The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-15
BROWN WILL BEGIN ACTION ID |MPEACH
 PUR|F0y AT ONCE
Birmingham Attorneys Elm ployed to Institute Pro- ceedings, He Tells h.
 vestigating Committee
By l.. s. BETTY

Montgomery. June 14.-tspecial.)
 Bradley Brown of Birminshnm. for ,ner agent of the stnte motor vehicle
 department, will at once institute i'm peachment proceedings against Judge John Purifoy, secretary of state, on
 out state funds illegally and ineom-
 potency in office, according to the tes-
 timony of Mir. Brown this afternoon before the legislative Ensestipafins
 committee. Mir. Brown has employ ed
 Gibson & Davis of Birmingham to in stitute the proceedings.
 MT. Brown told the committee that he had a conference with Judge Purifoy to-
 day and that the latter offered to pay him
 his commissions due from the sales of auto mobile license amounting to nearly $J00 provided Mir Brown would cease his
 fight against the secretary of state
 "l considered such a proposal a species
 proposition MT. Brown said he told
 Judge Purifoy. MT. Brown then said that Judge Purifoy instructed his clerk to pay
 the claim without any stipulation.
 Produces Letter
 Mir. Brown produced a letter which he
 wrote to the Investigating committee on June l2, in which he related the incidents in connection with the application for bonds made by Judge Purifoy when he
 was state treasurer, he said Judge Puri- foy went to Frank N. Julian and T. E. Lovejoy of Montgomery to obtain bonds fnr in,a nlf md ,tf
 MT. Julian and MT. Lovejoy told Judge
 Purifoy that they could not make bond
 for James Purifoy unless collateral or other security was provided. Later Judge
 Purifoy called on them and told them
 that the bonds had been made.
 According to. MT. Browns letter to the
 committee these bonds were made by the American Bonding company and the
 Fidelity and Casualty company, and that
 collateral was furnished by the American Bank and Trust company of Birming ham, under an agreement whereby stipulated amount of state funds was to be deposited with the bank at all times
 Birmingham Men Summoned Mr. Brown said that the bond deal in Birmingham was handled through c. c. Terry. MT. Terry and MT. Julian have been summoned as witnesses before the committed MT. Brown left yesterday for MODlle, put assured the committee that he would return at any time he is needed w. F. Fonville. one of the clerks in
 office of Judge Purifoy, was placed on
 the stand He stated that Judge Purifoy instructed him to settle with Bradley Brown, but that the accounts did not agree. He then went to Judge Purifoy and told him of the matter. He said
 Judge Purifoy then told him to see Cyrus B. Brown and tell him that If Bradley
 Brown would withdraw his Tight" on the. official that the claim would be paid Arrangements for a meeting between Judge Purifoy and Bradley Brown were made and MT. Brown appeared yesterday afternoon at Judge Purifoy's office. He then received the offer of the payment provided the flight was dropped, ac- cording to the testimony of MT. Brown. Chairman Henry P. Merritt of the in vestigating committee this afternoon an | nounced that none of the recommenda- tions prepared by the committee will be
 made public before the legislature which meets next month.
 l The committee will make large num- I Der of recommendations to the legsa- | ture many of which will relate to de- partmental changes at the capitol.
 | It is understood that the findings of | the judiciary and finance and taxation | committees also will not be made public until they have been presented to the 1 legislative body. sf