Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-03-10
PoLK'S REPLIES.


The committee appointed by the
Legislature to investigate the. af-
fairs Of the defaulting State Treas
urer. propounded him a number OF
interrogations. to which he replied
in substance as follows:
Messrs, Champion, Patterson. Ballentine
and Milliken
GENTLEAIEN-Your communIea-
tion propOunding certain interroga-
tories to me for answer has been
received. Several of your questions
involve matters now in litigation in
the Criminal and Chancery Courts
of Davidson county. Such rs are
the subject matter of chancery suits
can be more fully answered by
! either party so desiring taking my
deposition in said suits, while in
such of them as are involved in
criminal proceedings pending
against me, / am sure you do not
expect me to answer, no matter
whether such answers would make
proof for or against nae in said pro-
ceedings. But upon all other prop
ositions embraced in your questicHs,
/ will cheerfully give you such an
swers as the feeble condition of my
health and limited means of obtain
ing such information as is at my
disposal will justify, answering in
the order propounded by you, save
those excepted above.
Answer to Question 3.-Mr. Polk
says he left Nashville for Mexico
with about $4500, which he expend-
ed before his return.
Answer to Question 4.-Van Leer
Polk had no money belonging to
respondent.
Answer to Questions 5 and g.
Unable in his present condition to
give Il detailed statement of his
property, but has none, real, per-
sOnal or mixed, except such as is
embraced in the former schedule of
his Mexican mining interests and a
small orange farm IN Florida. Has
no other moneys, securities or valu-
ables.
Answer to Question I'm the
proposition made to the State
through my attorneys, by some rel
atives and friends, l understand
they expected out of the assets at
tached by the State and my securi-
ties to realize the last payment of
$75, 900 i'm new issue of the Bank of
Tennessee contemplated in said
proposition. With that exception
/ had no interest whatever in the
bonds or new issue therein offered.
/ furnished none of it, nor was any
of it furnished or to be furnished by
anyone out of any assets or means
of mine held by them to my knowl-
edge, and no part of said money or
bonds was ever taken or held by me
or collected for me and loaned to
anyone else.
Answer to Question S.-Says that
for four or five years he did deal in
new issue some. 1t was then sup
posed that the suit testing its legali-
ty would be iavOrably determined
and new issue would be appreciated
in value. The suit being protract-
ed. sold out, and was never in it
since.
Answer to Question 1O.-Has in
vested in Mexican mining property
about $40, 900. My interest in the
same is One-third, and my co-Own-
ers consent that out of the first re-
ceipts of said property / shall be
paid the sum OF $4,000. This /
believe to be very valuable prop
erty, and vii! realize me many
times the amount expended by me
upon it. ...-....
Answer to Question 12.-In 1880
and 1881 dealt, on my own respon-
sibility, in Memphis and Charles
ton railroad stock, and made con-
siderable money. Had no partners.
During the year 1881 / agreed
with some other holders of said
stock to hold the same until the
happening of certain event, with
a view to putting the price up. This |
may be termed pool. Each party |
purchased his own stock, and, I |
suppose, disposed of it likewise, as
| did mine. / have none of it now,
nor is any one else holding any of it |
for me in any way.
Answer to Question 13.-I never
did go into stock speculatiOns with
Victor NewcOmb. may have
bought stock on his advice, and he
may have given directions. j had
no private transactions with him.
Sometimes dealt through his Uni
ted States national bank, of New
York, but forgets details. s..
Answer to Question IA dealt
in other railroad securities on my
own responsibility, but do not
remember details. They proved
very disastrous. i lost all my own
and my wife's money in specula-
ton. He further says that from the
time he took charge of the treasur-
er's Office down to April. 1882, there
was no investigation that was not
strictly correct and true. He closes
as follows: al desire also to state
that, having means of my own,
often loaned my friends, and some
times largely, more than l was
able, but it was rare that such trans
actions have been in the funds of
the State. Although it may APP
pear that some due e-bills given me
were upon the blanks of my Office,
certainly any given before my set
Element in January, 1881, was OF
my own means, as in this settle
ment / was correctly reported as
being all right. / desire further to
state that while [ may have been
personally badly treated by indi-
viduals, and while losses may have
occurred to me through the decep-
ton and betrayal OF those deemed
my friends, their recital would not
do me or the State any good, and
would only crafty, for the time be-
ing, the morbid desire of the public
for a sensational scandal. In regard
to the fees paid attorneys in the
hundred-and-threec case, Il would
say that believing the fees would be
| advanced to the gentle
men upon their fee certain sums.
1t is and has been for a long time
the custom TO let officials anticipate,
in, part, AT least, their salaries.
After a full conference upon the
part of the Funding Board, COM
posed of the Governor, secretary Of
State, comptroller and treasurer.
the attorneys were employed by the
board, not by myself, to defend the
suit. Whether the law Was advisa-
Bile or not could certainly make no
difference with officials charged
with its execution, and while
shirk no part of my responsibility
therein, simply desire TO call at
tentiOn to fact that seems to have
been forgotten, that / was only one
of that Funding Board. In conclu-
sion; desire to say that whatever
of wrong has been done In the man
agement Of my Office, am the e.
IL A r a n