The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-07-31
WAS A GOOD
Lieutenant Governor Lee Wantso
Them All to Show Him.

Lieutenant Governor Lee Wantso
Them All to Show Him.
Observation-Disclosures Ont, July %.
Daniel J. Kelley Of New York, cor
rupton agent and lobbyist, who boasts
Of having bought two or three Mis-
souri, legislatures and especially former
Lieutenant Governor John A. Lee, is
now IN exile here. It isn't healthy for
him on the American side OF the line.
But he IL getting daily hearings to
newspaper men and telling them how
his stories, backed by many letters
in Lee'g own Handwriting, are interest,"
ing.
Kelley today displayed a number Of
checks made out In favor OF John A..
Lee In support Of his assertion that he
the $1,000 check. which at Lees request
he gave to Bob Lee, was only one Of q
long series Of checks he made to the
state. Official for various service rem
dered.
So persistent and annoying were
Lees demands for money, says Kelley,
that for \ long time he ignored all OF
Lees letters, during which period Lee
wrote many letters, some threatening,
some conctliatory, some begging, some
exceedingly ludicreus in their demands
n wording.
Lees lnsistsncs.
March 20. 1908. Lee went to the office
Of the American Queen In New York
and had a personal interview with
Kelley, the result of which was KEEL
ley's promise to send a check for 81, 900
to Robert Lee the following week.
Kelley kept his promise, but as has al
ready been told in the newspapers Lee
was afraid to cash the check and wrote
Kelley to e instead New York ex-
change for $1,000 payable to Mrs. John
A. Lee. This Kelley declined to do,
and, tired Of fooling with Lee, stopped
payment on the check.
Then Lee v the cneck to the CIR
cult attorney, Mr.. Folk, and told him
1t was money given to him by Kelley
to bride him. Among the other hecks
in Lees favor n signed by Kelley
are these loo, Ne ,yen. p; 1891 s 1922
$500; July 8, 1902. $500; November 26,
1901, $50; February /. 1901, s25; De-
cember IA, 1902, $3.50; November %,
1902, $3.50; January 4, 1902, $3.50.
Kelley today issued an ulttmatum to
the st. Louis n Missouri authorities
when he said: II beg you to state that
I do not hate Lee, rather, I despise. II
Mr.. Folk has ever had an idea that I
would be a states witness he is en-
tirely mistaken. I have nothing to in
form him about. You don't. often find
q man of my name and extraction who
q "ooAA SSSAPy- IAN VIVA
ton Of an informer. I would not even
appear as a states witness against
Ce, much as I despise him, and I
could not have been constrained to
make his villainy public were it not
that certain decent and upright men
were being wrongfully assailed. I
feel it my duty as a man, even at some
risk, to perform an act Of simple
friendship. N
Has Lots Of Evidence.
Kelley not only holds a big batch OF
letters written by Lee to him, but he
messages to other big corporations
than the Baking Powder trust.
One of these was written to the
head Of the $50, 000, 600 glucose trust,
that glucose might be considered dele
FERROUS to health, and that a pure food
state was likely to be passed at the
next legislature. He (Lee) could, of
course, defeat such legislation, but
would require the trust to do liberal
advertising in his CLee's) trade jour-
nails. The glucose trust responded lib
orally, a Kelley.
Later Lee tackled h Rumford
Chemical company, a 100000 con-
Germ, one of the chief competitors Of
the alum baking powder manufacture
ers. He sent for a representative Of
this firm to come to st. Louis. where
Lee explained how the alum people
could be done II Rumford, would sup
ply the cash. The proposition was ac-
cepted, says Kelley. The spice trust
Is said to a been hit hard by Lee
also, and Kelley declares he has some
most interesting documents on this
point. Kelley declares Lee deliberately
went about boedling himself INTO the
Office Of governor. and would have suc-
ceeded, In his opinion. but for the
Doodle investigation.