The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-08-09

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is charged with conducting the
affairs of the State penitentiary.
a very large business interest,
with extensive machinery for its
operation. Realizing the magni-
tude OF this interest and the ne.
cessity for an executive officer,
to look after the details of it, the
legislature created the office Of
secretary Of the board and put
him under bond for the honest
discharge of his duties. That
secretary was an expert book
keeper; had filled his post through
six or seven years, and possessed
the unqualified confidence OF
everybody. During these years
of service, in performance of his
duties of the executive officer OF
the board, in handling the money
of this vast business, he stole in
the aggregate, a large sum. He
confessed to the theft; pleaded
guilty and was sentenced to the
penitentiary. That happened
some weeks ago. But he was
not sent to the penitentiary at
once. He was kept in the county
Jail because his testimony was
needed to get'' the man
a." higher up.
Following all rule andprecedent
in the conduct Of trustees or di.
rectors in the operation of large
business affairs. this secretary
handled the details of the peniten-
tiary business, just as a secretary
of every corporation handles the
details CT its affairs. In this
discharge of the duties Of his
office he was unfaithful; stole
money. confessed, and was
FURNISHED for it. Such breech of
trust is not unusual. 1t frequently
happens; the thief is caught and
put behind the bars, and the bu-
siness goes on as before.
But it was reserved for the
great State of Mississippi to es.
tablish a new rule in affairs of
this kind. In order to "get'
the man higher up this un-
happy man was put on the stand
to tell again the story OF his dis
honor in order TO show that Col.
Montgomery trusted him to dis
charge the functions for which
his office was created and bond
given. The law says that the
trustees shall sell the products Of
the State farms and deposit the
proceeds in the State treasury;
and then provides the board with
a secretary. and executive officer
to perform the physical acts Incl
dent to this requirement: because
it is manifestly absurd to suppose
that it contemplated that each OF
the three trustees should endorse
n check, all three of them take
it TO the bank and cash it, and
then all three three take hold of
that money and bear it to the
treasury. Following all precedent
and usage in such cases, the
secretary proceeded to perform the
physical duties incident to his
office. and nobody, through all
these years questioned the pro-
priety of these acts, until the
pursuit Of the man higher up "
began, and then it became
necessary to invoke the letter of
the law for his undoings. and the
governor got his man, TO the
eternal shame of Mississippi.
Col. Montgomery was convicted
on the testimony Of Yerger.
backed by an instruction IF tn e
court based upon a technically
that violated the spirit Of the law,
and noble gentleman was pub
licly Inundated that the govern :
or's boast might be indicated,
hts promise fulfilled and his NAL
ice satisfied.
But what victory for great
State to exult in!
How high and proud may sh e
GARY her head in the sight Of that