certain
amounts or packages given to him to
deliver to certain parties. He frequent
ly brought large amounts of money to
the house with him. This was done on
Saturday, and the money would frequ-
emily remain in the house until Monday
morning, when it would be taken away
by my husband. have seen my hus-
band frequently count the money and
place it in envelopes marked VIM. Nc
Kee, l am unable to state the number
of times | saw this done, but it was
weekly occurrence, or nearly so. He
may have distributed it on some occasion
before coming home. have seen him
have as much as 81 900 at time in the
house. On one occasion, think in 1872
after the money had been placed in the
package and marked VIM. Mckee,
went in company with my husband to
the house of VIM. Mckee, on Washing |
ton avenue, stopped on the payment
opposite the house, and my husband re-
marked to me to wait while he delivered |
the package. | saw him 60 to the door
and deliver the package, to whom | am
not able to say, as did not see the party |
who received it. He told me that his in
were to deliver either to Nc
Kee himself or to his wife. On one oc-
casion, after tea, Mr.. Mckee came to
DUR house and asked for my husband.
Zebulon Leavenworth admitted him,
When he came in he seemed to be very
fearful that some would know it, and |
spoke in tone barely above whisper,
and said: Hush, as if he were afraid
70 have his name announced. | was on
he steps at the time and coming up
stairs, and remember the occurrence
very distinctly. should say that the
amount paid by my husband to Mckee
during the time that Mcguire was here
ranged from five hundred to one thou
sand dollars per week; it was my under
standing that Mr.. Ford received his por-
ton through Mckee. | have seen my
husband and Mr. Mckee together fire.
quently on the street. They often walked |
up the street together in the evening"
1t will be remembered that John Leaven-
worth was the original disburser of the
ring proceeds. Mrs. Leavenworth is
we'll known in the city, and is of ire
proachable character. Her incentive for
making this statement at this time is the
fact that her brother in law, Zebulon
Leavenworth, is one of the untried in
1icted storekeepers, and it is supposed
she furnishes this testimony against Nc
Kee in return for immunity extended to
ler kinsman. At any rate Leavenworth'
,ase, set for trial to day, was indefinitely
District Attorney Dyer re-
used to sign the recommendation for a
of sentence which Pierre
oont sent him, and expresses himself
lispleased at Pierrepont's oficiousness
n the matter. Mrs. Leavenworth has
delivered to District Attorney Dyer a
number of notes and letters written by
Mr.. Mckee to her husband. The follow
ng is one of the notes from Mckee to
-eavenworth delivered by Mrs. L. to
District Attorney Dyer;
DECEMBER 20, 1871.
"DEAR JOHN: Come to my house, on
Washington avenue, at once. want to
zee you on matters Of importance to-
hight.
IL