Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-14
ARNELI..
Testimony duplicating ArneI la the
- school Fund Robbery.

|
school Fund . Robbery.
| Ia the House yesterday, Mr.. Taylor
of Carter and johnson, Chairman of tn
School Fund Investigating Committee
submitted some additional testimony, O
which the following is a synopsis
J.J. NOAH, SWORN.
Questien-State what you know will
regard to the sum Of $500 having beer
presented to Mr.. Arneli by Mr.. Rutter.
Answer-Mr. Arnell stated to me thai
the sum of $500 had been lodged by
Mr.. Rutter in Mr.. Mulhns's hands fol
the purpose of making that sum pres
ent to. him (Arnell) He desired to ask
my advice as to the acceptance Of this
sum. This was while Mr.. Arnell was q
Representative in the General Assem-
bly,. inquired if the sum was intended
as fee for attorneys services to which
Mr.. Arnell repeated that he thought not.
| then counseled him not to receive the
said amount, as it might be improperly
| construed. Mr.. Arnell stated that he
concurred in my view, but that there
was nothing wrong in the affair. Sub
sequently, Mr.. Arhell requested me to
see Col. Mullins and desire him (Mul>
lins) to pay the $500 over TO E. P. Cone,
which did. Mr.. Mullins seemed sur
prised at my knowing anything about it,
but stated that he would comply with
Mr.. Arnell's request. What became of
the $500 / have no knowledge. sub
sequently told Mr.. Cone what lad
TRANSFERRED about the payment of this
$500 to him.
desire to state that Mr.. ArnelPs con-
yersation with me about the $500 was
stated by him to be confidential, but was
not placed before me as his lawyer
simply as his friend. therefore give this
evidence unYoluntarily.
H. S. FRENCH, COTTON AND COMMISSIONS
MERCHANT, SWORN.
Witness was sworn at his warehouse
on Clark street, a letter purporting to be
from S. NJ. Arnell, dated at Washington,
D. c., and addressed to DR.. D. A. David
son. Thought this was about December,
1867. Gathered from the letter the fol-
lowing facts That 5000 had been re-
mitted from Memphis to DIR. Davidson
for Arnell, and that the money came from
the man who took the School Fund to
Memphis. Also gathered from the let
ter that Arnell was expecting to get
$1,000 or $4,000, at Washington, for
supporting some measure-eilher on the
impeachment matter, or the whisky tax,
or some financial measure-that he and
Davidson were then to go to banking, and
that Arnell was in this manner to procure
his part of the fund necessary to carry on
a bank.
GEORGE ". GOODWIN, CLERK FOR MR..
FRENCH, SWORN.
Was present when DR.. Davidson was
in the warehouse. Saw the letter but
did not read it. Gathered from the con,
between Mr.. French and DR..
Davidson that the $1,000 obtained by
Arnell from Memphis was either part
Of the School Fund or in some way con-
nected whit. DR.. Davidson was speak
ing Of establishing a bank in Columbia.
JAMES IRWIN AND F. A. IRWIN
Ct this city, substantiated the statements
made by Messrs. French and Goodwin.
DR.. DAVIDSON, OF MAURY COUNTY, SWORN. |
Was about the Legislature in the
spring of 1866 Arnell had borrowed |
money OF him, and tried to get some
money from the Peoples Bank, but
allied. Was subsequently notified by |
ArnelI that $1,000 would be expressed |
10 witness for him, (ArnelD, tie uRder~
standing Of witness being that the money |
was to come from Rutter's bank. This |
money was subsequently handed to wits
ness by Arnell, on the Public Square at |
Columbia, and witness paid the greatest |
part Of it out satisfying debts owing to
himself and others by Arnell. Witness
,howed Mr.. II. :. French a letter from
Arnell about the time mentioned by Mr. |
French in his testimony