The leader., 1902-07-02
THE TREASURY EMBEzzLE.
MENT CASES.
THE

GreaVes are displaying a steady hand
and firm purpose in dealing with the
State Treasury embezzlers, but are
experiencing great difficulty in bring
ing them to trial. The taking up of
the cases was first delayed by the alb
sence of the Governor, an important
State witness. Meanwhile it was dis
covered that the indictments returned
against the defendants, Robt. Stow
ers, F. 7. Raiford, Phil. A. Rush and
j. J. Armisted, at the last term of the
court were void, by reason of a clerical
error in the commissioner Hon. Frank
Johnston, the special judge presiding
at the time the indictments were re-
turned. To meet this objection, the
present grand jury, under the advice
of Judge Powell and District Attorney
Greaves, reindicted Raiford, Rush and
Armisted, and Phil. A. Rush's case
was called for trial on this second in
dictment. To this indictment, his
counsel, Judge Robt. Mayes and r. N:
Miller, entered and argued demurrer,
holding that it was fatally defective on
various grounds. While this question
was being argued by counsel for the
defense on Saturday, the District At
torney presented a third indictment
from the grand jury, which met the
defects complained of in the other,
and counsel for the defense, taken
somewhat off their feet. by this un-
expected turn in the proceedings,
asked for suspension until Monday,
that they might have time to search
out points of attack in this one also.
Monday counsel for the defense re-
turned into court with a new demur-
rer. The most important objection
set up in this was to the effect that
while the Mississippi laws make it a
crime to embezzle State funds, the act
of borrowing State funds is not a
crime, and the court therefore pos
seses no hold on the defendant Rush
unless it should choose to make a
law of its own and declare that the
borrowing of state funds is crime
Judge Powell overuled this demurrer,
had the defendant arranged and set
the case for trial on its merits to-mor
NOW Thursday.
Phil, A, Rush is a Senatobia banker
and politician, who was on State
Treasurer Showers bond. J. J. Armi-
sted is a Memphis banker. F. T.
Raiford was the cashier of Treasurer
Showers in the State Treasury, and is
a personal and political friend of
Rush. He embezzled the States mon
ey, it seems, to the amount of some
Sl07 900, from the State Treasury, and
with the cooperation and assistance
of Rush and Armisted, it was loaned
to Memphis contractor, for the ben.
eft of the three parties. 1t doesn't
appear, thus far, that Ex-Trersurer
Showers was party to the transaction
or had any knowledge of it until the
Governor counted the money in
the treasury last summer and dis
covered the shortage.
Armisted has never been arrested as
yet, and two acquisitions on the Gov
erner of Tennessee by Gov. LONGING
since court convended, have failed
thus far to be honored, and it is
therefore not expected that he will be
brought to trial at this term.
| No new Indictment has been re.
turned against Ex-Treasurer Showers
and with the present public under
standing of the matter, the people
will be satisfied if he escapes prosecu-
ton, if Raiford, Rush and Armisted
the really guilty parties, are brought
to justice. Judge Powell, District
Attorney Greaves and the present
Kinds county grand jury are display
ing readiness to do their full duty
which is highly gratifying, and it is
hoped there will be no relaxation any
where in this regard until the ends Of
justice are attained and a wholesome
example made of these prominent of
tenders against the law, who are
doubtless counting largely on theil
money and personal influence to es
cape the penalty of their crime.