The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-13
TREAS UR EIe POLK.
HOW tho Money was Spent which He Took
from the Tennessee Treasury.

Ah"" 'ne money was Spent Whfc, He Took
from the Tennessee Treasury.
Representative MiIlikcn, of the in
vestigating committee, says the deficit
lu .the trcasurer's nccouhts is over
S4eO;OO0, including fifty Unitcd States
Sl 700 bonds that lave beeH on hund n
year, but cannot be found. The acfal.
cation bcgnu live Years ago, afia in
creased iupitlv after tlc pnssnge Of the
hundred ard three tumlimx bill. Tie
tcSsllnony shows many SHrculu,iuus in
New York; also shows that Krprcscu-
th'lVc Duncan Conper's orders ON the
treasury were always paid, the clerk
being Instructed by Folk To pav them
inc orders were all in an eiiyclore
DIRECTED TO Polk until II few days ago,
ana the SuppoSition is that Polk took
them with him. The TESTIMONY also
shows that the late Major O'Connor,
KILLED. at Knoxville last November,
owed Polk $50, 900, and gave his ,inc
Dill, which Polk took with him. Polk
paid the States money for exchange at
San. francisco with i,ich to pay for
l'is silver mine in Mexico. Tie checks
were found in Il SAFE. with no evidence
that they had passed the hands OF the
comptroller. The books show that the
Mechanics Bank of Knoxville owes
tho State 5000, bat the bank claims
to have paid the. money to O'Cvnmnr
1or Po!k. The missing United States
were scvcn-thirties, and we're the lnsf
OF the school i'nnti, and Polk was iutcr.2
cstcd with O'Connor in the Gadadcu
ore banks, but tho ::to~l: was in O'(,on.
n"r,s name, though $4,000 of i, WIS
paiu out or the State treasury. Thous-
ah's OF dollars Of the checks show
thHt they were drawn by NJ. II. Polk,
treasurer, and payable to NJ. Il. Polk,
not countersigned by the coinplrnlier.
The facts are ascertaiuetl, after \
thorough examination, that the money
borrowed BY VC0nnor was used in
slmcn'atinG, selling bonds short. BE-
fore the decision of the hundred and
three bill, O'Connor told Polk the
Supreme Court would not dare to
decide it unconstitutional, and he in
dnccd Polk to buy bonds heavily while
he sold. The general opinion is yifi.::,
:he deficit WAS first caused by loani.,r
money to friends and then bv heavy
speculation trying 10 regain amounts
80 lost.
Information from reliable source
OUTS the tlc!'titatiun Of State Trca$;i;tr
Polk at S50O,0OO. pulk's bond WAS
only for 100000. The Chattunuoya
Times openly charged dctalcation
whcn the treasurer refused to poy the
january interest, auu much iit,imnn-
tinn was occasioncd at the time in con-
sequence of the publication. Tie
JtmeS OF Sunday dcnouncos the spirit
o. reputation abroad in the State az
largely responsible for the looScncss Of
laws, tllcir nnn-cntorccmcnt n;,s. >int;l
lcssncss Of official obligations. II SAYS
there is no question but the habit of
a'Ee section OF our press and many az
our public men ct treating liHhtiv,
scorntui'y and ilippantly the rlai,as OF
the States creditors has had q most
damaging effect on the public morals
III general, and has lowered especially
the tone Of official morals and sense OF
Obligations. Colonel Polk was, With
out doubt, within both OF the wrr,rh-
Ell loosenrsS Of the laws and ihc a,,-
mlnistration of executive business at
Nashville, but he was also n victim ":
the prevailing low tone Of n;ib!ic,
honor, tostered by The spirit Of rcpudi-
alton, by the wantUu and wicked
attempt to reat!ju$t an almost generous
and hnnnrnhi" :ci'iriiuiu. Tnls N,-
Eoucmcnt leaves Tennessee the very
lowest in the list of de'auliing States.
a resolution was introduced into The
lioi?e on Saturday Offering n reward
OF $4,000 for the apprehension of
Polk. "A member remarked that thai
would only bc S2u.OOO more lost, even
should Polk he found, and the rcsoIu.
ton went over.