Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-04

nority reports of the committee to investi-
gate Rings, submitted to both houses of the
Legislature, Saturday March LIST, 1879:
To the General Assembly of the State OF
Tennessee: The committee appointed I'M
der House Joint Resolution No. "a, copy
of which is hereto appended, report the
discharge Of the duties imposed IN Its man
ner and with the results, to-wlt:
The committee organized by eIeetlng
Senator CLAW Roberts Chairman, and Rep
resentative John ID. Andrews Secretary.
There were no specific charges or data
fled with the committee upon which to
base an investigation as to matters set forth
in the resolution creating the committee.
After repeated sessions of the committee
based upon informal statements, Mr..
7. Atcheson. editor of the Nashville Ban
7eT, was summoned before the committee
and questioned touching matters of inves-
tigation, Mr. Atcheson, after being sum-
moned, testified that he knew nothing Ofacts
of bribery, corruption and fraud, of his own
knowledge, but gave the committee the
names of various individuals who, iC was
believed, could and would disclose
matters of great wrong done the Common
wealth in connection with the lease of the
penitentiary, other matters of legislation,
and other charges of bribery, corruption
and fraud, so repeatedly contained in the
columns of the public press. These wit
nesses were brought before the committee
and submitted to rigid examination and
cross-examination by the committee and
the party charged, Major ThOs. OCOnner,
who was permitted to be present, in man
ner and form as provided by custom and
law.
In this connection, other witnesses were
brought before the committee and exam
ined. The result of this investigation is, in
the opinion of the committee undersigned,
hot MI nj bn avid hn W hat
conflicting in regard to intentions, it utter
" fails to eliminate AIsjOr OCOnner, or
either of the lessees of the pententiary,
with the preparation of bribery, fraud or
corruption.
Reference is here made to the dispositions
of Atcheson, Jones, Hazleton, Hodges.
March banks, Fisher, Overflow Cummings,
Gregg, and others, herewith filed as a part
of this report.
Pending the examination above detailed,
a charge was developed that Nj. c. Gallo
way, one of the editors ofthe Memphis Ap-
peal, had been guilty of acts coming with
in the scope ofthe investigation being made
by this committee. A subcommittee was
sent to Memphis, empowered to make
searching Investigation of this and other
matters of fraud, specific or general, that
might come to their knowledge. This
committee heard the dispositions of various
parties, developing only the fact that the
'
President of the Memphis 81 Charleston
railroad the following receipt.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Jan. y, 1S72.-Mem-
phis 81 Charleston Railroad Company 40
personal services of editors before the Leg
islature and otherwise, as per contract with
Major NJ. j. Wicks, for the depression
of State bonds, and for the recovery of
taxes paid to the State of Tennessee through
the Bank of Tennessee, and thrown out by
Gov Brownlow's administration, seven
dollars (S7C00)
Received payment of NJ. J. Wicks,
President NJ c. GALLOWAY,
President Appeal Publishing Company.
Approved and charged to expense &C,
count. Ii j. WICKs, President.
This, together with a copy of what pur-
ports to be the action of the b )ard of Di-
rectors with reference to the said receipt
to-wit, refusing TO grant the said WiCks
credit for the eXpendIture-aud other evil
dence taken at Memphis, is fled with this
? port p to this time the committee held
It, sessions with closed doors, permitting
none present except the com mittee and
the parties being Investigated, and against
whom charges were msde. INDUCING the
belief that thereby a more searching inves-
tigati1n could be made, and perhaps fraud
and corruption might be uneaFthed the
threw wide The doors ana per>
mitted the investigation TO take the widest
number of witnesses wee examined, guess
tons Of character AMI Other matters were
freely discussed, and much testimony pro
and con taken thereupon, but like the pre-
Cedng investigation, without the result
anticipated, the only fact developed being
an Indirect charge, which is depOsed to di-
rccJlv and Indirectly by several prominent
witne,. So that the editor Of the Banner Of
ferei tn influence of his columns TO the
for a money consideration.
1t doe no. appear, however, that any
money was paid to said paper, except
matter Of seventeen dollars and fifty cents,
for the publication Of an article favoriHg
the acceptance of the ffty-cent proposition
Of the bOndhoders, when first made. g
Reference Is here made to the Deposition
Of Duncan, Morrow, Colyar, O'Conne-
and others, herewith fled also other testi
nony taken and fled as d part Of this re-
port.
Ia conclusion, the committee would state
hat their lab0rs have been confined TO the
matters above related, inasmuch as other
committees had been appointed to specially
investigate other questions that, otherwise, |
t would lhave been competent for this |
committee TO investigate.
CLAY ROBEETs,
w. a. DRIsKILL,
Committee on the part of the Senate