St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-14
DENIES STEALING $4,000.
Says Underwood Knew at
First the Nature OF the
Venture.
VICTIM OF MISFORTUNE
Tells How He Lost His For
tune and Is Trying to
Recover.

morning from Tennessee, whittier lie
had gone for the purpose of bringing
back j. Royal McMurran. He brought
with him badly written copy of the
! application made to the governor OF
Tennessee for a hearing. notice of
| which fact has already been published
! i'll the columns of the GLOBE. McMur-
ran furnished bail IN the sum OF $500,
and was allowed his liberty pending the
! hearing
The application Of the same sets forth
! the following:
TO His Excellency, Peter Turney, Gov
ernor of Tennessee:
Your petitioner, j. r. McMurran, most
respectfully shows TO your eXcellency
| that he has been arrested in Memphis,
Tenn, OH telegram from the chief OF
/ police of st. Paul, Mimi. at tie in
stance of one Eugene Underwood, on a
charge or ENLIGHTENMENT, and is ill.,
| formed by telegram from ST. Paul that
| requisitlon started from that place on
Aug. s for his eXtradition. Before act
ing OH said requisition. your petitioner
prays your eXcellency to give him a
hearing.
Petitioner is not guilty of the crime of
ENLIGHTENMENT or any other otfenSe
against the laws of Minnesota or any
! other state. He did leave his native
state of Virginia and went to st. Paul,
where he made large fortune. But
when the crash came it left your pc
titioner stranded. The transaction for
which he understands his eXtradition is
sought was simply business matter
which promised well, but, like many
others, proved abortlve, and petitioner
does not feel that he should
Be' Made the scapegoat
of the whole failure. He would. and
will if your excellency desires it. make
detailed statement of the matter, but
now contents himself with a positive
denial OF any criminal act or intention
i'll the Mo tier. Your petitioner denies
most positively that he is fugitive
from justice, or that he has fed or is
fleeing from the justice of Mimi. sofa Or
any other state, as The f5Howing S ate
ment VIII show:
First-The transe ction above referred
to was made in 1892. Said Underwood
knew about it then as well as he does
now. He and petitioner were Jointly
interested in tie transaction, and both
lost. Since 1892 he and petitioner have
been together frequently, for month
w "
York in April, 1898, and also in March,
1894. During all this time and up TO
the present date said Underwood has
been and is now acquainted with petit
toners address.
Second-Petitioner left 81. Paul solely
for business reasons. and in an inter-
view with Underwood's attorney in Chi
cago i'll 1894, stated to him that petit
TONER had no idea of Sinking any re-
sponsibility in any way or manner. and,
indeed, when he came 10 Memphis,
Ienn., where he expects to make his
home, and where he has lived since
March, 1924. he gave Underwood his
address, street number and all.
Third-Having lost his all in st. Paul,
be determined to try his fortune among
his own people, and he came to Mem
phis with no other idea. certainly not to
flee from justice. as he was and is aware
OF having committed no OtfenSe against
the laws of the land.
Fourti-Petitioner is now and always
stood ready to defend any suit lodged
against him in the courts of his resi-
dence, but he is now financially unable
to travel over the country
TO Invite Litigation
for alleged grievances of parties who
with him were unfortunate i'll business
ventures.
Your petitioner therefore prays the
protection of this commonwealth, of
which he is now and hopes to remain
citizen; and he most earnestly prays
that your eXcellency refuse the reQuisi-
ton for him, which he believes is Set
on foot for the purpose of ext0rting
from him money which he does not owe
by means OF a criminal prosecution for
crime of which he is not guilty. And If
i'll anything he has mistaken his remedy,
he prays your eXcelleney TO grant him
appropriate relief in the premises,
County Attorney Butler, when seen
yesterday by GLOBE reporter, said that
thus far he had not yet determined Oh
any step. However, if Mr.. Underwood,
as prosecuting witness, designed that a
vigorous case should be conducted, he
would do so. MIR. Butler stated further
that under the law the governor of Ten
nessee had no right to allow McMurran
to go. If the papers had been properly
drawn, of which fact there was no
doubt. all that the governor could do is
to determine whether there are suffi-
cient grounds for the warrant to be re-
spected. The local authorities alone
are the proper ones to DIAL with the
prisoner. and, if innocent, MeMurran
should have no hesitancy about return
ing TO stand trial. 1t is very likely that
the coun y attorney will go to Mem
phis and personally look after the case.
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