The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1913-06-29
Four Counts in Bill Returned
Against Penitentiary Com
missioner C. C. Smith.
M|SFEASANCE IS ALLEGED
Official is Accused Of Having De
rived Personal Profit from
State Purchases.

Decidedly the most important
development in the penitentiary |
probe since the arrest of Law
renee Yerger came at Jackson
last Wednesday. when the Kinds
county grand jury indicted
Charles C. Smith. president of
trustees of the Mississippi peni-
tentiary, charging misfeasance
in Office by the use of his Off
cial position to gain personal
profit.
The indictment. which con-
tains four counts, charges that
Mr.. Smith, while discharging the
duties of his Office, to which he
was duly elected by the qualified
voters of his district, was inter-
ested in the selling of supplies
to the State and in other illegal
transactions. One Of the illegal
trans actions in which the head
of the prison board is said to
nave been interested was the
sale of an automobile. which was
purchased by his department
some two years ago.
The return of the indictment
results from the investigation
which has been in progress for
several months under the direc-
ton of Governor Brewer. The
probe first touched Lawrence
Yerger, secretary Of the prison
,hoard. who has already entered
* =, Mao nf bsritlty to the charge OF
embezzlement. and who was re.
! Gently sentenced to served ten
} years in the penitentiary. Next
followed indictments against W.
, B. Gowdy and A. c. Davis, who
. are charged with defrauding the
State by manipulating cotton
seed weights and whose cases
, are now pending.
Mr.. Smith was at the Parch-
man farm when the indictment
J was returned against him We'd
nesday, but returned to Jackson
the following day. and gave him
self up to the court.
He was accompanied to the
J court room by a number of his
personal friends, including Clay.
ton D. Potter, state senator from
Kinds county. and his counsel,
whose firm. together with Burch
J & Strickner. will represent hin
at the bar.
Il am here and ready for tria
at any time that | may be called
upon, and the earlier the case i
called the better | will be salts
f1ed," declared President Smith
Il may say that | am con
scious of no wrong-doing and that
all the money that / have ever re
ceiyed since | have been connect
ed with the state government ha
been the salary allowed me b.
law"
1t is probable that the case Of
C. C. Smith will be taken up a
an early day for formal arraign
ment and for fixing a date 70
calling the case for trial. He wa
released on $500 bail. whiel
was promptly furnished.
Next Tuesday is the date TO
the regular monthly meeting o
the penitentiary board, at whicl
Mr.. Smith is expected to take hi
place as usual. and it will prob
ably be some time later befor
the court case can be gone into
Counsel in the case have not We
disclosed their plans Of procedur
but the first step will in all Dsot
ability be the fling of demurrer
to the indictments. AS aboy
stated, no specified date has bee
set for taking up the case for al
raignment and 1t is not know
what the district attorney ma
be holding back.
Mr.. Smith is now serving hi
/ second elective term as truste
4 of the penitentiary. He wa