The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-17
Legislative Investigation
 Committee Springs Sec ond Sensation of Week. Cowart Placed in Jail
CHENEY CLAIMS HIS ARREST IS PURELY A
 POLITICAL SCHEME
Gives Out Statement Charg- ing Prlx~ .iings Against Him yss .uted to lnjure Him $ olitical Way

Mon 2 ". June 1e.-tspecIai.) Lee of Birmingham. former com- miss of immigration, was arrested at spitol today warrant charging the embexz.ement of s650 of state funds. The warrant was sworn out on information furnished by the leEisIative Investigating committee, before whom Mir. Cowart was a wit ness for more than m hour this morn ing. The former commissioner of im- migration was placed in the Monteom- cry county jail following his failure to make bond In the sum of s1200.
 The arrest of MT. Cowart was the second sensational development of the week growing out of the work of the investi- gating committed On yesterday the com mittee had a warrant sworn out for the arrest of Capt. John C. Cheney, former chief clerk of the agricultural depart ment, on the charge of embedding s13s2 of state funds. The warrant was served on Captain Cheney at his home in Ever green today, and bond was promptly fur HiSneu III the sum or SzpV.
 Warrant Served
 The warrant for MT. Cowarts arrest was served on him by Deputy Sheriff Brassell, who was present in the investi- gating room during MT. Cowart's testi- mony before the committee. It simply contained the blanket charge of embez- zling $650.
 The money MT. Cowart is alleged to have embedded was received from cer-
 tain persons desiring to list lands trans, actions, according to MT, Cowart, which were purely legal in nature. This money was to have been used in the puhlica- tion of land book. but lack of sufficient funds prevented the publication of the volume.
 Following his arrest, MT. Cowart stated to newspaper men that he would be apie
 to explain the entire transaction, declar- ing he would be able to account for every dollar received by him during his term of office as immigration commissioner He said he would in a few days issue a statement covering the various transac- tions in which he was engaged MT. Cowart will be given a preliminary nedliIiS pelOre JuuSe M. H. screws Ol the court of common pleas, on June 26 Captain Cheney. will be given hearing
 before the same court on June 25. Denies Charges
 Capt John Cheney, former chief clerk of the department of agriculture, who was arrested at Evergreen today on the charge of embedding more than $500 oi state funds, gave out a brief statement in Montgomery tonight to the effect thai the proceedings against him "are based solely on political prejudces.
 He further declared that the charges are intended to "humiliate me and my political friends and that they arc groundless and unwarranted
 q was not given an opportunity to ex plain the alleged discrepancy" he said. T want to assure my friends and the people of Alabama that there are no IT, regularities in my office to the prejudic, of the state, and that all money coming into my hands belonging to the state ha, been faithfully accounted for.~
 l Captain Cheney made bond in Ever green within a few minutes after his ar
 rest. His bondsmen, 10 in number ar,
 said to be worth nearly $,O0O,OOO.