Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-02
STATE NEWS.
THAT SACRED SCHOOL FUED.

= of NJ. c. Wilcox at Chattanooga a 4
y nights ago of nine thousand four hundr
aud eighty dollars belonging to the schc
|. fund. The Knoxville Press and Hero
4 contains a statement from Mr.. Wilcox
o regard to the robbery. We extract &
Q following Introductory remarks and d
: statement referred to:
I The affair was generally treated As
q poor attempt at a joke, the fact Of q pc
ton Of the cum lost being said to belor
I to the school fund, causing 4 suspicion thI
! some one had started the report as a
electioueering canard; still, some fs
thought there might be something in th
rumor, and on the arrival Of the trail
from Chattanooga everybody was on Ia
gRi rire 10 learn the truth of the rumol
fhe various passengers who got of th,
train were assailed with questions reIativl
TO the matter, and il soon became eviden
that the report was undoubtedly a serioui
one. Various exciting and exaggerated
accounts OF the affair circulated over town
rapidly, and long before night some kn0wl.
edge Of the robbery was knoWn in every
house 10 the community and the subject
conversation at every tea-table. The com
ments were ~ various as the comments
tors, and the connection OF il with the
school fund money created innumer-
able sqGibs, puns and would-be smart
remarks, IN relation to that Col
eonda OF thieves and Tobbers-the
sacred school fund Of Tennessee.
NIB. wILcox's STATEMENT.
Our reporter called upon Mr.. Wilcox
last evening, at his residence on Chnch
street, to obtain from him 8 statement of
all the facts IS far ~ he could give them
He found Mr.. Wilcox dressed and living
on his bed, where he said he had been ali
day. Mr.. W. had Just flashed his tea.
and complained TO our reporter Of boz.
zing in his head, which he laid to the eff
fects Of chloroform. At our request be
made the statement below.
He left here some time sgo for New
York to negotiate the sale Of $4,000 Of
Tennessee bonds which he had in his
hands as q surplus belonging to the State
school fund. Mr.. Wilcox disposed OF
them for a sum amounting to about S. 600
IN currency. Returning from New YORK
BY the Western route, be made collections
at various points, till the total sum in his
possession amounted to SO $50. OF this
there were i've 81 600 bills, three 500
bills, all in greenblcks; the rest was in
National Bank currency, mostly in tEen-
ties and tens. This money was in
an envelope, which Mr.. Wilson carried
in the inside pocket Of bis vest.
Mr.. W. arrived in Chattanooga b. the
morning train from Nashville on Wednes-
day morning. Meeting Gen. EItor, State
Superintendent of Schools, he learned there
was to be q meeting of different County
School Superintendents on that day, and
stayed over to attend it.
Afser passing the day in various Ways,
Mr.. Wilcox retired to his room at the
Burns House. He had been assigned to
room No. s, in the second story, the win
dow Of which opens on a balcony which
extends all along the front of the house,
and is easily accessible from the hall on
the same floor. Mr.. Wilcox noticed when
be entered the room that this window was
slightly raised and could not be fastened,
but after locking the door and placing his
vest, containing the money, under the
bolster Of his bed, he blew out the light
and retired to rest
OF what passed from this time till be
was awakened at o'clock, 10 take the
morning train for Knoxville, Mr.. Wilcox
had no knowledge. At that hour he vas
aroused by the porter. On aWaking, he
felt somewhat stupe6ed, and found il i'm
possible to rise from his bed, though he
was perfectly conscious of what Was trans
piring. He finally managed to reach
from the bed and open the door, which
was unlocked, and speak to traveller who
was leaving the room on the opposite side
of the hall. This gentleman, passing
through the hotel office, sent the porter up
to Mr.. Wilcox. Becoming partly consci-
Gus that something was wrong, Mr.. Wilcox
called for the proprietor Of the hotel, Mr..
o. P. FoHts. When Mr. Fouts entered
the room, he struck light, and noticing
some papers scattered over the aOOr, spoke
to Mr.. Wilcox about them. A suspicion
of robbery flashed across Mr. VS. mind,
and on reaching for his vest he found 1t
gone. Mr.. FOuts, on looking around the
room, found the vest with pockets all
turned inside out The pants had been
served 10 the same way. Mr.. Wilcox
then became aware, be says, that he had
been under the influence OF chlorofOrm,
and instantly began to suffer great pain
from the contraction Of his muscles, 30
much go that he had spasms. Mr.. w.
sent for Mr.. Charles Thoms, the cOndue-
tor on the train on the East Tennessee
and Georgia Road, and requested him not
to leave him, as he was afraid he might
be taken sick and he desired to % home.
Mr. w was finally able to 20 TO the train,
and arrived in this city at noon yester-
day.
The above IL q consecutive acc1Uat ct
the affair "a given to Us BY Mr.. Wilcox. In
explanation Of the fact of his having the
bonds on haod, Mr.. W, states that he has
usually, IS County Superintendent, kept a
surplus of funds, so that be might never
be totally destitute Of means to keep up
some portions Of the schools 10 the county.
In reply to our suggestion that If the
numbers of the larger bills stolen, were
telegraphed over the country, the thieves
might be detected, Mr.. w. stated that he
did net know them, and further stated that
he could not, at the time, reeOllect the
name ofthe Jew broker in New York, to
whom he had sold the bonds, 80 that 1t
would not be possible to obtain the num-
Der there.
Ia reply to the question why he did net
change his money into drafts, which could
have been negotiated here, Mr.. W. stated
that he had found Il difieGls heretofore to
obtain currency for drafts, and as be de-
sired to use the money he thought it best
to bring the gresnbacks. ...
Our reporter suggested that Il would have
been business like to have deposited the
money in the hotel safe. Mr.. W. ac-
knoWledged that il was negleot on his part,
that he did not do 30, bat said that a msn
who was used TO handling large amOusts
OF money, as he was, would naturally
think less of losing it than one who had
only handled small sums.
Orr reporter forgot to ask Mr.. w. why
be did not stay 10 Chattanooga and make
some effort to discover the robbers, which
we much regret, as il certainly shows that
Mr.. Wilcox il not greatly exercised over
the Ices. Mr.. Wilcox, in fact, seemed to
take the matter very calmly and assured
our reporter that the amount belonging 10
the school fund would be promptly re-
placed and the teachers would not lose
any thing, which we are glad 10 hear, as
We have been called upon several times By
teachers who wanted ns to push oar in
quiIi about school fund matters 30 that
they might get what pay was due them,
and much Of which has been due for more
than twelve months.
Distressing Accident.
z a