The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-03-22
A TRUE HISTORY OF The PEETE CASE
mailed at Nashville, and postmarked
July s, 1898, at 10 M:
Stale OF TenneHBee,
Comptroller of the Treasury,
"Nasbville. Tenn. Julv 3. 18Qi

July l, 1898, that l may know what
sum am entitled to commissions on
under our agreement. You will also
send me statement of state collections
for April, May and June. One of the
new boys in the Office wrote you for
reports, not knowing that your account
was in my hands for settlement.
II will try to keep Mr.. Harris off of
me until after your election. ! am
taking chances and standing by you,
and l know that after you are elected
that yon will not forget me. Write me
at Bristol. Your friend, J. l. Cox"
The original letter is in your cores
pondent's posseSsion.)
The following letter, also in my pos
session, was with regard to the prima-
ry, March 8, 1893;
darlington Hotel, Il. R. Phelps, Man.
ager-Heated by steam, and all mod
ern improvements.
'"Olsrksville, Tenn, March "a, '9S.
''E. Fl. Peete, ESQ.,, Covington, Tenn.
"My Dear Sir: am just back from
Q vacation, and learned Of your success
in the primary. congratulate you on
your nomination. l find that I can
not get to your place by the 25th inst,
but will be there in the next 80 days.
Keep matters in statu quo until come.
"Yours sincerely, J. I. Cox, .
Revenue Agent"
On May 2S, 1898, Peete forwarded to
National Bank at Bristol New York
Exchange, drawn ON Gilman Son &
Co., bankers of New York, to take up
check for $3.50 drawn in favor of J. l.
Cox, revenue agent, on May IS, 1898,
on F. U. Bank at Covington. The
Cancelled exchange shows that this
check was duly paid On September
8, 1893, Peete forwarded New York Ex-
change, drawn on same New York
bankers, to take up another check for
$3.50, deposited by Cox in Bristol bank,
which the Cancelled exchange shows
was duly done. The certified state
ment from Comptroller Harris, and al
80 statement from Comptroller King,
in your correspondents possession,
shows that Cox did not pay over to the
state the proceeds of these two checks,
one of which he received in May, 1893,
and the other in September, 1898, until
December 30, 1898, when he paid in
$3.50, and on December 81, 1898, $40,
deducting his commissions from both,
which payments were made few days
before the Legislature of 1899, which
investigated Cox's revenue record, con-
vened-a significant fact.
On February 1S, 1899, Peete paid
Cox $500, and the latter deposited $425
| to Peete's credit in the comptroller's
Office on March IS, 1899, about or dur
ing the time he (Cox) was being inves-
tigated,
About this time, or rather in April,
Comptroller King got into the game.
/ Evidently Mr.. King thought that as he
had been elected comptroller thai re,
4 ports and remittances should be made
to him instead of to Revenue Agent
i Cox. (The original letters of Mr.. King
i are in your correspondents possession
and will be cheerfully produced if nee
essary.)
I, In letter to Mr.. Peete, OF April 12
1899, Mr.. King writes for reports fo
January, February and March, 1898
and check for balance on same, statinl
that Mr.. Peete has credit on same fo
$425, amount paid John I. Cox, les
commissions.
RI This significant statement occurs il
the same letter: In the future pleas
make your reports promptly, not late
, / than the 9th of each month, and settl
. direct with this Office. Please give thi
! matter your immediate attention." I
letter Of April Il, 1899, he (Mr. King
states that he eneloses statement {
your (Peete's) account, as shown b
books in comptroller's Office, shown
months for which no reports wer
made"
This is the statement referred
above, showing when Cox paid in MOI
eys collected from Peete, and is in you
correspondents possession. In lettt
, of April %, 1899, Mr.. King acknow
edges reports for December, 1893, jar
uary, February and March, 1899, an
check for same, and states, "In regar
to the reports given Mr.. Cox, will say
he has turned over, and will make
statement of the balance due, and mus
insist upon your Strengthening it out.
: And this balance has been paid
Peete in full. These are the report
: referred to by Peete in his depositio
? above referred to and quoted. Count
7 Clerk Peete had some correspondent
with Comptroller King about the con
= missions Cox retained, and about IL
: length Of time Cox kept the none
: Estate revenue) that Peete paid hin
and evidently Mr.. King, at that tim
! ! took somewhat the same view OF IL
= matter as bis letter to Peete diseloses
!. "5tRte of Tennessee,
y "Comptro Ter of the Treasury,
9 Nashville, May 1S, 1899.
"E. Fl. Peete, Clerk, Covington, Ten
Is "Dsar Sir: I received you letter