Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-06


Der for his vote or influence, or hear any
one say that he had paid any member?
A. / decline to answer this question uutll
l consult my attorney.
Q. Did you as President of your road,
and Capt. NJ. d. Bearden or the officers
and friends of your road and the road that
he was the President or Receiver of, enter
into an agreement, or was there not a
tacit understanding to 60 to Nashville to
jointly lobby, and if necessary to.use money
or other thing of value to secure legisla-
| tive appropriations to your roads?
A. /. might answer part of that, and
decline to answer a part. We were there
together lobbying. | don't remember a
great many things that occurred.
Q. When did your connection with rail-
roads officially cease?
A. think it was in 1870 or 1871.
Q. Do you remember the acts of 1863
and 1870, under which the railroads were
allowed to pay their Indebtedness to the
State in State bonds ?
A. / remember that such acts were pass
ed, and have read them, but don't remem-
Der their details.
Q. Please state if the railroads in the
State were not very solicitous for the pas
sage of these acts, or acts of similar char
acter?
A. 1t is my recollection that the officers
of some of the roads we're.
Q. Did you use any money or other thing
of value to secure the passage OF SAID
acts
A. did not.
Q. Do you know of any person or rail-
road official that did?
do
Q. Did you ever hear any railroad official
or attorney or other person say that money
or other special influence had been used to
secure their passage?
A. Not that remember OF.
Q. Were you requested or engaged to
use your influence to secure their passage?
A. l was requested to talk with some
members of the Legislature, is my recol-
lection.
Q. If you have no objections, please
state by whom.
A. have no objection. Ny recolec-
ton is that C. NJ. McGhee requested me
to talk to some members in favor of the
act allowing them to pay in bonds.
Q. Were you to receive any pay, or was
any pay given you for your services in this
regard by him or others?
A. No pay was given me and none was
offered me, as | remember.
Q. How many bonds received by you as
president or receiver of your road were
used in paying interest to the State?
A. don't know exactly. l know that
| borrowed in New York, 100000 on my
Individual note with c. NJ. GcGhee as en-
lorser, to pay interest to the State, and
his note was paid out of the proceeds of
he sale of bonds. The above is my rec
election of the amount l borrowed.
Q. Was this money borrowed to pay in
crest before you entered upon your duties
Is President? if so, when
A. 1t was borrowed before | entered upon
ny duties | think few days before the
irst of January. When the interest fell
lue, Col. McGhee and were in New York.
It may have been borrowed the first day of
January. The money was got, | executed
my note and McGhee endorsed it.
Q. Do you remember on one occasion !
being in a room in the St. Cloud Hotel, |
Nashville, while the Legislature was in
session, with NJ. ID. Beardcn, Joseph A.
Cooper, John Brownlow, one Shepherd and |
perhaps others, when said Shepherd, who |
vas a member, handed back to Captain
8earden $500 which Captain Bearden had
paid member for his vote on an omnibus |
appropriation bill, you were all trying to get
passed, which the said Shepherd said he
lad made the member pay back because he
lad not voted for the measure as he had |
promised when he had received the money |
rom Bearden.
A. don't remember being in the party
when that was done.
Q. Do you remember seeing this or any |
hing like it done either in or out of a
party
A. | do not. 1t may have taken place |
n my presence, but don't remember it.
Q. Did you ever hear Capt. Bearden say
hat any such occurrence had taken place ? |
A. Please excuse me until | consult my |
counsel.
Q. What was the name of the individual |
Who, it is said, was made to pay back the
500?
A. don't remember the name. 1t was
small, black haired man that was pointed |
,ut to me as the man.
Q. Were any parties up there at Nash
lille from Memphis lobbying also for aid at
he time you and Capt. Bearden were
here?
A. NY impression is that there was a
obby from Memphis to get aid to roads.
Q. Who was heading it?
A. l can't now give the names; it has
,een so long, and l have been there so often,
can't give dates.
Q. Did not lot, or some of the proceeds
If the bonds issued to you by the State 60
o pay the losses sustained by you in your
New York speculations?
A. Idon't think they ibid. Nancy and l
ire in law suit about these losses now.
Nancy paid them in order to redeem his
ponds, as l understood it. Afterwards he
md had some settlements about it, and
inally got the matter in Chancery, and it is
here yet.
Q. Did you not use the proceeds of some
f the bonds issued to you, or some of the
'onds, to get more aid, or in an attempt to
.et more aid from the State?
A. decline to answer the question till
onsult my counsel.
Q. Did you, or you and other presidents,
sc any money or other thing of value to
ecure the passage of the act which allowed
T made presidents of defaulting roads re-
eivers of their roads?
A. did not, and know ofnone. don't
mink knew of the act until after it was
assed.
Q. What became of the $50 bonds which !
on failed and refused to account for in
our examination before an investigating J
1mmittee in 1870?
A. / don't remember any bonds that l &
n IL IL