The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-19
PIERCE GOES TO THE PEN.
Downfall of Once Respected Young
Lawyer of LAGRANGE.
LaGrange tGa) Special to Atlanta Jour

Lawyer of LAGRANGE.
LaGrange tGa) Special to Atlanta Jour
nal
Frank a. Pierce, a weIl-known and at
one time "A highly respected young law
yer of this city. has been convicted Of
larceny after trust and sentenced to four
years in the penitcnitary.
Pierce was put on trial last Wednes-
day and was convicted and sentenced on
Thursday. He is a young man about
p years old, and prior to the mad desire
to speculate which took possession OF
him, he was universally esteemed and it
seemed that a bright future was opening
up before him
Several years ago he was admitted to
the bar in Hogansville and soon after he
moved TO LaGrauge where he opened an
office for the practice of his profession.
Mrs. NJ. A. Tuggle of LAGRANGE. sister
of Hon. Albert II. Cox Of Atlanta, wished
to borrow some money, and employed
Mr.. Pierce to negotiate the loan for her
The money was obtained from John +.
+. Brewster of Boston, through the Hon.
w. +. Simmons Of Lawrenceville, who
represented Brewster. The sum Sc
cured was $3.50 and soon after it was
obtained Pierce disappeared and was gone
for some time. About two weeks later
he was arrested on his return to Geor-
gia, charged with appropriatng the money
to his own use and also with appropriate
ing another sum of money obtained for
the firm of Lawton & Smith of Macon.
Pierce, on being arrested, presented a
receipt for the money from Mrs. Tuggle,
but the paper was pronounced a forgery,
and there is an indictment against him
for that offense
About this time, the state was in the
midst of the Evans-Atkinson campaign.
Mr.. Smith of Macon was an enthusiasts
tic Evans man, while Mr.. Atkinson, the
solicitor-general, was a brother of the
candidate for governor.
There were three cases pending against
Pierce one for larceny after trust in the
Tuggle case, one for the same offense
against him in the LawtOn & Smith case,
and one against him for forgery as to
the alleged receipt from Mrs. Tuggle.
The cases were called several times, but
for reasons considered good Judge Har-
rls, who was presiding, they were con
tinued.
Mr. Smith came out in a card and pub
licy charged that the cases had been con-
tinued on account of the relations exist
ing between the solicitor and the candi-
date for governor This charge called
forth an indignant denial from Solicitor
Atkinson, and for time it looked as If
a duel would result. Friends interfered,
brought about between the gentlemen.
Thursday the Tuggle case against
Pierce was taken up and the trial pro-
ceeded He pleaded not guilty and made
a romantic statement in his own de-
Tense According to this statement,
about the time he received the money
and turned it over to Mrs. Tuggle he
was engaged in negotiating for silver
mine in Mexico and went there to look
after this business when he was charged
with being a fugitive from justice. He
said that he was in a syndicate which
had an option on a rich silver mine in
Mexico. They had agreed to buy it in
case the silver bill, then pending in con-
gress, became a law. While he was in
Mexico, waiting for congress to act on
the bill and ignorant of the proceedings
that had been instituted against him, the
bill was defeated, and the trade having
been thus knocked out, he returned home
only to be arrested.
The case was very stubbornly fought
on both sides, Solicitor Atkinson being
assisted in the prosecution by Messrs. L.
M. Longley Of LAGRANGE and j. II. Pitt
man. Pierce was represented by Messrs.
Hewlett A. Hall Of Newman and d. j.
Gaffney Of LAGRANGE.
A motion for a new trial was made,
and pending its hearing Pierce, who had
been out on bond, has been locked up in
Jail.
The Smith case and the case for forgery
are yet to be heard.