Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-01-20

came to the bank and took back the check
and gave the bank check on itself #
1850, to balance the account.
The committee are of the opinion tha
this was not bona fide transaction on th
part OF this bank, but that it was done fc
the purpose of aiding Mr.. Polk to make hi
settlement with the legislature. The check
to balance the account, was drawn by him
individually, and was not countersigned b
the comptroller, and hence is not in accord
ance with the law.
There was also credit of sS3,979.75 will
the Nashville Savings Bank entered OIL
Polk's ledger, and also on the banks bool
which was false entry, and for which n,
| money was deposited to represent and wa
made similarly to the one in the Merchants
/ National Bank, and for the purpose of de
ceiving the legislature and enabling Polk t,
| pass his settlement. A similar entry wa
made in the account of the Mechanics
| Bank OF Knoxville, by which a false credi
of $4,000 appears; also similar arrange
ment was made with the First Nationa
Bank of Columbia, by which false credi
was entered for $4,000. In the Merchants
| National, the Nashville Savings Bank, the
| Mechanics Bank, Knoxville, and the First
| National Bank, Columbia, these false cred
ps,SVss Us were % made not only to appear on Mr.
as "pasS books, which were found in the
office of the treaSurer-and the accounts
were afterward made to balance by NJ. T.
Polk giving the necessary checks to bal
ance.
AS to these four banks, the committee are
of the opinion that their conduct is inde-
|
to the State for the injury resulting there
from. By their conduct they have enabled
the treasurer, NJ. T. Polk, to make a false
settlement OF his account with the legisla-
ture and to continue in Office, whereby his
then large default has since been increased
more than 100000, and the State has been
wronged and injured, and the attorney
general should be instructed to at once take
such steps against said banks as in his opin-
ion will be proper, TO recover from them
the loss accruing to the State from their
conduct at least tn hold them liQhIQ
the amount of the credits which they
wrongfully entered on Mr.. Polk's account
Polk to balance the false credits, are all
signed by him alone and payable to himself,
and are not in compliance with the law,
and action should be taken to hold the said
banks liable ON the same.
There are also a large number of checks
drawn by M. T, Polk, as treasurer, on differ
ent banks throughout the State, which
were not properly countersigned by the
comptroller as the law requires, and which
were paid by the banks. For all such
checks SO paid, the banks are, in the opfn-
ion of this committee, liable to the State,
unless they can show that the State in fact,
received the benefit of the money paid ON
same. This, your committee has found to
be the case in many instances, while in
many others, they can find no evidence
that the money was ever paid to the benefit
of the State. These checks will reach per-
haps to $4,000 in all. They recommend
that the encouragement be instructed to
examine into these checks, and in all cases
where he can find no evidence that the
State has received benefit of same, that he
take all necessary steps to recover same
from the various banks.
Your committee are also of the opinion
that the S., 100 taken from the treasury by
NJ. It. Polk, on January l, 1888, and paid to
the Merchants National Bank, in satisfac-
tion of his private individual note TO said
bank. was such a misrepresentation of a
trust fund as will render the said bank liza
BILE for same, and the attorney general
should be instructed to take the necessary
steps to recover same from said bank.
There is, according to the books of treas
urer's office, a balance due the State, in the
Mechanics Bank, at Knoxville.
The committee have no statement from
said bank, but learn from j. e. Fleming,
the book-keeper, that the bank denies there
is any such balance, but claims it has paid
same to Thos. O'Connor for NJ. Il. Polk.
Your committee will at once send a sub
committee of their members to Knoxville,
examine into this matter, and report fully
as to same.
The committee has employed an expert
accountant to go over the treasurer'S books
carefully, and compare each credit with the
voucher, and see if there are any errors in
said account, commencing with Po!k's ad-
ministration in January, 1877. This work
will be completed in a few more days, and
will be reported upon
In this connection, your committee will
respectfully. recommend that they be en-
powered to extend such examination back
to 1870, in order to thoroughly expose any
and Ill Irregularities, if such there be, in the
The committee also find, that on January
q, 1881, Mr.. NJ. T. Folks accounts as treas
urer, was short SAL 600, and that he collected
from Thos. O'COnnor, on the llth of January
S26, 600 and paid to his book-keeper, J. c.
Fleming, $4,000 in cash, making 81 900
which was placed i'll the treasury in time to
make his deficit good and enable him to
pass his settlement with the committee
from the legislature. The $4,000 collected
from O'Connor, was in the way of certifi-
cate of deposit in the Mechanics Bank,
vxyil rln
on the Mechanics Bank book until after
March "a, 1881, but was then entered on said
bank book, as the conIniltee is informed.
The committee will make a further and
report as to the matters
referred TO them, as soon as they can ascer-
tain other facts. .-.- ....
Respectfully submitted,
d. T. PORTER,
Chairman Joint Committee,
VIM. F. BIBB,
MD, SMALLMAN
Committee on Part of the Senate.
w. A. MILLIKEN,
Chairman House Committee,
W.P. MORRIS,
.... Jos. PATTERSON,
I. r. BURRUS,
WE. BALLENTINE,
Committee on Part of the House.
January IL, 1888.
THE TESTIMONY.
J. Fleming and Campbell Brown were
examined and made verbal statements.
Letters were submitted by Judge DemOss
and Dune. Cooper.
Mr.. Fleming stated that while in New
York Mr.. Polk drew checks on him in four
United States national bonds; Victor, New
come, Pearl & Co, and Others We're, he
was in New York, last August, Polk told
him that Newcome induced him to buy
Louisville Nashville stock and proved
While Polk was buying,
Newcone was probably selling t. him.
Polk was indignant and cursed Newcome,
Newcome assured Polk that the stock would
be as hign as Sl.20, when, in fact, he was
unloading. Polk's bankers drew on Flem-
ing, and Polk ordered Fleming to pay, or
Polk drew the checks in their favor. Polk
was dealing in Memphis d Charleston,
Tennessee bonds, in which he lost, and
invested In mines in Mexico. Polk and
Van Leer Polk furnished all the money for
that the first money realized from the mines
was to go to reimburse Polk. Fleming did
not know of Polk's lending money out of
the treasury to any one for the purpose OF
that he had paid O'COnner money in large
amounts on account OF iron works in Ala
oama. O'Conner told Fleming that Polk
owned one-fourth interest in the iron
works. At one time Polk paid O'COnner
0,OOO, and Polk told Fleming he had paid
$4,000 in the iron enterprise. O'Conner |
old Fleming that Polk could make money |
)ut of it and he wanted Polk to furnish
money for his bank at Knoxville, upon |
which O'Conner could check at pleasure. 1t |
was nearly always money for the bank at
Knoxville that O'Conner wanted. Fleming |
'efused to let him have it in Polk's absence. |
Polk told Fleming that O'Conner had be- |
rayed him.
Polk said: "Jim, if ever get from under |
hat mans heel, will kill him, God d-n |
lim ~
Fleming understood, by this, that O'Con-
Ter had gotten a large sum of money from |
Polk, who had nothing to show for il.
Col. Polk claimed to have lost a pocket |
book within the last eighteen months, con-
aiming private papers and memoranda, |
which he said was worth to him $780, |
00. never knew the nature of these pa |
,ers. Polk and Dune. Cooper were engaged |
n specializing in walnut lumber in North |
Polk furnishing all the money.
A CRANKY correspondent of the