Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-12

Aside from the routine work of my position Ii was
my duty TO execute the special orders and obey
the directions of the treasurer. drew checks ac-
c0rdtng 70 instructions, but / could more tell
10 what use the money might be applied than
could the teller or bookkeeper Of bankstrace the
proceeds of the checks paid and recorded them.
That large amounts were improperly used is suff-
clenuy evideDced by the extent Of the defAcatio1.
l will not so far impeach my own intelligence,
were disposed 70 be so disngenuous TO pre-
surprise TO me. For many months I have been
painfully aware of Col Polks irregular habits OF
official business, and have repeatedly called his
attention TO the unsatisfactory and perilons
condition of his accounts. / never believed.
and do not now believe, that ne ever con
templated any ultimate fraud upon the treas
ury, but l feared that through his confiding
disposition aud his natural fondness for speeula-
tive ventures: he might become SO involved as to
render rectihcation OF his accounts impossible.
As often as demonstrated with, Col. Polk assured
me he was 'all right" and would square his sc-
nghtness and intelligence, that his assurance al
ways measurably relieved me. To what extent
he was using money drawn from the treasury for
speculAt We puTp Sec, or TO make good his losses
in speculation, could not know. 1 was never
interested in any speculation with Col. Po'
never sought and was never ssked, to become SO
interested, and, in this connection, will say that
! never risk d, or used. dollar of the public
funds on the account of myself or ANYBODY { lse
except such as C me TO me in tse legitimate way
OF my salary. My own aecou ounts Were with Col.
Polk as my employer. My fDancial operations
have beeu OF small magnitude, aud, luckily, With
in the scone of my own limited Tes0u ces.
OF Col Polk S inyestmea Is or speculatioRs can
say DuI niue because EnOW Dut llttl-, eKCepi In
a General, fndehuits way. II was not necessary
that snould know for what pn pose ch OK was
drawn, nor was 1t my duiy u Inquire Had been
so icitOus to know believe Col. Polk would have
told me, but preferred not to know, and he p e
ferred not 10 tell me conless, iowa the last.
preferred not o know because frared the extent
OF the involvement 1 had, on various occasions
warned Col. Polk against iIflnent TO which
fesred he be oming too coufiding but, while
assuring me OF his safety. he never gave me the
particulars Of outside II bill ties. While have
decided convictions In regard To the direction i
lHTNT an1nu mt nt mn u
went have no data by which TO render
my testimony certain in that re2srd. " hat
Ia Is have VIII De given 10 you, II desirei,
Upon oral examination. | 90 know that 90 :.
Polk had various memorandums of regular trans
actions with outside parties" which had been
kept IN the office SAFE, and which had been filed
q charges against himself treasure These
papers are not now To De found, and presume
Cot. Polk himself took charge of them, tor pur-
poses of his Su. prior - his departure from the
city. bave made diligenI search aud inquiry foT
them, but have failed TO get trace OF them. Pos
sibly may be able 10 give information that may
lead to substantial IecJvefies, but will venture
no such suggestions IN this connection.
Antf,sow a. To Col Polk cIsappearance from
the city OF Na.hyile. l have This To say: 1t was
not until early last spring that beca "e seriously
alarmed about the condition of the tr- asury.
here was then no pressing demand on the 'reas-
ury, but my accounts showed an unusual short
age OF drpo.its. called Col Polk's attention to
the conult1on OF affairs. He stemed troubled,
but, with y manner tnat was convincing, beg ICED
me to suffer no eneasiness: that his friends
would come to NE and all would be right"
The current receipts met the curreBt penditures
aud although l Knew that Col Polk was mu Ia
troubled because of certain alleged "flithless-
ness, 1 rel ed upon his own confidence TO meet
The winters Liabilities, including The January In
terest on the newly funded debt. AS long as Co
Polk was nfid-nt of his abb ity 10 meet
MS Liabilities l ielt comparatively easy.
never dreamed that his mind had CO pass d
the idea oil default, ana my own responsl bility
extended no further than his set,lement with the
State He told me he would be able to settle. and
| believed he would be safe. 1 trusted MN il
| this matter even against my judgue ent. II wa,
1 not until he caused IL q b. aQQOuucel tn Z ht
would not pay the January interest ON the funded
debt that realized the true situation. his wa
| q startling surprise to me We had funds 20 pay
The interest and made preparations for payment
The AmeIfedn's interview the first intimatioI
l had of Col Polk's declnation. begged him Il
reconsider, but to no avail. On Monday evt ming
January LIST, sought out Col. Polk and told hiu
the Legislature had partially organized aud woulC
| probably complete its organization the next day
| that among the first things proposed would be
Sc tlement with The treasurer that the office wa
IN DO cond ZION for settlement, and that the tim
had co@e for immediate action on his part He tolt
| me 10 rest easy that he would be ready pefor
M conG cip DC Appoipfed edsdS 70 seIe III tod n
| the same thing, substantially. Wednesday even
lug, as l came out from supper from his ow
me by the hand, said: GOOD night, old fellow
| I'm going to Bolivar tonight. III b
| back Sunday and make every thing right Mon
day That was my last interview with Col Polls
| and i confess, when he entered the carriage
MOMENT had me snspicions 1ee OF irht He hs
ever claimed TO me that he would be able to settl
| with the State, though confess ii was only ID
unbounded confidence in the good intentions
the man that gave me any pretext for hoping tha
it would be done.
This statement, gentlemen, was designed to b
| personal, and merely preliminary to the extende
oral examination which you will make hav
not offered M il as excqlpatory OF myself or apol'
| geue Tor Col. Polk. am not accuss d-he is.
am not mis- accuser. Ny position makes me th
| public's witness against him. 1 wish simply
tell the truth and have fear that it will invol'
me in condemnation. 1t may be thought that
| ought to have exposed whatI deemed to be irreSI
lar or illegal transactions in the treasurers ofic
| To this have to say that my confidence in Co
| Polk was unbounded. So was his in me; WI
| his confidential clerk; If there was intentions
wrong in his transactions he did not let me kno
| it; he treated me his friend-I confided in hi
| as friend; If he purpOs-d fraud on the Stat
or was practicing a fraud On the State, he did NJ
| let me know it; knew he was doing wrong
feared the consequences, and L say
| you that with any man less bound to II
by ties of affeetionate friendship. L coul
| not have endured such relation, but fur her 81
| TO you that if. under all the circumstances abo1
related, in view of all the relations existing b
| tween Col. Polk and myself, had chosen, whi
| he was yet struggling to rescue himself from gait
ering disaster. to proclaim him defauit,r r, an
: thereby D. secipitated the calamity upon him,
sense, but would have justly become an OBJECT
self execration lhrough life, 1t is a matter tn
challenges my s1eeial gratitude that Col. Pol
| with characteristic deiicacy of regard, old n
embarass me with knowledge of his confer
| plated flight. sm now ready for any examin
: ton the committee may choose TO make: We
| respectfully, JAMES Z. FLEMING.
4 January 3, 1885.
PSI deem it proper to add that since Il
preparation of this staten eDt have learned of u
| whereabouts If many OF Col. Polk private pape
{ | and that scaedule of the same will De submits
| 10 you oy his attorney, Capt John W. Childress
4 | have several ii ne> assured the committee tina
| was ignorant OF their whereabouts. and ii on
LIST evening that learned they were il the han
. | of capt ChildresS. Respectfully,
9 January 10, 1888. J. C. FLEMING.
; THE schedule here alluded to was pu
!. isned in fall 10 the APPEAL of yesterda
together with an explanatory letter from N
: John w. ChIldress.-EDs APPEAL