The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-27
John E. Risley, the New Minister to
Denmark, Man of Unsavory Record.
Mixed Up with the REASONABLE Organizations
and Accused of Embezzline Funds from
the "Sons of Liberty"
More of His Queer Transactions as q
Claim Agent in New York City.
Burke Anxisusly Awaited-President Clsve-
land Knew What He Vas Doing When
He Appointed the Awful Man.
RIsLEY'S BAD RECORD.

RISLEY'S BAD RECORD.
Charged with Embezzling 81 800 from the
''sons of Liberty" rerre Haus~
There is every probability, it is said. In
Eastern papers. that the nomination Of
John f. Risiey TO be minister to Denmark
will be held up In the Senate. A vast
amount of Opposition Is developed. and un-
less Senator Voorhees, adopts the Same pol.
icy that won in the Burke oase his brother
in-lsw will travel hard road toward con.
frmatien. Risley formerly lived in Terre
Haute, and II was there that he married
the sister of Voorhees, in 1858. He was then
a young and impecunious lawyer. who got
into Voorhees, good graces by reason Of
mis- sympathy with the south and the cop
perhead movements with whi en- il has long
been charged that V oorhees was connected.
When Voorhees, went to Congress he gave
up his law Office and stored his
desk in Risley's office. It was
there when General Darlington ordered an
examination of IL in search for evidence
that he was lending com tort and sympatny
TO the disloyaI elemert The desk was
found to contain lot of literature relat-
ing to the Knights of tho Golden Circle. i'm
Guiding the ritual of the order. Risley and
his bride took trip to New York after
their marriage and stopped at the Brevoort
House. While there Mrs. Risley was taken
very sick and could not be moved. 1t was
high priced living. but Risley managed to
paw the bill. though doing nothing and hav.
ing no known income. 1t was charged at the
time that the money he was spending was
funds entrusted TO him by the KNIGHTS Of
the Golden Circle of Terre Haute for the
south.
There is no doubt that he was hot
headed eympathizer with the Confederacy.
The Knights of the Golden Circle and the
Sons of Liberty were numerically strong IN
Vigo county and in the adjoining counties
south of there. Risley was q leader in these
organizations. AT the time documents
were found in Mr.. Voorhees's law Office
which fully established the close relation
OF their possessor with these reasonable
orders MIR. Voorhees, said he was absent In
Washington much of his time, and did not
know of the presence of the damaging evil
dence In his office, giving IL out that Risley
was responsible. Mr.. Joseph Blake. one Of
the best-known citizens of Terre Hauts.
talked TO Journal correspondent rs fol-
lows about the Risley departure from,
Tcrre Haute: Tho money Risley took be-
lonRed TO the Sons of Liberty. 1t amounted
to about $500. We Democrats were fixing
to arm ourselves Risley was commits.
stoned to 60 to New York to buy arms.
l know all about 1T because l am
the one that paid Risley the money.
But John did not come back. and God only
knows where the money went. He was
hard up about that time and needed the
money. The money was raised by each
fellow putting In s. or $40. Sam Rigney.
up here one day and gave me $500 he had
raised. At one time our fellows threat
ened to burn the town. and then q lot of
them from Sullivan county came up here
and were going to take the town. They
were camped south of town. but the Re-
publicans warned them not to try it and
they went back without doing any devil
ment. But they made IL pretty hot for ua
here afterward. When they broke into
rituals of the knights Of the Golden Circle.
and some stuff like that He said they
didn't belong to him, and / guess they
didn't-they belonged to Rlsley, or at least
VOORHEES, said they did"
WHEN HE GOT RICH.
When President johnson set adrift Of
the Republican party Risley was appointed
to position In the revenue department. of
the government in which he had charge Of
the settlement Of prosecutions of violators
of the revenue laws Senator Voorhees, be-
came attorney for the New York whisky
ring. and it Is related that both Risley and
Voorhees, made a great deal of money.
Risley lived in high style in New York,
though his salary was less than 81 600 q
year. 1t is said that he did not return
home to Terre Haute for fifteen years after
the winter of his bridal trip, and that he
has returned but few times since.
Strange 70 relate, his brothers who still
live in Knox county. were loyal and brave
citizens. and made creditsble records in the
Union army.
Risley has long been known in New York
as very successful schemer. and the
many who have been bested in their busi-
ness transactions With him cherish no good
will TO him. One of them is James G. jew
EFT. an old-time shipping merchant. who
suffered heavy losses from the depreda-
tions of the rebel marine on loyal shipping
during the war. After tho war. it is well
known, there was a successful prosecution
ment. and the board of arbitration
awarded the United States s15O00000.
which was to be divided among those who
could prove their losses. These claims
were known as the Alabama claims.
The business of collecting them be-
came very profitable one. and Ris-
ley saw his opportunity TO make q
stake. de was then engaged as . lob
byist in Washington, having an Office In
New York city. but spending the most OF
came the attorney of record in several
hundred OF these cases. It was the GUS
tom Of the New York merchants. who were
the principal sufferers. TO unite in order to
save expenses, under some prominent New
York shipping merchant of standing. who
agreed to bear all the expenses. and dis.
tribute the net awards when made. These
merchants then employed lawyers at o
moderate percentage as conditional fee TO
attend to the legal details. Risiey was
such Q lawyer.
JEwETT's EXPERIENCE.
He knew nothing of shipping and had no
standing as q merchant whereby he could
muster elients Mr.. Jewett. who had re-
tained him in 263 cases. had been instru-
mental in securing the passage Of the
treaty of Washing ton concerning the Ala
bama awards, and his reputation at t1at
time among the claimants was the very
highest Jewett had been collecting claims
for many years. These footed up over g.
O00,0O lie was to receive half and pay all
expenses. Risley was TO receive 10 per cent.
and do all the legal work. II employed
Rlsley," said he. because he was o brother.
in-law of Senator Voorhees,. His previous
reputation as Southern sympathizer gave
HIM peculiar standing with the Senators.
which i thought would help me in securing
legislation necessary TO our claims."
Through has brother-in-law Risley formed
an acquaintance with Senator Mcdonald.
who was ct that tiIae o man of great In
fuence with the Senators of the South and
Weat Rialev uuderf0ok to lntereaf Senator