Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-09-12


II will be remembered that the writer
was arrested in this city on the 18th of
last month, upon a telegram purport-
ing to come from an Oncer OF IenAes-
see. Having been VIGOROUSLY pub
lished as a fugitive from justice from
that State, in justice TO myself, family
and friends, l deem it fit and proper,
that l should state some of the leading
poiuts OF this case under my own sig
nature, and in so doing shall be care
fui 10 deal in facts.
THE TENNESSEE NATIONAL IS AP-
POINTED FISCAL AGENT OF THE
STATE.
The Tennessee National Bank Of
Memphis, of which 1 Nss President,
was organized under the national
banking act, in 1865, and subsequent
" become the Fiscal agent" Tor the
Western District of Tennessee. The
appointment of this institution to this
agency was a political one for the ex-
press purpose of aiding and contrib
uting to the Radical party of Tennes-
see, upOn the part of many OF its po-
litical leaders, all of whom are person.
allv named in my history of Tennes-
see politics for the past four years, now
in press. The act creating fiscal
agenciesb did not specify any partlcu-
lar funds for 1t was drawn with a view
10 cover all State funds, and besides
this the deposit of $4,000 placed in
this institution, was held by a lawful
custodian who claimed "that he had
the right, the power and authority, "
and, in fact, stated III Als report 10
the Legislature that he deemed his
Imperative duty to deposit these
funds with this bank, 1t being made
by authority Of law the fiscal agent oi
the State under bond to discharge the
duties under this act, etc. y re-
ceipted for this money as President
and it was credited to the State under
the proper account upon the books OF
the bank, and the PROCEEDS used in It's
general business, viz: loan discounts,
etc."
TIE LEGISLATURE FIRST INQUIRIES
FOR THE FUND,
After the lapse OF several months a
resolution was offered in the Legisla-
ture calling upon the Treasurer to re-
port the, condition of this fund. He
replied as above. that he had depOs-
tied it in this bank. The result wasa
/" nutterr among certain parties who
purnosed starting a bank upon II
themselves, and who had been trying
to organize a estate National Bank"
Others were disappointed because
they failed to get the Legislature to
authorize them to convert il into
State securities, that they might ma
afDu{pJe its conversion. The Demo-
cratic side charged the Radicals With
CONSUMING TO steal it, and others con-
Guided that it would be a "fat job"
10 get on the Committed go to Mem
phis to draw it from the bank.
RUTrER AsTHE ROSE OFsHARON AND
LILY OF THE VALLEY.
The last and most ridiculous phase
of the matter that / will here men
ton is, that certain members of the
Legislature denied knowing that this
fund was on depOsiti in any bank when
[ had spent months in Nashville to
secure this agency, and when the
Legislature by a decided majority re
fused to pass a resolution to convert
this fund into State securities, because
| told nay friends that ifthis was done
| should lose the deposit, rs l would
be called on for it-and this, too, when
many of their names appeared in the
"bills payable of this Institution,
besides over thirty 1907 letters and tel
egrams to me from the leading politi-
clans of the State asking favOrs, ac-
knoWledging the receipt of money,
promising Legislative favOrS, and, in
the language Of the Crockett Of Ten
nessee, the Hon. James Mullins, men,
Der of the last Z. s. Congress from
SheIbyvilIe, Tennessee, to my king
iObyist, Parham, in Nashville, about
| November s, 1866: "Tell Rutter that
] remember him as n lovely spot in
memOrys waste as the shadow of a
great rock in the desert, as the rose oil
sharon and the lily of the valley; as
the cedars are among the trees Of Le-
banau so art he among men," and
much more, says Parham, did brother
Mullins proceed to say, until l was
weary of the theme, and proposed to
bet him a hundred dollars that he
wanted to borrow money.
QUOTATION FROM NEGRO-sUFFRAGE
ARNELL.
| OnemOre quotation from a letter to me
from Hon. 5. NJ. Arnell, member Ofthe
! last and member elect of the present
Congress, from Tennessee, aud / haze
done npUn this point (aS my entire
correspondence will be given in the
article in press, before alluded tor.
Columbia, Tennessee, October II,
1866. My dear Sir: How much
thank you for your accommodation
and kindness, and the wholesale Raa.
aer ia aChich Il WdS erteHded, you can
never know. / have mentioned to my
influential friends, rhO are g0Uj
lfrields, and ready with me to serve
you in any hour and in any cause
etc. Mr.. Arnell, l believe, was the
author of the Tennessee Disfranchis'
ing Act" and a portion Of these
funds now we're d~oubtlessly used tc
purchase Negro Votes to get him into
Congress.
THE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGrsLA-
TURE TAKE ~RUTTER's CARPET
BAG.
The Committee OF the Legislature
did go 10 Memphis, and 1 paid them
| S340,000, and executed the notes of tho
Tennessee National Bank of Mem.
| phis, for the balance, took up the
original receipt. ! gave for this de.
posit also two drafts upon the bank
for 5000 00, and cancelled them,
which was in fact a final settlementof
the whole matter. So well was this
Committee pleased with the settle
ment | made with them, that they
published a card in the Memphis pa
pers, stating that l had met their de
mands, that L had acted in perfect
good faith, and spoke OF NE in the
highest and most respectful terms,
When they LEFT / gave them my ''car-
pet-bag' to carry the Woney back to
| Nashville, and / have never seen il
since. ! understand, however, that II
was used to pay the interest on the
State debt. Owing to the many dam.
aging rumOrs growing out OF these
proceedings, the institution was com
| peIled TO suspend, and II passed into
| the hands of q receiver appointed by
| the Comptroller Of the currency, who
is now winding up its affairs
not vet officially known how
much it win pay. But it has already
paid over Atty per cent of its liabili'
ties. and I learn will soon pay some
twenty-five per cent more, and ! bayt
stated, had the concern not been Grip