Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-09-23
CHARLES SMIDT.
A Specimen Carpet-bsgger, or
Tale of Three States.

A Specimen Carpet-bagger, or a
Tale OF Three States.
Last December young man named
Charles Smidt went to Corinth, Miss,
and procured a situation in the house Of
Rubel q Co. In July he was discharged
and soon found a situation at the Corinth
Hotel, which he held until Tuesday oil
last week, when he was arrested upon
the affidavit of Samuel s. Ashe, Sheriff
of Harris county Texas, who had q
requisition for him from the Governor
of Texas. 1t appears that Smidt had
been Clerk of the Criminal Court Of
Harris county and had issued fraudulent
certificates Of witnesses fees to al un.
known amount. He was indicted and
judgment was found against his sureties
for $4,000. He left wife and five child
rem behind him, but was soon to have led
blushing damsel to the altar at Corinth.
He was an original carpetbagger to
Texas and appointed to the office he
held by the Radical Governor. The
Judge and all the appointees held their
places by the same authority, and Smidt,
it seems, was willing scapegoat to carry
the blame of the stealing done by the
whole gang. Now that he has been ar
rested, and is on his way back to Houston,
they have taken sudden immigration
fever and are packing to leave for the
far west.
Smidt, we learn, proved his fitness for
Office first as a manipulation of elections
and suffer of ballot boxes. Edward ].
Davis, returned as Governor of Texas
by the military authorities of the State
by throwing out a number of frontier
counties, was not the man to overlook
such talent as Smidt possessed; hence
his appointment. The career of Smidt
has been eventful, and will be more so
yet. He is one of the truly loyal, and
if no bad luck happens, will soon be in
the bosom of the Harris county Jail
(Houston) and assigned prominent po-
sition in the service of the Lone Star
State. He first fed to Arkansas, but like
Noah's dove, found no resting place;
then tsrried in Memphis a while and
oficiated as a nurse in the employment
Of the Howard Association; thence con-
tinued his travels to Corinth.
Sheriff Ashe arrived in Mississippi on
the 9th of September. Governor Ames
was at home in Massachusetts,, owing to
an unexpected domestic event of coIse-
quence in the Butler family. The
Secretary of State was in New Orleans
and teegraphed Ashe to send him the
requisition. The colored Lieutenant
Governor, Davis, was at Macon, where be
is postmaster, and the acting State off,
Gals refused to recognize him or surren-
der'to him the State seal Every possible
effort was made to procure simple war
rant OF extradition for Smidt, but without
avail. Mr.. Ashe finally went to Corinth,
made an affidavit to all the facts, and
after much trouble and delay succeeded
in getting off with his prisoner. The col
ored Lieutenant Governor at last went to
Jackson and issued the warrant. Mr..
Ashe is nephew of Sam P. Reid, the
Cashier ofthe Union and Planters Bank,
and a near relation of Mr.. S. NJ.
Ashe,' of this city, with whom he
stopped on his way to Mis-
sissippi. He got off safely last night,
and Smidt will soon face an injured fam
lily aud an indignant community, where
he will be put on trial for some of his
many misdemeanors