The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-09-04
Hon. George A. Wilson, OF Lexington, Mississippi Tells ALI
About the Matter
And the Dealings lie Had With Phil A. Rush. Wilson Had Been
Rush's Friend

noticed several bankers from
different parts Of the state in jackson
while 1 was there, and have since been
told by them that they had been sum.
moneu TO jackson by Mr. RUSH on the
same mission as | had been, and that
each one OF them had been requested
by Mr.. Rush 10 hnip his candidacy as
Capitol Commissioner
He was elected and congratulated
him and went home. I aid not take
an active part, Or any part at all, III
trying to get MIR. Rush's bill passed.
never saw it and never spoke to a
representative or senator on the sub
| jeot.
INSURANCE COMPANY FORMED.
ga short time after the Legislature
adjourned Mr.. E L. Ragland came
to my Office and laid before me the
plan and prospectus of the Mississippi
| Fire Association and said that he and
Phil A. Rush were getting up big
insurance company ard wanted ma to
subscribe to some of the stock. l be-
lieved the plan good one and SUBJ
scribed TO some Of the stock, and Mr..
Rush soon afterwards wrote me on
the subject and asked me if / would
serve on the Board of Directors. l
wrote him that l was very busy man
and hoped he would get some one else
After awhile l received notice that
the first meeting Of the stockh olders
was to be held at Winona on January
Is, 1901. I had not heard Mr..
Rush's character Or reputation dis
| cussed at that time and believing he
as smart and honest I phoned him
my proxy and was not at the meeting
at all. 1t turned out that MIR. Rush
had control of the meeting, and NAM
ed, or had named, the officers and di-
] rectors. He was elected President and
also treasurer, so that Phil A. Rush,
treasurer, accounted to Phil A. Rush.
president The directors were called
to meet at jackson some time in Feb
ruary for the purpose Ct organization
WAS RUSH'S FRIEND.
1t became necessary for Mr.. Rush
to make $50, 900 bond as treasurer
until be could be bonded by the
American Surety Company. I wrote
up the bond and signed it as surety,
and got several other gentlemen to
sign it. J. mention this to show that
| was Rush's friend. I was not try
ing to get his job or turn him out Of
office. / did all l could to help him
and assisted him in every way, and
right here I will refer to a converse
ton 1 had with Hon. w. B. Walk or,
the Associations attorney, on the
subject of Rush and his conduct after
uncomplimentary things hau begun
to be said about him to different
members of tho board However, we
did not run very long until the whole
board was surprised and disguised
with Mr.. Rush's acts and methods.
He opposed the passage Of by law
that required remittances to pass
through the hands of the secretary,
and by him charged to the treasure,
before turning the funds over to the
treasurer He made a point Oh Mr..
Richard Griffith. of jackson, who
was our president, that he
| (Griffith) had not actually paid the
first assessment on his stock at the
time the board organized, whereas
he (Rush) was sitting there as Presi
dent, and had not paid one cent into
the treasury on his own stock. Oh
course, we did not know it at tina,
time. The exec utive committee or
dered him to invest our money IL
bonds within thirty days. That was
on April 18th, 1901. He wrote letter
about the time the thirty days were
out to each of the directors saying
that he had bought SO many levee
bonds at certain price, and so many
Louisiana bonds at a certain price
whereas, in truth he had not Dough,
single bond. This indirectly led te
the discovery Of the Treasury steal
and came about in this way:
DISCOVERY OF STEAL.
"Mr. J. T. Thomas, of Grenada
was one of our directors and mem
Der of the executive committee. HI
called me up over the phone and ask
ed me if I had gotten letter from
Rush, stating that he had bough
!; those bonds. told him had, ant
he said: why, there is not a wore
'--ih in -. =. h"~ not k--~ht an,