New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-27
M'KEoN'S BRoTHER-IN-LAw
HOW BE WAS DETAINED ON HARrs 70, INN

RANDALL Roberts, one of the clerks dismissed
Dy Attorney MoKeon on suspicion OF ben 80
cerneo In the Disappearance OF iniictments go.
certain gamblers from the safe In the
ONCE employed John ID. Townsend to bring su,,
against MI Mckson to compel him to show cause WHY
NE should not be restored. From him Mr.. TownseDd
learned that he had occasionally been sent nv v,
McKson to visit brother-nlaw Of the latter Iew.s
sioa lawyer sixtyeight years OF age who was in nm.
OF the institutions under the OF the Comms.Ionsr
! OF Charities and Correction on Harris Island ".
Townsend Investigated the and yesterday gave "a.
| following as the result:
| 81 asked Roberts II he had auy tur,,..
Information TO give relative TO sloat He gave me ts
name Of prominent member OF the Bar who he s,,d
could toll a great DEAL saw him he said Va.
| the most damnable he had known. He vav.
me the name Of another lawyer and from MA receiv..
several letters written by sloat Mr. McKeon savs ,b,
his brotherin-aw went Harris Island OF his own vI
ton and that he made request be taken away mtg
recently Here Is letter written to Inc In March Ias
asking that Will come up aud get him out Herr ar.
copies OF the letters No has written to Mr. and Nrs
McKeon (the latter his sister, asking that he be- rs
leased"
The letters are varying IN tone, being Affection
ate and others upbralding the persons to whom adj
dressed for not taking Mr. soat away In one addressa.
to his sister he complains that he 4. ho,n
wronged by being kept there and demand,
settlement OF the estate left by his father Mr. rown
send received letter from sloat asking that ne 40, a.
his counsel and procure his release Continuing s mar
rative, Mr.. Townsend said:
II went to the Commissioners OF CharitIes and co,
rection and told them the story Of Mr. soa Twas oa
vised by them not to touch the replied that my
duty to my client compelled me TO do 80. procureo
permit and visited Harris Island. found there o,v
the lowest kind Of Migrants. thieves and yagabonds Of
all descriptions The Commissioners told me that nv
client there Of his voltion. aud that he coud
go whenever he pleased. Mr. Dempsey, the official in
charge OF the institution where sloat was employed .ad
that he could leave it whenever he wished. was then
introduced to Soat. He at a clerks desk lie said
he had received no compensation for the work be had
done. During the four years that he had
been there. he said, he had received from Mr. McKeon
not exceed 1925 and most Of this in the form Of
clothing gave him letter OF introduction from ono
Of the lawyers mentioned, and after he had read it
asked him II he wanted to leave the place He said that
he had been praying four years De liberated
Warden asked him II he had not been told that he could
go at any time. He said that was true but that 1t
only recently that he had been told this He explained
to me 1t useless for him to down to the
city be had money and would be arrested az va
grant. brought him down and furnished him with
boarding place.
1.-The history of the family can be briefly told Ia
1868 Admiral John Drake soat died. leaving widow.
two sons and daughter. The Oldest is my CLIENT
Lewis W.; the second was John Drake.
named after his father. and the daughter 10
row the wife Of Distrc.-Attorney McKeon. The widow
and the two named executors OF the estate
which consisted OF the family seat Staten Island and
a considerable in stocks and bonds amounting alto
the income during her life At her death the property
be divided into three equal parts-onethrd to
each OF the chdren-and on the death or Mrs MckeOp
her third Ter daughter By her first husband,
John ID. soa died December g. 1875, leaving widow
and three children. His mother died on November To-
1873 leaving Lewis W. slOat sole executor of the estate
MI sloat was sent to Harts Island July 49, 1879.
dow hafO na had
to Mrs McKeOn to act for him in all business matters.
Before ne was taken TO the Island ne TINS power
on the day that he was taken to Harts
Roberts and asked he did not want to take ride up
the East River SOat assented and they went up 70
Hart's island There sloat was introduced to Warden
Duuphy by Roberts. They remained In conversation
for time. Roberts then made some excuse and left
the Hearing the whistle OF the boat soa started
go it, there evident preparations for depar
was prisoner Since that time soat SAYS that he has
once LETT the island has he received one dollar Of
his property, although he has many times demancedt
ntendeut Of Outdoor Poor, Mr.. Blake He is described
as lawyer, age sxty-hye, and a resident Of Twenty
third,st, The commitment bears the letters u;
for called on Mr.. Blake aud asked MIN
to show me any record the Office OF tho
commissioners Of Charities and Correction which would
spont with the one At Hart's Island He said hat
there destitute person 10 be c,red for me licsi
examination was hal and the physician designated
where the patient TO go. Mr. sloat says he has for
many years drank somewhat. but dent that he could
be claSSed uruukatd lie practising lawyer
and notary FOR several states, when brought him "a
small income. On Wednesday last wrote TO Mr.
McKeOn. stating that his tr0therDlaw iree after
four years OF imprisonment and suffering, which hs
ascrlbed TO Mr.. McKcon and his wife. tie demands
restitution Of his property and an accounting. hays
received no answecas yeti
WHAT MR NIXON SAYS.
District Attorney McKeon was seen later IN the day.
He said: regret, OF course, that Mr.. Townsend has
seen it make this matter public. but am nol afraid
to meet it, Once before effort OF this kind made
with the result that Lewis W. sloat removed ana
my wife made executrix aud trustee Of tho
estate Tho facts these: Admiral
sloat died leaving estate worth about
$50 900. His two proved TO be drunbards john
Drake sloa squsndered and lost in Walst $4,000 or
$4,000. Mrs. Soat the widow, came to me aud asked
to take charge of what securities le some ins
after John ID. sloats death she feared that Lew, y"
would make away with all the remainder examined
the contents OF the box and found that the stockwas
by pOthecatei for loan OF $4,000 Nhen this was paid
OF there left only fifty shares OF stock and tho
homestead on staten Island worth altogether not mora
than $4,000 or $4,000 There mortgage 0t 5000
the real estate placed there by Lewis sioai to pay
certain lawyers Lewis has been hopeless or
many years. He 10 Incapable OF managing the estate
He could have lett Harris ISLAND whenever 10
pleased It deemed best for his good that hs
should remain there One week Before ho was taken
there he drew 500 dividend on the gas stock, ana n
care for himself Once before lawyer began >us
somewhat similar to that Threatened by Mr.. townsend
execntrx of the estate Tue calldren OF john d. o0as
also have interest in the estate am ready as tho
OF my wife, to make an accounting when
the Court shall order IL is an unpleasant pecs
of family history, but have fear OF scrutiny
OF my action with reference TO the estate"
ALMOST BLOWS IN Mr.. MKEONS OFFICE
District Attorney McKeon's private Office
was the yesterday morning of dispute betWeen
two of his subornates that nearly resulted in personal
Henry c. Allen, the indictment clerk. was
making some statements to Mr.. McKeon concerning J.
Roberts the private secretary. who has resigned his
office the resignation to take effect on June L.
Would you be willing, the District Attorney asked,
to repeat those statements in the presence OF Mr..
Robertsi"
Certainly" said Mr.. Allen.
The secretary called in and Mr.. Allen repeated his
story which the effect that Mr. Roberts had been
heard say the Morton House and elsewhere tnas
Mr. McKeon did not dare discharge him, that the Dis
rict-Attorney had cheated his brother law ont ot