Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-07-26
JEFFERSON DAVIS UNDER PECULIAR
CIRCUMSTANCES.
The Great Man Descends TO Lower Berth.
A New Illustration of His FOndness for Pet
ticOats.


Penetrate the divinity supposed to hedge
about king, and In all probability human
clay of the coarsest mold will be found. In
vest a selfish mediocre man with the attri-
butes of purity and chivalry, and not all
the devotion of the male or the idOlatry OF
the female sex will prevent him from max
ing himself odious.
Place thetruly great man under cloud,
and he will be even greater than in the
sunshine of fortune. ..
Place an insincere, selfish, ambitious
man under a cloud and he falls below the
contempt of those who admired MN When
in power.
We moralize thus as a preliminary
the introduction of circumstance eXem-
plifying these propositions.
Jefferson Davis, the whilom President of
the Southern Confederacy, and at present
the president of a Southern life insurance
company, at salary BETTING an ex- Presi-
dent, is the subject of a story the impro-
priety of which we beg our readers to
overlook in consideration of the fact that
it serves to point moral and adorn
tale
JEFFERSON DAVIS IN THE ROLL OF PRO-
TECTOR TO FEMALE VIRTUE.
On Tuesday evening at $3.50 the venera-
BILE Davis, the insurance company presi-
dent left the Peabody Hotel in Memphis,
and took a sleeping-car on the Memphis
and Charleston railroad for Huntsville,
Alabama. The distinguished eX-President
and present insurance president was kind
enough to honor with his protection and
fatherly care the handsome wife of gen.
tleman who boarded at the Overton Hotel.
About dozen persons were in the sleep
ing-car, to all of whom the form of the eX-
President was familiar. They enjoyed the
honor of his distinguished presence and
feasted their admiring eyes on his revered
person until about 81 O'clock, when, be-
tween Memphis and Decatur, he directed
the porter of the sleeping-car
TO PREPARE TWO SLEEPING BERTHs.
"This lady il under my charge" said
the distinguished Jefferson, and you will
prepare the lower berth for her. l, myself
will occupy the upper BERTH
The passengers were somewhat surprised
that the venerable eX-President should de-
sire to retire so early, but they assumed
that the weighty cares of insurance and
the mighty memories of his presidential
career weighed heavily on the great man
and he delighted not in meditation.
We approach the subject with hesitation.
The berths were prepared. The lady re-
tired to the lower couch, and the form of
the distinguished eX-President, partially
disrobed, was seen to ascend in a dignified
manner to
THE UPPER BERTH.
The train rolled on carrying the distin-
guished ex-President to Huntsville The
rapidly.
Strange to say, the curtains which hid
the form of the distinguished eXPresident
from the gaze of his fellow-passengeT were
seen to sway and bulge outward.
A FORM DESCENDED,
Cautiously from the upper berth, and
dropped into the lower one.
Weighed down with the cares of insur-
ance, and the mighty memories of the
past, was it possible that the distinguished
eX-President was somnambullst?
The passengers wondered and whispered
and irreverent ones doubted. They re.
garded jefferson as a mere mortal, and
feared that he was not so circumspect in
his conduct as good morals and reputation
would warrant.
Mr.. Hess, the conductor of the sleeping
car, was informed that Jefferson Davis, his
distinguished passenger, and the equally
revered and distinguished ex-President
had made a mistake and was occupying
the berth.
WITH THE LADY.
under his protection.
The CONDUCTOR approached. in solemn
silence tho berth of the distinguished ex-
pre-id He'd aside the curtain with q
trenli nand and,
o, shades of departed chivaly and puri
Alas for frail humanity!
The distinguished eX-President of the
Southern Confederacy and president of q
southern life insurance company, was oc-
eupying the berth with the married lady
under his chivalic protection. f'.ff
q, "Mr, Davis, you cannot be permitted. TO
do this, sir; you must take another berth
sirn said Mr. Hess.
tits none OF your business. 1 decline t.
leave. l have paid orthese berths,
and | viii occupy the one ! choose said
the bold and distinguished eX-President
with that dignity and firmness 50 charac
teristic of the truly great man.
Mr.. Hess protested entreated, argued
and begged, but the soul of Jefferson was
unmoved. He would MT bulge a foot
helady discreetly turned her face away
and took no part in the discussion.
CONDUCTOR HESS -
in aquandary, retired. a halfhour elaps-
ed. He wanted the distinguished ex-P Pres
ident to have plenty of time to take his
venerable form, Clothed in shirt and
draWers) into the upper berth.
Jefferson didn't do any such thing.
He remained with the lady under his
charge.
MR.. MILLER,
The conductor of the train, was Informed
of the irregular proceedings of the EXPIRES.
ident, and, in company with Mr.. Hess
went to Jefferson and his silent partner
and remarked, in tone that indicated
business .-
Mr.. Davis, we can't allow this conduct
on this train. You must take another
berth sir, Immediately"