Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1901-09-05


ters give the facts about the state
treasury Gefalcztion of ls4e. whe- the
Treasurer got away with a consider
able szn- and when IL Is said his wifs
planned his escap@--S.- r. ].
The stOrY is Interestingly told IN
Lowry and Ncc2rdlss History of Mss
issippi. ss follows:
The story Of the 6efzlcztio1 and
Eight Of the Treasurer Eay - hTie6F
stated In the autumn % 1872 Rich
ard : Graves received from Ho1-
walter Forward then Secretary %
the Treasury Department Of the Unites.
States. \ draft OF the Treasurer q
the United States for the tEo and
three per cent fund due the State Of
Mississippi. amounting 20 SIS. .0s1-
This draft vas r,a1e payable in United
states treasury note<- a. 4 future day
wlth interest and 10 Riehar1 : Graves
in his individual capacity. ard ncs a.
State Treasurer.
OF this 1nOant- sis4-ls w1s paid
hin October srh- iss. Tels large sun
vas received IN The treasury without
p4y warrant or esrriEczte from TIE
auditor % public accounts This fact.
however. did not cone 70 the kzOwl-
edge Of Gov Tucker uztiI the 9Th day
Of January. ISs5. Eke1 - EzS ADVISED
ey 4 letter from Hon- Jzcob ThonpSoa
that Graves had drzE1 the Waols
ancz1t % the tEO pr cezL fzr1-
which constituted the greater part GE@
the State ~ the EeneraI Eovern=~zt-
The letter % Mr. TAo-pzuz caEzss-1
Gov TGcksT TO izvesSi<zte the power
OF ta> execUtIVe- ay TIE AVS - the
STATE over the Safe Gr-aszrer as
vel zS E1e eozfenrs IN II. trezsszry
After a careful ~xzzirarsoz- Gov
Tucker rvzche.d EAe c0ucrzxso-- II
which h vas supported By the Al
torn@E Gererzi and employed coxzse<
that the State Treasurer cozld czly
he removed b. inp~achz~ut-
Tsere wzs a. that tiE.e No statute
authorizing TIE Goyerzor 10 szsp@zz
the State Treasurer. o. % remove the
funds fruz his custody The i-rsSziEz-
tto1- however. I'D % ths arrest o<
Graves Al the instance q The Cover
Eor. IN Narrh- 1S45- cAarrs'i With the
o-=1se % e-h@zxie-s1t He w1S ar
rzi<n@. before Chief Justice Shaker.
o< the High Court @ Errors zz1 Ap-
pszls. Eho PRESIDED 0Es- TIE eruzi--
ting co1rr
DuriaS TIE pruEress Of tae trial
Caves Vas Z rke custody u th@
SAeri1 of Hiz1s cozzfr- and uz5sr
gard al hfs oEa resi5snce. whsu Mrs
Graves aPpear-3 AZ the door of the
ropz in Whfeh her hzShzz1 Ezs hef9
4 1rlScz@-. ard Ess4Eszrsa % 80 1lZ
Sc -zs ETzzt=1 TIE p-iFiieze Al II
less tAAz Al hc1- p<-s1E Supposed 70
c< Ir<- GrzTesl czz@ o1t Cf tie rpoz
ard pzss~St the gard goiz< % her
x7a-1z~rtz T.e Ezzrd- after ecz-
SS1erzaAe ri=e- kear1=x No noise Iook-
81 into TIE roozz. zz1 saw IS they SUP
p.0se1 Graves Il te8 A nezrer zp-
rruzeA 70 H. si-eper 2@ve1or<r3 TIE
fact Tez- the occupant % th- h@s1 Vas
Er<- Graves and tAzr X wzs tke -
fAzltiz< Treasurer ~ho pzSsest the
<zrssS. Grsss<t n his Effs-s wearing
z7Ea-el Tie E-xt hezr1 f-cE Graves
- xzz u C1zz48 xk@rs ais wife sub
s~-sz@zEly soi1@1 An
500 ztter Is escape Mrs Graves
requested Al lzzsrs5@x with E0E-
Tzeke- VIA tn Goxerzor czlless Sc
e@4Eer~<t 70 AIN S. 1-ss IN NissisS-
Izzs TrszSzrT warrants. s<-e~-f II
I-1-@1 Stxt-S Trezs1EE aSt~S. and
S--4<<s n f0r~i<z ee8z
On the -lsr q Nara Iss5- G0v.
TEck@r 1ppoiEt@. Eso1- We Clarke
Treasurer q The STATE 70 81 the zaex-
plr-a term q r : Grzv-S-
VIA TIE Eewly zprolEt@1 Treasurer
lad zzzGee. ard g.E=a ho1S the Cor
sr1or paid into EAe Treasury the
fEzts received ~ hin from Mrs
Graves
The desalczTioz Of the State Trsasar-
er- to<eske- with oxker reasons. II
diced the Governor 10 call special
=<zzso1 Of the legislature which aS-
s<zbles1 On July Ie. lssl- o. the So
end dzy after the eo1Te1ing Of ths
legislature Treasurer Clarke submit
ted 4 report showing the desalczfion
OF his predecessor 10 be s+4s3s- IS
Graves dishonesty. betrayal OF
friends. and znfairhfulreSS buolxht
nis~ry and suffering 10 many. He
vzs still living foEr or Eve years ago.
Suit vas brought and Judgment
Obtained against Elijah GrzveS. Tko1-
zs Hog William Perry. H p Barnes,
NAybrzy BzrTei6- r W Graves. James
Bond Joha Ni6dfsson- Vzisztine
Hzr.er and Edwzrd WilliaUs. - the
sureties On the bond Of K : Graves,
ss- ;Ae S== CO sSiSssS
The legislature passed An act zp-
proved the ID dzy Of March. ISIS
which authorized the Governor and the
Attorney General 10 eouprOnise Nth
the sureties On s1eh rsrEs as they
could eject
Some seven or eight years after tbs
uaSszge Of the act referred 70. author.
l ixing 4 compromise With the s1reties
l of the defzulring Treasurer. his Eifs
II -
| OF the legislature Mrs Graves made
a pathetic and affecting APPEAL 10 tie
| legislature for an act Of amnesty She
begged hard and piteously for per
| mission for the return Of her husband
She alleged that he was growing old
wzs in feeble health and his only wish
Was to return 10 Mississippi 10 spend
| the remaining years Of his life rith
the friends OF his earlier and happier
days, and when the summons cane 70
him as il must come TO all he desired
| TO be buried in the soil Of the State he
had 50 wronged. and 10 b- foIEc~esl
To the grave By the friends 10 whom
he had been 50 faishlesS- She repre-
sented him as being truly penitent for
the wrong he had committed, she al
legged that his only hope this side o.
the grave was 70 return and spend the
remainder Of his days surrounded b.
the friends and scenes Of his early
life. She represented him as broken,
ezre-worn. grief-laden ola man. sorrow-
ing over his past nisdeeds- and with
the ever present heart sickening yearn
ing for the home he had di<honored
The appeal Of the wife for the dis
honored husband touched the heart o.
every member Of the legislature. and
though il was ably seconded by several
influential journals Of the day. IN
members Of the legislature deemed il
their irneuhle duty TO deny her re
quest Mrs. Graves was The
daughter ef a reputable citizen Of
Carroll county II l. not known
certainly whether Richard S Graves
or his devoted wife are yet in the land
Of the living IL %. Graves must y
old. vhite-hxired and bending undel
the weight Of many winters. and II
Mrs Graves il still a sojourner in thii
land OF sorrow. il may be accepted n
= verify that her step has lost its light