The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-09-11
STIMULATING CURRENCY
Proceedings Against Mississippi
State Officials,
CARLISLE ORDERS THEIR ARREST

Governor stone Appears Not at All Dis.
turbed and Is sanguine of the Success.
fui Termination Of the Issue, which
WIN Probably Bo Made a Test Case,
JACKSON, Miss, Sept 11-warrants
were sworn out for the arrest of the fol.
lowing state officers Of Mississippi. J. NJ.
Stone, governor; w w. Stone, auditor,
and J. J. Evans, state treasurer
William j. Burns, n special agent Of the
secret service bureau Of Washington, who
has been here for the past two months
working on the special warrant case,
made affidavits before Commissioner J..
b. Moseley, charging them with violat-
ing section 5,430 Of the revised statutes of
the United States in issuing the 5000 OOO
of Mississippi special warrants, charged
TO be in the similitude of United States
currency. The warrant was placed in the
hands Of United states Marshal J. Nc
Nealy. Auditor Stone appeared before
the commissioner and entered into per
sonal recognizance Of $1,000 for his ap-
pearance at the Novemb er term of the
federal court waiving examination.
The affidavit contains three charges
covering each of the three denominations
Of warrants with photogr aph print Of
both front and back Of the same These
charges allege that on June Is, 1894, the
aforesaid mentioned officials did unlaw-
fully and feloniously, at jackson, Miss,
and not by direction of any proper officer
OF the United States, print, photograph,
make and cause to be printed, photo
graphed and made certain photograph,
print and impression of the likeness of
national bank currency of said United
States. Then follows the denomination
of the warrants with Photographic print
of its face and back
The state officers have been expecting
these proceedings for several DAYS and
were not, therefore, the least surprised
when served. They appear not all dis
turbed and are sanguine of the successful
termination of the issue. The warrants
were issued in accordance with an act
passed by the last legislature making it
the official duty of these officers to exc
cute the same. The act provides for $780,
OOOin these warrants in denominations of
fives, tens and twenties These are re
deemable Jan. 1, 1896 and bear interest at
the rate of per cent. per annum and are
receivable at any time for all dues by the
state prior 60 the date without interest.
Their issuance was rendered necessary by
deficit in the state treasury, and the
legislature chose this means of providing
for it over the protests of the state officers
who argued for an issue of bonds in their
stead
The first demand made by the United
States government was a few days ago
when Special Officer Burns demanded the
cancelled plates from which the warrants
were printed. His demand was refused.
10 win . h., I
received instructions to swear out war
rants for the arrest of the officials.
Governor Stone was seen and said the
state officials had no purpose to violate
any United States law, and that he did
not believe that such law had been VIC.
lated, that the matter was now to come
before a court for which he had the great
est respect and in which he had the ut
most confidence. He did not, therefore,
care to publicly discuss the matter in
question.
United States Senators G. T.. George and
a. j. McLaurin and ex-Chief Justice j.
A. 2. Campbell have been retained by the
state officials to defend them
The proceedings against the Mississippi
state officials were taken at the direction
of Secretary Carlisle and as the result of
a consultation between him and the of
ficials of the department of justice it was
felt that if no notice was taken of the is
sue and distribution of these warrants by
the state of Mississippi other states would
in all probability follow suit and the
near resemblance of the issues to govern
ment securities would result in harm.
The penalty is fine of not more than
5000 or Imprisonment at hard labor not
more than fifteen years, or both. The
opinion here is that the present will be a
test case.