Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-10-30
THE PENITENTIARY LEASE AGAIN.
Important New Developments

EDITORS CHRONICLE: We take it for
granted that the speech and letter of Sena.
tor Gibson established the following facts
in reference to the penitentary lease LIST.
That the lease was secretly made; I'd.
That much larger.sum could have been
obtained for the lease, if due notice of the
lease had been given; and Sd. That Gov.
Brown is responsible for the loss the State
has sustained in making the lease without
notifying the public But we have just
been shown letter written by Frank
Hyberger, Gov. Senter's private Secretary,
which shows how the lease was made.
Capt. Hyberger writes rs follows: "When
L was in Nashville, last Spring, 1S72) and
soon after the Legislature adjourned, L met
Hon. Sam. Jones, of Shelby, and in con-
versation with him he told me, in words
about as follows: l left Memphis to come
to Nashville, and just before leaving, Col.
Rob. Looney said to me, if you see any
thing when you get to Nashville that there
is any money in telegraph me and 1 will
come to Nashville | came to Nashville,
and after looking around / saw there
was money in the penitentiary. l
telepraphed to Colonel Looney to
come to Nashville at once and,
in reply, he teleragphed me that he
would leave on the next train. | took n
hack and met him at the depot, and told
him what was up and that all i wanted
him to do was to use his influence with
the Governor and L would manage the
Legislature myself 1 knew the influence
he had with the Governor. The prison
was leased to O'Conner and Looney, my
name not appearing on the surface. a
few days after the lease was ratified certain
parties offered Looney and myself $4,000
cash for our interest in the lease. | want
ed to sell out, but Looney was not willing
to sell. l then proposed to Looney that
he pay me my part of the offer (Sl2, 500
and would draw out. This he refused to
do. Ny business was such that l had to
leave Nashville, and 1 Just placed the mat
ter in the hands of Mr.. Caldwell, who
was a friend of mine and good lawyer ;
and Cd d-n 'em, l have in my pocket
two notes for six thousand dollars each,
one payable in twelve months, and the
other payable in two years, and they are
good notes. That is what l made out OF
the penitentiaryW
Capt. Hyberger adds: "This conversation
was had in public place and it was moi
told me as secret. The ADORE am Wit-
ling to make AFFIDAVIT to-"
NO wonder the Brown party III lellles-
see feel sore on the penitentia:y question.
No wonder they are so anxious to cover up
the transaction. No wonder the Governor,
himself, kicks and snorts when the subject
is mentioned, as though gadfly had struck
him. When "A few men can thus set TO
work. one to use "his influence with the
GoUernor," another to "mdndge the Legis-
ldturc," and thus make fifty thousand dol
lars out of the State in "a few days" surely
III ia tin1a fax paVprS were OnpninO thpiI
eyes. Col. Looney, we are told, was in.
strumental in securing Browns first nom
ination. Hence his "infiuence with the
Governor" Now, Governor, write u letter
to Col. Looney, and get Looney to say that
"Hyberger favored the leasev' This will
be a squelcher. The force of such logic is
so obvious and so convincing.
Now, tax payers will you vote for Il man
who, as this letter shows, is mere cats
pau? A TAX PAYER.