Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-07-15
BILL M'AEAN.
The SIOJ,00O DcfalcatfOn-HOw the
County was PIundered-Hts Own
StOry-Hts Every Day Ldfe.

County was P~Iundered-His Own
StOry-Hts Every Day LdFe.
Personal DescrsPtion-His Habits and
Bress-Hov He Thinks the Money
went-What He Proposes to DO.
The Take llectorship of this county
is the best Office in the State, Fed
eral or local. The perquisites and salary
are about twenty thousand dollars. Be-
sides there are countless opportunities
for speculation, in county warrants, in
Tennessee currency, and in the sale to
bankers OF the deposit account of the
rich sinecure. Acknowledging, money
getting, selfish, penuTious wretch, such
as Mclean is not, might have made the
Office pay thirty thousand per annum-
a fact Illustrative of the sublime stupid
ity of those marvellous statesmen who
framed the present absurd constitution
of Tennessee, inhibiting local or special
Legislation. Despite this access to splen-
did fortune, McLeanis private room, on
Second street, over a drinking-saloon
is furnished with the utmost sim
plicity. The carpet on the floor
is very plain, and so with the simple
furniture. a plain, common lounge, a
bedstead that cost perhaps ten dollars, a
common walnut bureau, a few cheap
pictures of European scenery and faces,
constitute the contents of Colonel Bill's
private apartments.
THE OTHER PLACE.
In South Memphis he has a small
house of four OF five rooms. These are
said to be elegantly furnished, but the
sum total expended on the building and
its interior trappings is not the equiva-
lent Of his income for a single quarter.
The hOusekeeper Of this dOmicile is a
go~od-loOking colOred woman, who is
said to be very industrious and careful
Of household expenditures. The lot, it is
stated, belongs to this "gOOd dame" In
vain did our reporter, when his atten-
ton was called to the place as the villa
of Colonel William Mclean, stretch his
optics to find evidences of the lavish
expenditure of the peoples money on
this little "canary's cage" Here GER
tainly there was no maelstrO0m to en-
gulph the vast sum ciphered out by the
Grand Jury. Determined to go to the
very bottom of the matter our reporter
absolutely inquired into the eX-
tent of McLeanis investments in wine,
and ascertained from close investi-
cations at three barroOms which he now
and then f~reguents that his total outlay
in this behalf-f0r beverages and cigars
is not fifty dollars per month. His
tailOr's bills are modest. In fact, be IS
very carelessin his apparel. The woman
who makes his shirts says that he
only orders the most substantial and
durable goods, and is thus sensibly and
economically e~xtravagant.
OTHER ITEMS.
After glancing at Colonel McLean's
chronological developments our reporter
deemed it wholly useless to inquire
as to the extent of his eXtrava-
n among BARRIERS. Sir William
who has devoted most of his life to
laughter, has no hair on the top Of his
head " in the place whar de har should
orter grow" McLean's earlier years
were passed among river men, and his
early piety may have fastened the sub
lime badness which leaves only a ring
Of red hair around the bottom and along
the sides of his large and well-shaped
head. He is a man Of capital good
sense and of infinite good humOr. Even
when our reporter saw him yesterday,
though evidently greatly troubled and
anxious about his future, he would occa-
sionally make the welkin ring whenever
there was a ludicrOus suggestion made
as to himself Dr. those whom he has
overwhelmed in local partisan contests.
BE LOVES A JOKE.
Especially was he well pleased when
reference was made to his showing his
as members into a Democratic
convention and carrying the nominal {
ton of one man and the rejection of i
another, who even yet does not under {
stand how he was betrayed and over
He neither denied nor assert
FL the correctness of this statement, but
il keenly as he did every Jest
hat was uttered. On the contrary,
when two lawyers present would now
then recur to the report of the jury
contained in yesterdays APPEAL, and
'efer to its effects upon the public mind,
N'LEAN GREW SERIOUS
md said, while his eyes filled with
ears, "Do you see the picture of that
aged there upon the wall? II
hangs just there by my bedside. l
ook at it every night when
go to bed, and you cannot
imagine how kindly and tendeTly she
.eemed to look down upon me lastnight
when l was alone, with all this accumu-
alton of calamities gathered about me.
That is the picture Of my aged mother.
She was very sick not long ago, and il
vas while l was gone to her home in
'ennsylvania much Of this foul work
vas done, if any have been done, which
his Grand Jury has been raking up.
We're il not for my mother, who loves
ne 50 tenderly, and whose heart will be-
rushed when she hears of my misfor- V
une. and especially il she learn that l Il
IN charged with dishonesty-were il C
lot for her, I would care nothing for all I,
his noise and thunder. / tell you, gen. 3
as God is my Judge, and here, e
When l have no reason TO tell you an |:
l never in my life knowingly 8,
.sed a dollar which was not my own. "
RepOrteT.-HOw then, do you account, v
lack, for the heavy deficit of n hum Il
red and five thousand dollars in your J
c~counts? G
McLean-I do not know anything G,
bout it. In fact, General Williamson q
Mr.. Greeley tell me, to-day, r
fter going over the Grand Jury's report G.
nd my vouchers, that they can show B
.ouchers for one hundred and four thou 81
and dollars whichth the Grand Jury over m
ii
OEAlEAaA W AAAAuuA1OL"AL II u ldLE- l. ~
ave gone over the whole account as h
nde up by the Grand Jury, and can al
reduce the vouchers which demon n,
rate the fact that Mclean is all right. n,
McLean-Wm you be kind enough, t
Williamson, to go over this
hole Grand Jury statement again, and
)mpare the account made up with the
and vouchers you find in my
flee, and send the statement, signed Il
Y yourself and Mr.. Greeley, to the AP- HI
EAL2 NJ
Reporter-What do you think of your pl
hief Clerk MilleT's conduct? dl
McLean-I don't know what to think.
there is any such deficit in my ac-
)unts as stated by the Grand Jury, Mil
T has made the hole there. He has not
cen seen for four weeks. He is sick. I
ever imagined that he was capable of
-rong-doing till he left the Office
sick" when the Grand Jury demanded r,
books and began this investigation.
Representatives. crime is il if a crime
been committed?
McLean-The County Court ought to Ia
z plenipOtentiaried for life. Not long n
60 I proposed to the Chief Justice Of %
he cOurt to have my books investi-
lted and overhauled, but he said it was
no use. 1 have been careless, and
ave not paid proper attention to the af-
irs of the Office. O.
Reporter-What about these reports ia
your bOndsmen, the Messrs. bl
vi
McLean-I know Of nothing wrong. fr,
he Elliotts, with Others, went on my az
UIanr. ma 1 ganrgffnz Eap ~ M