The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-28
LEE GIVES DETAILS
IN PUBLIC STATEMENT
Explains Circumstances of His Re.
ceiving Money From Sugar
and Tobacco Trusts.
HIS MEETING WITH CARROLL.
Declares That No Effort Was
Made to Induce Him to Leave
st. Louis Has Told Every
thing He Knows.

Injustice has been done to me by the
| publication of the reports about my having
received $1,000 from Havemeyer of the Sugar
Trust and $3.50 from the American Tobacco
Company. 1t Is also falsely stated that John
II. Carroll offered me SO 900 to keep out of
the country until after Folk had left the
Circuit Attorneys Office. 1 am trying to
make an honest living, and while these sto-
ries cannot make matters much worse, 1t Is
neither right nor fair that they should be
published"
Sitting in his office in the Century build
ing, former Lieutenant Governor John A.
Lee made the above statement and asked
that his Size Of these stories be printed. For
half hour he explained the transactions,
showing the records. check books and other
evidence Of his veracity. He also told Of his
relations with Carroll in Chicago and the
circumstances Of his trip to California.
TT has been stated that 1 received the
thousand dollars from the sugar people in
the middle of the last session. Look at
this"
Mr.. Lee then showed a statement from
his banker. showing that August 10. 1902,
he had deposited a check received from the
American Sugar Refining Company of New
York. He also showed small pamphlet
chiefly made I'D OF letters from grocers
throughout the country relative to the
proposition in Congress to remove the tariff
from raw Cuban sugar. The letters had
been first printed in the st, Louis Grocer
and then in the Interstate Grocer.
CHECK PAID PRINTING BILL.
mot only were these communications
printed in both Of my papers, which was
worth something, but I spent s24O in send
ing 1000 copies Of them to the newspapers
OF the country. had no understanding with
Mr.. Havemeyer about the amount which I
was to receive, but he voluntarily sent me
check for $1,000 on the date you see here
In this statement. 1t was for services rem
dered, and had absolutely nothing to do
with candy legislation. as has been asserted.
Two years ago the bill passed the Sem
ate and upon my solicitation was killed in
the House committee. as 1 told the chair
man it was sand-bagging measure This
year, when they came to me for assistance
told them to watch out for themselves
and took no further interest In the matter
Jewell was not my representative on the
committee, and that bill was his own bust
ness.
Years ago / was on friendly terms with
members of the Lggett and Myers Tobacco
Company and the Drummond Tobacco
Company. l wrote the obituaries of some
of them and boosted others when they got
promotions. did every one of them a good
turn that could.
DONATIONS TO CAMPAIGN FUND.
Il was nominated for Lieutenant Gov.
ernor June 5, 1900. July 9. 1900, received a
check for $50 from Attorney Fuller of Chi
cago. representing the American Tobacco
Company. This money was for campaign
expenses and took it simply as an act of
friendship from the dozen or 80 former St.
Louis tobacco men. who are now at work
in New York. Another tabacco man gave
Mr.. Wickard. one Of my managers, a check
for $3.50 for the same purpose. 1t was SIM
ply friendship on their part, and nothing i
more.
1.-TWO years ago the anticigarette bill was
killed in the Criminal Jurisprudence Com
mittee. had absolutely nothing whatever
to do with 1t. This year Senator McNatt,
who wished anticigarette legislation, came
to me and said that the Criminal Jurispru-
dence Committee was opposed to legislation
on the subject and asked that refer it to