Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-26
mTCHAEL OLUNE.

err. ars ever alive to the woes and suferings
of the unfortunate, a web footed UNION
AID AMERICAN reporter donned his heav-
lest psased interviewing trousers yester-
dag. and padded down to the Hotel De Pat
tsTsos for the purpose of making friendly
call Ts=hn Michael Clune, whom he knew in
St. L5Ais, in happier days and who was con-
zictesin the United States Court last Sstur-
en- the charge of Withholding certain
f,:.naieA5n moneys, due the widows of colored
soldiers, being sentenced to pay fine of
s5SGf7aS ind serve one year in the penitentiary,
al hard labor.
HAking known his wishes to Mr.. Jen-
kns,, ..!Eis obiiging clerk of the hotel, our re-
porter was admitted to the room occupied
by CIune. He found that individual sit
t{nE by the stove, meditating upon the sit
uaiion. The apartment was not large, but
vet was comfortable. In one corner was
stie bedding rolled up snugly, and near it
I 44FFera hung the Greeley hat and nobby cloak
/ which Mr.. Ciune assumes when be has &C.
4 casi0n 20 promenade. Mr. Jenkins an
nounced the name of our reporter, who
stepped into the room, when the door was
! instantly closed and securely locked, in Or
/ der that impairment outsiders might not in
| trude upon hfr. CIune and our web-footed
| infant.
The following conversation then ensued
Reporter-Clune, am rather sorry to
$50 you here.
Clune well, am rather sorry to find
myself here.
RI called to see you for the purpose OF
hearing what you might have to say with
regard to your case, and if you wish to
| make statement 1 will be glad to publish
it.
C.-Did you write that report of nv case
which appeared in your paper Sunday?
R.-No sir. That was written by
youth of much greater literary ability than
myself-the classical man of our establish
ment, who is able to coDjugate Greek verbs
blindfolded, and with one hand tied behind
him; the gay Troubadour, as it we're, Of
the local department Of our paper. The
individual who follows, with his little PEN
Gil, the epizootic in its Nashville meander-
ings, evolved from his inner consciousness,
the able article to which you refer.
c., CATER he had recovered his
breath) well, all l have to say is, that he
made several mistakes; but that WAS a
good deal better than what the Banner
that dirty, filthy sheet, had to say about the
case. That paper has been hostile to me
! ~
A FELLOW
en- that paper who has been publish ing
things against me for soma time. net him
one day and told him that if he di in'i stop,
} would be compelled to ch2stise him. He
stopped then.
I'll tell you about thu case. was q
: claim agent and used to disburse thou
sands of dollars monthly in Middle Ten
neseee and Northern Alabama. A man
J named W. W. Ingersol, of this city, re-
quested me at one time, when Twas at
Pulaski, to disburse about $1,000
/ for him. had at that time great many
men In my employ, and had offices in all
, large towns in Northern Alabama and
/ Middle Tennessee. | received this money
f: from Ingersoll, turned it over to one Ofmy
, | clerks. John Wilson, with directions that
3 he have the parties to whom the money
t was due, come to Pulaski, and that he pay
5 il to them IN the presence OF the Clerk Of
! the County Court, and have that official
} acknowledge the receipts. This was done
/ Just as / had ordered, and the receipts were
turned over to me. Some time subsequent
to this, Judge John Lawrence was notiGec
BY one of these parties that
SHE had NOT RECEIVED THE PENSION
! which was paid her by the Government.
Lawrence went to Ingersoli, who told him
he had paid the money over to me
, The amount was demanded of me and
said had turned the money over TO then
, through the clerk, who had taken receipt:
for It. The thing stood in StGtu quo, as the
saving is, and then another demand was
made that pay the money over,
WHICH REFUSED TOT DO.
-. tol,o,, bofora limited States Com
missioner, Z. r. Campbell, who bound me
over to appear before the Circuit Court
In the meantime, they wanted the matter
. COMPROMISED, saying that if l would pa.
Z the money over, the whole thing would b
dropped, l refused. Then they sent al
! | aqsns down, found these nine pensioners
and they were brought before the grand jury
and thew said they had naVer received an!
money from me, except some small SUMS
which [ had advanced them. l was put on
= trial. There was evidence before the jury
that [ had received money from IngerSoll
> | for Gyn of these parties, and only tive, and
vet | was found guilty on sll of the nine
: | charges. Ny counsel handled the thing S:
: ignorantly and SO roughly, that they actual
y
DIsGRACED THEMSELVES.
Thew never presented the receipts IN the
> trial of the case, as they said they wanted
to try it principally upon legal points--up
; | on matters of law. | was found guilty
I A motion for g new trial was made anC
over-ruled, and upon motion IN arrest o.
| Judgment, the case was continues
7 along until the present time
7 There was only one precedent
that is to say, there was only one decis
ion with regard to CAGES OF that character
= and that was in case where Judge Ballard
of Louisville, decided that there was IL
. penalty for such cases; there was penalty
but Congress repealed The act. Judge Bal
lsrd's decision was in my favor. had no
: the least idea of being convicted, when
:. went to the court room Saturday morning
: | had been advised by prominent men T.
= leave and fosieit my bond, but told them
Q was
NOT OF THE LEAVING KIND.
l was Just as certain of my acquittal as
aIa that l am sitting here. believed then
as I believe nog, that the law was in my ia
yor, and hence, that it has been mlslHter
) preted.
In relation TO the $4,000 matter, as re
Q ported ia your paper, there is nothing OF IL
/ did saw, that lest this become known t.
i nv family, would prefer 10 pay any fine
d rather to go to Jail for an hour.
! R-As l understand it, there was oni.
, 81. 900 involved in the suit?
III C-That is all; and by the way, pai'
! that amount over, because my property ha'
\ been tied up, and / preferred to pay tina
!. amount of money and release uly property
4 The fact is, if had had proper counsel
v 1 COULD HAVE GOT CLEAR,
3 | never summoned but one witness, and
o did not even haGe him there. l relied OF
!, tirely upon the law.
d With regard to
y TEE BANNER REPORT,
: l do not regard that paper of sufficien
\ prominence to notice it publicly.
My conviction wss the most IN
a expected thing In the world to me
a am fully reconciled, however
a fully reconciled. | am just the sam
Il man now, that was before this conviction
a 1t matters not u hat the public may say o
Il me, nor what the verdict of the jury was
d does not change me morally, physically, no
d intellectually.
= had TO labor against a
d STRONG POLITICAL PREJUDICE
\ | I,aro aod that ia rather curiOus ton for