Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-13

years, would not seem to be in confusion
and who would not find it difficult to max
out a satisfactory account from such Dook;
There are now two appointees OF tn
Chancery Court engaged in examining IN
trusteeship, and making out detailed &C
counts from my books and records. One
these has had long experience in banks ant
bookkeeping, and the other IS skillful &C
c)untant; and think that the result viii
prove that they have had no difficulty il
ascertaining the true condition of the asset
OF the bank, and of making out a satisfac
tory account between me and the banl
from the same books and records which
we're a mass of confusion TO the committee
My books are kept upon the most approved
plan. They are kept by double entry. AL
the assets that came into my hands are en-
tered upon these books; each class Of asset:
is entered by itself summarily. The sales
OF real estate and other property, and all
money received from the same or from
notes and bills, or from any other source
are entered on these books. AL the money
| paid out or loaned out by the trustee are
entered upon these books, showing: fol
what purpose the money was paid out.
On these books there is no detailed list OF
bills and notes, but we have a book con-
tanning list, in alphabetical order, of all
| the bills and notes that came to my hands.
The bills and notes on this book CORE
spond in amount with the bills and notes
entered on the journal and ledger, and were
so shown to be to the committee.
This book was frequently before the CON-
mittee; on it was entered the payment of
all bills and notes that had been paid in
full. On another book we have record of
all notes and bills partially paid or wholly
unpaid, with the amounts, dates, when
due, the drawers and endorsers, and the
attorneys in whose hands they are placed.
This book has also columns showing what
notes and bills are good, doubtful or bad,
and also whether they are in suits or in
judgments. l know not how a more per-
feet account could be kept Of the assets of
the bank, and all the transactions of the
trustee, than is kept in the above books.
1t is charged that in the cash account on
the ebove books, old and new issue and
United States currency are entered with
out distinction. There are no entries of
new issue Onkthe cash account: but the
old issue and United States currency were
at first entered without distinction under
the head cash. The amount of the old
issue and United States currency can, how
ever, be ascertained by referring TO the
original checks from which the cash en-
tries were made. If the books should
show larger amount of old issue received
than is on b. nd cancelled and burned, the
excess has been accounted for as United
States currency, to the injury of the trustee
and TO the benefit Of the bank.
FOURTH CHARGE OF THE COMMITTEE.
4. That there were books containing the
original inventory or schedule of the bills and
notes and other assets of the bank; that the
trustee was called upon and could not pro-
duce them; and that they were purposely
kept out of the way or destroyed by me to
cover up some great wrong or fraud Of
mine in relation to the assets of the bank
The latter part of this charge is not made
directly, but by insinuatiOn, and that such
IS the inference from the committees re-
port is evident from the impression made
on some persons in thiScommunity where
am known, and from the comments made on
the report by the public press. This damn
ing charge is being rapidly spread all over
the State Of Tennessee, producing cOnyic-
ton in the public mind against me, and de-
stroying character which / believe has
heretofore stood unimpeached during my
forty-seven years residence in this COM
munity. With regard to these schedule
books, | stated to the committee that they
contained lists of notes and bills, but not
of other assets; that it was not complete
inventory of bills and notes; that after this
inventory was made, there was re-exami-
nation Of the assets of the bank; that the
bills and notes recorded in the schedule
books were entered with other bills and
notes in one large book, which was called
in the bank a corrected list of assets"
After this was done, these schedule books
were laid aside as useless. To account for
their not being produced stated that they
had been lying in the large room of the
bank, and that when that room was lent
ed to the library association, these books,
together with many other useless books
and papers that were lying in that loom,
were taken t. another room in the attic of
the bank, where all books and papers which
had accumulated for years, and which were
not needed for future reference were kept,
and presumed that those books could be
found there. 1t seemed that no part of my
representation on this point was believed
by the committee. | thought at the time,
that my representations were satisfactory,
and gave the matter Of these schedule books
no further thought. But toward the close
Of the committees investigation, discover
ed that the appearance of these books
was making an untavOrable impression up
on one Of the committee, and | then insti-
tuted a thorough search for these schedule
books, and after nearly two days search,
they were found, and are now in the bank.
communicated the fact to two of the COM
mittee at least, (Mr. Moore was probably
not one Of them,) but it seems not to have
been communicated to the writer of this
report. These schedule books, for there
were several Of them, were all old "bills
payable and receivable books" lying about
the bank, some in covers and some in
loose sheets. They contained two quires
of paper each and were what l should call
small books.
The committee represents that they con-
tanned an inventory Of all the assets of the
bank. They did not. They contained
only an inventory Of the bills and notes of
the bank, and they did not contain COM
plete inventory of them. They only con-
tanned an inventory of such notes and bills
as we received from the State, and which
were captured by the military. Besides
these bills and notes, we received a con-
siderable number from NJ. Pitcher. We
received Sl35,cO of notes and bills of the
ROgersville branch, which were found iT
North Carolina, andreturned to us by Chas.
J. Mckinney. We received from New Or
leans about SlG1,C coo of notes and bills,
part Of which had been captured or taken
from the agent of the bank by Maj. Gen.
Ben. Butler. Not one dollar of the above
named bills and notes, amounting to about
100000, was ever entered upon these
schedule books referred to by the commit
tee, and yet the committee say that they
contained full and accurate inventory of
the bills and notes and other assets of the
bank. Ifthe committee hadrelied uponmy
testimony, they would have made no such
statementi but my testimony was wholly
disregarded.
The committee say that these schedule
books were the beginning corner of their
investigation, and that without them it
can never be known what assets were re-
ceived by me, unless by my own statements.
A short history Of my acts and the acts of
the directors of the bank Immediately after
the assets were turned over to them, will
show the glaring injustice of these state
ments OF charges. 1t must be recollected
that the assets of the bank were not turned
over to me as trustee by the State, but that
they were turned over to the directors of
the bank, and by the directors to me. The
directors were A. V. 5. Lindsley, w. I.
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