The daily gazette., 1883-01-06
AN ENORMOUS THEFT.
BAD Woak OF TENNEssEE,s
TREASURER.
DEFALoATION OF 100000.
TsnnesseO's Treasurer LoseS s4OO, 900 of
the states Money and "Skips."--A De-
cided Sensation.

NASHVILLE, Tenn, Jan. GA genuine
| sensation was created IN this city to-day by
the announcement of q deficit of about
300 600 In the accounts of State Treasurer
Polk BY the Legislative Committee ap
pointed TO investigate the affairs of the
office. After hurried consultation with
Mr.. Folks bondsmen, the committee, de
| cided TO recommend that the business Of the
office be suspended for the present
The amount of deficit cannot be aceu
rately ascertained until after thorough 10. .
vestigatiOn. One of the bondsmen, who
has been examining the accounts, says they
show thus far deficit of $3.50, 900. The
same bondsman says that the treasurer's
books and account at one of the banks alone
show discrepancy Of over $50, 1000. Just
before Christmas, 1t Is said, he drew out of
the bank Of Pulaski $1,000. The State
funds were distributed Ia banks at Nash
vile, Knoxville and Memphis.
Two years ago the Legislature levied q
tax 10 pay the interest on certain funded
bonds, and the tax collected amounted TO
100000. Before Polk could pay this
amount over to the creditors, parties op-
posed to the settlement filed an Injunction
and the Supreme Court declared the act un.
constitutional. Since then the money was
supposed to he In the treasurer's hands. IL
Is In these funds that the deficiency has
bee discovered
Treasurer Polk left this city on Wednes.
day and was last heard of at Milan, Tern.
from which point he wrote that he would
return Sunday. His family here do not
know his whereabouts. 1t is supposed that
he lost the money in stock speculation and
In Eelping out friends who had also
lost money in the same way. Treas
urer Polk is ffty-one years old,
graduate of West Point, and served four
years on the frontier. He was captain of
Artillery In the Con federate army ia Cheat
hams division. He lost leg at the battle
OF Shiloh and afterwards served on the staff
OF General Leonidas Polk, to whom he WAC
related. Alter the war he resided on farm
near Bolivar, Tennessee, until elected Treas
urer six years ago. He was a nephew of the
late President Polk.
The State Treasurer's official bond was for
100000. His bondsmen are William NJ.
and A. Il. Duncan of Newell. Duncan
county, brokers; Max Sax, cashier of the
National Savings Bank; William Morrow,
former State Treasurer; Will Polk and j.
Y. X. Carpenter, all of Nashville; and j. X.
Folk, +. I. ID. Allison and X. p. Cole, of
West Tennessee, and A. s. Horsley, OF Co
lumbia.
1t the last extra session of the Legislature
bill was introduced to increase the bond of
the State Treasurer, but the bill was stolen
from the desk Of the Clerk Of the Senate the
night before 1t was to come up for final pas
sage and on the day before the time fixed
for the final adjournment of the Legislature
The Senate has adopted the following
joint resolution:
WaKREAs, The Senate has reason to believe
that NJ. I. Polk, the present Treasurer, is a de-
faulter for about 100000, and whereas, the boud
given by the said officer is not SUFFICIENT
In amount to secure the said de1ct, therefore
tie 1t
RESOLVED, By the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives that the Attorney General of the
State be and he is hereby instructed to attach
Instantly all the available assets belonging to
said M. I. Polk, provided that s1ficlent
grounds exist TO the end that the same may be
held for the satisfaction Of said deficits.