The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-24
KELLEY NO INFORME Err.
Says He Will Not Be a States
Witness Against Lee.

Niagara -the-Lake, Ont, July "a
Daniel J. Kelley today displayed num-
Der of checks made out in favor of John
A. Lee, eX-lieutenant governor of Mis-
souri, in support of his assertion that he
frequently gave Lee money and that the
81, GOO check, which at Lees request ne
gave to Bob Lee, was only one of a long
series of checks he made to the state Of
fetal for various services rendered.
So persistent and annoying were Lees
demands for money, says Kelley, that
for a long time he ignored all of Lee 5
letters, during which period Lee wrote
many letters, some threatening, some
concilatory, some begging, some -
ceedingly ludicrous in their demands
and wording
March %, 1903. Lee went to the office
of the American Queen in New York
and had a personal interview with KEEL
ley the result of which was Kelley S
promise to send a check for s., 900 to
Robert Lee the following week. Kelley
kept this promise, but as has already
been told in the newspapers Lee was
afraid to cash the check and wrote
Kelley to send instead New York ex-
change for 81 900 payable to Mrs. John
A. Lee. This Kelley declined to do. and,
tired of foOling with Lee, stopped pay
ment on the check.
Then Lee gave the check to the cir
cult attorney, Mr.. Folk, and told him it
was money given to him by Kelley to
bride him. Among the other checks irr
Lees favor and signed by Kelley are
these: November q, 1901 800; July "A,
1901 500; March 16, 1901, $500; July g.,
1902 $500; November 26, 1901 $50 Feb,
ruary 1, 1901, 1925; December IA, 1902.
$3.50; November %, 1902, $3.50; January
f. 1902 $3.50.
Kelley today issued an ultimatum to
the st. Louis and Missouri authorities
when he said: I beg you to state that
do not hate Lee; rather despise- If
MIR. Folk las ever had an idea that 1
would be a states witness he is entire
ly mistaken. l have nothing to inform
him about. You don't often find man
of my name and extraction who would
occupy the ignominous position of an
infOrmer. I would not even appear as a
states witness against Lee. much as I
deSpise him. and could not have been
constrained to make his Villainy public
were it not that certain decent and up
right men were being wrOngfully as
sailed. 1 feel it my duty as a man, even
at some risk. to perform an act of sim
pie friendship"
Kelley not only holds a big batch of
letters written by Lee to him. but he
has gathered lot of Lees holdup mes
sages to other big corporations than the
Baking Powder trust
One of these was written to the head
of the so million dollar glucose trust,
that glucose might be considered dele
FERROUS to health, and that a pure food
law which would bar glucose from the
state was likely to be passed at the next
legislature. He Lee) could of course
defeat such legislation. but would re-
quire the trust to do liberal advertising
in his Lee's) trade journals. The glu-
cose trust responded literally, says
Kelley.
Later Lee tackled the Rumford Chem
ical company, 3 million dollar concern,
one of the chief competitors of the alum
baking powder manufacturers. He sent
for a representative of this firm to come
to St Louis. where Lee explained how
the alum people could be done if Rum
4 ford would supply the cash. The prop
osition was accepted. says Kelley. The
spice trust is said to have been hit hard
by Lee also, and Kelley declares he has
some most interesting documents on this
point Kelley declares Lee deliberately
went about boodling himself into the
( office of governor, and would have sue
ceeded, in his opinion but for the Doodle
/ Investigation.