Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-06-12
RemInIseences Of Gen. wIgfaII.


A correspondent of the st. Louis Dis.
patch gives some interesting stories of
| the late Senator Wigfall:
| read with some interest your article
on the death Of General Lewis 7. Wigfanl,
! of Texas, man who, to my mind, was
one of the most remarkable characters
the South ever produced, and / have
thought some "reminiscences of him
strung together at random might not be
unacceptable at this time, especially as
his death has brought his name once
more prominently before the public.
In conversation he was one of the most
fascinating men it was ever my fortune
to be thrown into contact with-not only
brilliant talker, but learned and pro-
found talker as we'll Possessed OF
wonderfully retentive memory, great
fund Of anecdote. style that was ex-
ceedingly picturesque, and gift in ma
king metaphors-for it cannot be called
by any other name-that was inexhaus-
tible, he could come as near proving
/ black to be white in an hours talk, as it
was said Lord Macanley could. Before
an audience of people proper he was ir-
resistible. Once after the war and in
the mountains of Colorado, General Wig
| fall happened to be passing through some
| little mining town in the silver regions.
/ think it was in 1870. 1t was raining
hard and had been all day. The vehicle
in which he had taken passage broke
down a short distance from the place,
and this necessitated halt for the night.
Roughly clad, covered with mud and wet
to the skin, Wigfall struggled up to the
nearest hotel in the settlement aud reg
istered his name. While drying his
soaked garments at the stove, shout
was raised outside, and the news came
that a well-known character OF the place,
a deperado called Texas Peter, had been
caught with sack of gold dust in his
possession that did not belong to him,
and that the miners had formed them
selves into court OF justice to try him for
his life.
where is the man from2" Wigfall
asked of the landlord.
They say he is from Texas, but l
don't know. he has a bad name here
abouts, and expect it will go hard with
him"
Wigfall himself was from Texas, and
perhaps some memory OF the State, at
the time, was busy at his heart and ear
nestly at work upon his sympathy. The
sobriquet Of Texas Peter, in all proba
bility a borrowed one, arrested his at
tentIon at once. BE rose abruptly from
his seat, went among the miners, gath
cred together in the rain TO pass sentence
upon fellow mortal, who in their eyes
had committed the objectionable sin.
The culprit had no friends. He was g
gaunt man, with scar across the right
cheek, iron gray hair, and face that
was strongly marked, yet sinister. His
guilt was established beyond doubt, and
with all due formality he was sentenced
to death. The rope was brought and
from purple hue the mans face turned
ashen pale.
Wigfall leaned over to him and asked
him gently il there was anyone in Texas
who would be sorry TO hear that be had
died like dog. Yes, there was one;
= wife, whom be had once been happy with,
T. but who, for all that had been cruelty
4 treated and abandoned.
VIII you 90 back TO her and support
her, 1t / save your Wigfall demanded.
d Inc man swore he would.
linen IN twenty minutes speech, as
4 has been declared to the writer BY three
truthful men who we're present, Wigfall
J. did with that rough, unshorn crowd Just
a what he pleased. They cried. laughed.
+: felt sorrow and rage and Infinite pity By
turns, and finally with great veil re-
V leased the thief and babe him 20 in peace
' while the spell was on them.
i Before Wigfall left the town he drew
up code Of laws for the mines. intended
for their local self-government; had re-.
J. fused the profits Of a hundred claims II
J, he would stay among them and keen the
n peace; and declined 70 take, With much
q gentleness and many kind words, no end
Of presents as an homage to his elo.
< quence and the interest be had shown in
Is the welfare Of the settlement