Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-03-13


Paul whether general satisfaction had been given in
letting the work on the Prison. and whether ali bad
! gotten work and In which Mr.. Paul said All had
| gotten work that wanted Ia except one, and that
| was man by the name OF Hll. who wanted work,
but that be felt delicacy in giving u TO him as be
was bis partner, when you replied that made no
differenee=give him Job, &C.; or, did any saehz
| conversation ever take place between yourself and
| MrsPaul? ~ rTVTFr LFTF ~ ~ q
| Answer. Not that remember Mr.. Paul
! bad informed me, he being one Of the inspectors,
that he wanted to give work bis partner, even IN
the absence oflaw. would have advised against 1t;
but the law prohibiting il made clear and eonciu"
siVe. About the time of the letting or shortly
after the Keeper Of the Prison here at the Cap
itol, and in a conversation with him 10 reference TO
the work TO be done upon the Penitentiary, stated
TO him, and in the presence of others, that the In
| spectors and Keeper Of the Prison should be very
careful in keeping themselves exonerated from all
suspicion in regard TO the contracts for the work
and material and read him the 1lth section OF the
law which prohibits any one Of the Inspectors from
receiving the appointment of Agent or becoming
interested in any contract directly indirectly,
| account of the State Prison i don't remember
that ever made this statement to the Inspectors,
| or read them the law.
Question Why did you give THE caution to the
Keeper and not to the Inspectors?
Answer. did not give il as caution. but merely
as information, the conversation coming up incl
! deDtaly.
Question. Were you in any way legally bound,
or responsible for the money procured for the re,
building OF the Prison.
Answer. In the event the Legislature had failed
to make the appropriation relieving the Inspectors
from the amount they had borrowed to repair the
Prison, and they had become Individually respons
lille, should have felt morally bound to have in
cured the responsibility with them. was not ls>
gally bound. l understood the Inspectors had Dor
rOwed the money.
Question. Were you present at the meeting of
the Inspectors when Mr.. Paul was selected by them
to let the work and superintend the rebuilding?
Answer. don't think | was with the Inspectors
while in session, but understood be bad been Sc.
lected-this was with my concurrence.
| Question. Did you receive at any time an
amount of money from the Penitentiary; II so, how
much, at what time, for what purpose. and by what
I authority?
Answer. Never one cent
! Question. Please state whether you, some time
last FALL at any other time, directed the attention
OF either of the Inspectors the prohibition in the
! 18th section of the act of 1929, and tell him or
them that charges were made the streets to that
effecp
Answer. l did. Sometime during last Fall
heard rumor that one of the Inspectors had been
inferred in Of the contracts which had been let
| out by them for the repairs of the State Prison
|
| for the purpose of ascertainng whether there was
any foundation for the charge rumor that Mr.
Paul was Interested in any of the contracts not;
and stated TO him, that il il not So that Mr..
| Paul ought to be apprised Of the rumor and that
he ought to set himself right in the public estima-
ton by showing that the rumOr unfounded. DR..
Hall stated TO me that he did not know whether il
true not, and that if Mr.. Paul had been in
terested in any of the contracts it was unknown 20
| him; he also stated to that he would see Mr..
Paul and ascertain how the matter Stood and that
| he would advise me accordingly. Sometime after
| this conversation with DR.. Hall, Mr. Paul called
! upon me himself, and stated that he had been in-
| formed that was down upon him in reference to
letting the work and his being intere sted in the
contracts; l replied to Mr.. Paul that did know that
had been down upon him, or that had made use
OF any such expression in connection with his name
but that had heard that he had been interested in
the contracts, and had merely made effort to OBJ.
tain correct information on the subject without be-
ing down upon any body; that thought it was due
him as well as myself, that if the charges were IN
that he should set the whole thing right which
was the main reason had for making the inquiry
Mr.. Paul then replied that he had given out por.
ton Of the work to OF his partners but that he
did not know the law prohibited it, and that the
work had been measured, and that his partner had
been paid the same prices that others had been
! paid for like work.
Question. Did you ever hear Mr. Paul charged
| with being interested IN any work on the State
! Prison except in work for its rebuilding?
Answer. / never heard Dir. Paul charged with
being interested in any work done for the State
| Prison except in the rebuilding of the same, but
heard it rumor that he was interested in OF her
contracts for the repairs of the Prison consequent
upon the burning. beside the one above referred to-
Question by Col johnson. Did you advise any
officer of the State Prison to employ lawyers, and
I af.faf that's old tka Il,
| that effect?
| Answer. answer as follows: While Mr. Hays
was Keeper OF the Penitentiary there was suit of
replevin brought against him for the Penitentiary
by three persons to wit: Messrs. Ament, Sloan and
Smith, who assumed 10 be Inspectors. Mr. HAYS
seemed TO be in some doubt as to the course he
should take as Keeper. told Mr.. HAYS that he
rightiuly in possession of the State Prison and
not to surrender t until he required do so by
legal process, and to let the Sheriff make his
TO the court, and let the suit take its legitimate
course; and not TO give up the State Prison any
one, and that would stand by him, let the conse-
quences be what they might. Ny advise to Mr.
! Hays was substantially TO take all the steps neces>
sary to retain the possession of the Prison. ard keep
! it out of the hands of set of persons who were
trying to obtain it by foul or fair means and as
believed they and their advisers were not very scru
pulOus as to which. do not remember that adj
Vised him TO employ lawyers, but il necessary to
do so intended to embrace it, l intended that
Whatever responsibility was incurred to stand by
! him.
| Question. Gov johnson, much has been said in
! reference TO your having approached one of the In
spectors aud dems ndng of him that he Shout either
resign or re-elect Mr.. White Keeper Please state
| all that took place between yourself and that In-
| spector; bow you came to appoint him, and all in
reference TO that matter. State also, whether you
demanded the removal Of Mr. Hays; if SO, state the
! grounds of your demands or request. State also,
| all you may remember in reference to that matter
Answer The substance Of the conversation be-
tween DR.. Hall aud myself, is as follows: Some
short time since called at Dr. Halls office; be was
not in; left note requesting him to call and see
| me at the Capitol, at my room. According TO re-
quest Dr. Hall called on me at the Capitol, and
while there we entered into some general converse
ton in reference TO the Penitentiary--its manage
ment, election OF a Keeper, &c. | stated to Dr.
Hall that thought there ought be some changes in
the officers, or reformation 10 their conduct as OH
GERS OF the Prison; also stated 10 him from the
best information that eoed obtain, that Mr. Hays,
the second Keeper, not at the Prison more than
one fourth of his time, and going into further
detail was OF the opinion. independent of all DO.
ltical considerations that the interest OF the Prison
and Of the State required his removal and the ap
! point OF some one who would discharge their du-
ties, and thereby promote the interest of the State
also stated to DIR. Hall, that while was free TO
express an opinion In reference to Mr.. Hays rec
mova, | was equally free in saying to him that |
desired the continuance OF Mr.. White as principal
Keeper II he had faithfully and honestly discharged
bis duty. But these were merely my opinions; il
was matter for the consideration OF the INSPECTORS
to determine and NOT DR.. Hall then stated to
me that he thought il was due 10 himself and to
me Also 70 state that he had changed hs relations
be occupied TO me when | nominated him as In
spectoS-that since that nomination he had become
member OF this order-that be believed its