Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-05-27
For lie Ndshuiue Patriot
Exchange Bank at Iurfreesboro.

cannot regard the communication of Col
johnson, in the Union and American of Tues
day last, in any other light than as a charge
OF fraud on my part in procuring the Bonds
of the Exchange Bank which were deposited
as basis of banking, without the Comptroller
Gel. Luttren, cancelling or burning cor
responding amount of the circulation of the
Bank, This Of necessity also involves Col
Lattrell in the same charge To repel this
serious charge must necessarily speak plainly
of Mr.. Morton, Cashier of the Bank of
Tennessee, as am satisfied that he originated
the calumny. and was shrewd enough by
some sort of legerdemain to get behind the
curtain and put others of more reputation
than himself forward as principal
When | came TO Nashville on Thursday last
/ was surprised to learn that rumors were
afioat through the city that all the bonds
which had been distracted from the Exchange
bank had been obtained by me fraudulently
from Col. Luttrell Immediately went be-
fore the committee of investigation and ask
ed that several questions which l wrote out
and handed to the committee, should be put to
Mr.. Morton. This was done, and as I learn,
Mr.. Morton said he would take the questions
and reply to them at the bank. The commit
tee desired him to answer them. He gave
some reason for wishing to go to the bank and
was permitted to do so. Now l assert there
was not single question that required any
They were questions relating to transactions
between Mr.. Morton and myself They were
given to him Thursday and he handed In his
answer on Saturday.
The committee were at the the Bank of
Tennessee, counting bonds, Friday evening.
and after they were through, | learned that
one of them stated that Mr.. Morton had not
handed in his reply. All the questions asked
him he should have answered as fast as the
answers could be written down. But he takes
them to the bank reads them to Col. Johnson,
and has managed to make the issue between
the Bank of Tennessee and myself. do not
complain that any one should step in as
volunteer TO sustain Mr.. Morton in this matter.
/ feel conscious of innocence and that | can
satisfy the public, and it is no difference who
stands godfather for him.
The card of Col. Johnson states that the
Comptroller deposited the bonds of the Free
Banks in tin boxes. | proved before the COM
mittee on Tuesday. by Mr.. Reynolds, that he
saw Mr.. Morton's son, Il youth of twelve or
fourteen years, folding the bonds and putting
them in boxes at the Bank of Tennessee, in
the absence of the Comptroller and his depu-
ty, for which service Mr.. Reynolds, acting as
agent for two of the Free banks, paid him
(Mr Morton's SON. five dollars. will prove
that this youth was engaged for several days.
counting, folding and putting in the boxes
the Bonds of the Free Banks, and that he was
paid for so doing by the Banks. proved by
Col. Luttrell, the Comptroller, that young
Morton did this business without his au-
thority
Col. Johnson's card says again, land when
the Comptroller came or his deputy, with the
keys, they were permitted to open the boxes,
&c" Now is it not clearly understood from
this, that the Comptroller kept the keys of
the tin boxes? The proof before the commit
tee is that the keys of the tin boxes were kept
in the drawer of Mr.. Mortons table until he
removed, them to drawer of one OF the desks
near his table. This is important testimony
for me. as the statement is made that no one
but the Comptroller or his deputy was per-
mitted to handle the bonds. / presume that
every one connected with Free Bank, when
he was approached by young Morton, and
agreed to pay him fop folding and putting
away his bonds thought that it would be done
under the supervision of the Cashier of the
Bank. The table occupied by the father was
very near to the one on which the son folded
bonds amounting to over million of dollars.
1t would be strange indeed, if father
would permit son of his years to handle
this amount of bonds and place them in their
appropriate boxes, unless he was present to
see that each bank should have Its proper
bonds
Col johnson, in his card undertakes to ac-
count for all of my bonds by referring to my
statement Of July, 1857, and to the report of
the Comptroller of November, 1858. 1t is in
proof before the committee by the testimony
of Col Luttrell. Comptroller, that his duties
when that report was made out were very
heavy, and that he had to rely on his deputy
to count the bonds; that errors were pointed
out to him. and that the list oi bonds, as re-
ported in November last, was not reliable.
Now TO as the July statement, why did not Col.
Johnson, in his card do me the justice to pub
fish the statement as part of his cardl 1t is
short, and l here give it:
STATE OF THE EXCHANGE BANK OF TENNESSEE
MURFKEEsBoRo, July 1, 1857.
Tennessee State Bonds deposited with Comp
Tennessee State Bonds Addionai with Comp
State Bonds and Bonds endorsed by the state
an Investment. .................... 10l 900 90
Bills and Notes running to Maturity . I47 $50 90
- q due and unpaid. ......... 1855 90
Real Estate-Banking House $500 90
Due from Banks ........................ era so
Notes OF other Banks . s3s, 4so 90
Gold and Silver. 1855 90. s55 90
s6l0.Ol2 So
uAmIrrs.
Capital Stock .................s $4,000 90
Circulation ;....'''.'.'''''''' -. 900 20
Due % Banks. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 200 20
Individual Depositors. s7,5 90
Interest Account ........ 3,722 SO $646 or So
W. SPENCE, President.
}. SPENCE, Cashier.
Murfreesboro, Tenn, July /, 1857.
wish now to call attention to the great
injustice done me by the publication of Col.
Johnson's card. The above is my July state
ment. Col. johnson asks the editor of the
Union to publish a statement prepared by
JAMES MORTON, which statement is as fol-
lows:
STATEMENT SENT THE COMMITTEE,
ACCORDING my HnOKr OF SPENCE on
Bonds deposit s2Sl ,95s 80
Additional deposits, 81 coo 90
s5is.05s SO
Since that report there has been deliver.
ed by the Comptroller aud MIR. Spence
To the Bank OF tennessee, ......... 100000
sos ,s5s 80
Mr.. Spence also left deposit in the Bank
as collateral security which he received
from the Comptroller, ................ II goo 90
sg2, eSs.Ss
Bonds taken up and notes burned by Comp
trolIer Dunlap, .................... 5000 90
STATEMENT.
The Comptroller's rsb,rt In October last,
number of bonds ON deposit for IA
Three S souds added as stated BY Lgtiici, 5000
sI4s 900
Paid by the Bank Of Tennessee in his
note and bonds surrendered by The
, ,sHs, s Soti ,oac 1000
ps 900
Bonds surrendered by Comptroller Dun
lap and notes burned. ...--.....-...... aSooo
The above starts out, statement sent the |
committee according 10 the July report oil
MIR. Spence, made on OATH"
Is this sol Does not the report show that |
also swore | had l0l bonds not on deposit in
the bank as security for circulation, which /
obtained before the LIST OF July by rrturning I
circulation re-depositing when the Comp |
trOlleF caVa me- SSO O0O In new nnfas aud