Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-04-01

i Z
Gen. Foote and Col. A. Hays have aP.
peared as assistant counsel for the State
Many witnesses were examined and
amongst them the Governor and Attorney
General. 1t TUNED cut that The latter
gentleman got, during the last summer, one
thousand dollars Of the 8 Per cent fund in
part payment Of his salary, and applied,
last fall, for ond thousand dollars more OF
the per cent. fund 10 enable him 10 pub
Ish his chancery reports. The latter
amount he did not receive however, (al-
though rendered to him,) because Of ru'
mors Of 4 suspicious character, then aaoat
against Graves. Mr.. Freeman said he
was not aware, when he received one
thousand dollars, from whit fund it came,
bu, supposed it proceeded fromthe amounts
of small change which he understood from
time TO time were paid into the Treasury.
Gov. fuckers testimony, according to the
account of it given in the Mississippian,
involved his excellenay in rather con-
tradiction, Tor although he had sworn when
he applied for an arrest, that he be-
lieved Graves had embezzed about one
hundred and forty.one thousand dollars Of
the States money, he afterwards stalled on
examination, that he did not believe more
than ten thousand dollars belonged to Mis-.
sissippi; it was in his opinion the money
OF the United States.
The court afterwards awarded u war.
rant 10 the Sheriff Of Kinds county, D.
Thomas, Esq. to search the house Of Col.
Graves and his person for the funds. This
was resisted before the court by the pri-
soner's counsel, but to no purpose, and on
Sund y morning last the Sheriff and
number of citizens searched the Treasur-
er's person and premises but found no.
thing. Ga Sunday Graves made his es.
cape, an account Of which we extract from
The Mississippian:
On Friday and Saturday night he was
kept in a room OF the Union Hall Hole,
and on Sunday morning he, as already sta
ted, accompanied The Sheriff 10 his own
dwelling, and was present during the
searching thereof He protested against
the illegally of The proceeding, ard gave
the Sheriff and other citizens engaged in
search, to unders and, that the m ney he
was charged with embezz ing, was in the
Planters Bank of Natchez--,he place
which he regarded as the only leg,l Gus o.
dunn of the State moneys. This imp!es.
sion was readily received by the guard,
and by the Community. The fact that one
of the Treasurer's brothers had left Jack
son on the rail rond cars two days before,
and was expected to return on Sandy
night, gave the cooring OF p!ansibity 10
the statement ola deposIe in the bank o.
Natchcz The guard whom the Sheriff
had placed about The person Of the prs IN.
er, determined TO lei him remain with his
family during the day Sunday 1.-TWO OF
About noon the Treasurer complained of
bieng much iutigued, and received permits
sion to retire to the chamber of his wife,
for the purpose, he said, Of endeavoring to
sleep. This ,cas the last tn guard snD of
him. He is supposed to have made his es.
cape while tho guard, and some friends of
the family were at dinner, his brother DR..
Ral phi Graves, being his companion in his
fight. The escape was not disco. cred un-
tllabout sun setting or ltle thereafter.
During the course Of the afternoon the |
guard more than once called al the door If
Mrs. Graves, aud asked how the Colonel
was getting on. Mrs. Graves promptly
repl ed that he was asleep, and with The
soit voice of cntreaty, appealed to the bet.
ter fee!in s oi the men, to "lel him rest
he had been so much harrassed ard ia.
tigued." The guard could not resist the
appeal OF beautiful woman, thus borne
down with afflctinn. They, however, oc.
casiona!Iy looked into The CHI lmher, where
they saw srme person l ing covered on
the led, whum they took to be L" The Gil.
onel." About nighttall one of the gard
beclme suspicious that "a!l was no,
right" thinking, as he did, that man IN
such trouble could hardly sleep so long and
so sound, and determined to see "t the CoI- {
onel." He accordingly demanded admit
auce. Mrs. Graves presented herself, in
apparent disa6ille, al the door, an painted
o the bed on which some person was w. 4
ng said, "there he is-don't YOU see he's
you disturb him 2" The sls,
'lcons of the guard could not be alllyed, 4
md ne rushed into the room, followe BY d
me Of his comrades. Mrs. Thomas the Ii
mother of Mrs. Graves, then quietly arose o
rom the bed, while Mrs. Graves, throwing
If an orer garment Of ,rhite, appeared in p
ull dress, and the two ladies' walked GU; off d
he room, leaving the poor ourwilted Sc
uard to stare each other in the face in M
1uie Smazcment. Then followed hioh
words, and rushing from room IN room IN -.