Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-16
HOBBS AND wOM46K.
The Ex.Comptroller Has Quiet In.
terview with his Former Clerk.
And Union and American Man Takes
it all Down In his Little Note
Book.

And a Union and American Man Takes
il all Down In his Little Note
Book.
An interview between ex-COmptroller
Hobbs and Capt. Womack was held at the
office of the latter yesterday afternoon. A
UNION AND AMERICAN reporter happened
to be present. aud congratulated himself
upon that fact, as he had heard during the
morning that the interview would take
place and that a lively time was anticlpa-
ted. The reporter had prepared himself
for emergencies, having donnedhis heaviest
interviewing trowsers and his patent breast
piate-which latter he had placed where 1t
would be likely to do the most good.
At the beginning of the interview, our
representative took up his position near
heavy desk and with clear range for the
door, with a view of either lodging behind
the desk aforesaid, or of skipping lightly
out at the door, in case skirmish ensued.
half an hour later he left that office with
dissatisfaction and disappointment perched
upon his lofty brow. No sKirnish had en-
sued, nor had excited language
been INDUCED in, even, and thus the re-
porter's hopes of two columns of sensation
for this mornings paper, vanished into thin
air. But ''it might haze beer" had the in.
terview occurred during the early part of
the day, and before Gen. Quarles, his eoun-
sci, had told Major Hobbs to keep cool if
he met Capt. WOmack, and not prejudice
his case by the use of incorporate Ian
guage.
1t was all on account of an article pub
lished in the UNION AND AMERICAN last
Saturday. Capt. Womack had been asked
a few questions, Friday evening, by re
porter, with regard to the celebrated breach
of-cOntract suit, entitled :" omack VS..
HOBBS" which questions and the answers
thereto were published in our Saturday S
issue. Maj. Hobbs thought that in this
eX parte publication he had been treated
unfairly, and improved the opportunity of
his being in the city yesterday to call upon
Capt. WOmack, for the purpose of having a
little conversation about the article in
question.
Upon entering Capt. Womack's Office,
Maj. Hobbs was gracefully introduced by
the pencil waster, who then stepped to one
side and waited for hostilities to begin.
The ex-Comptroller fished a copy of our
| Saturdays issue out of his travelling satchel,
spread il out on his knee and read:
Several of my friends in the Legislature
worked for Hobbs, and finally succeeded i'll
electing him Comptroller. After the election
/ he came to them and said, Gentlemen,
owe my success TO your efforts, and am will
| ing to do anything l can for you.' They at
once mentioned my name for the Office Of
| chief clerk in the Office, and he Immediately
| promised me the place. was told of this
| promise, and called on Hobbs soon after
when he reiterated the promise, and when
he took possession of the office appointed
me chief clerk"
'Now, Womack," said he, 'you know
that amt so. Two of your friends did vote
for Inc, and they came to me at my room al
night, after my election, and | told them
was as grateful as a man could be, and
wanted to know if could do anything fol-
them. They sad no. but that if l could
give YOU a situation, they would be per
fectly satisfied. / promised to do it, and
when | saw you afterwards, asked you i
l you conld take charge OF the Office and ruI
it, and you said you couldn't. Don't you
remember that ?"
"W-e-ll, no, l don't remember YOU
having asked that question" replied Capt
WOmack. -.....
Il remember it very distinctly" con
tinUed the ex-COmptroller. "GOu coulC
have run it, probably, after you had got the
necessary experience, but at that time you
couldn't; so was compelled to keep Camp
bell in the Office. He had been there sOm'
time and knew all about the duties.
was allowed only $1,000 year for clerl
hire. and paid Campbell $50 per month
and gave You SI5 for the time YOU wen
in tine office. How long was that? Thre,
weeks believe?"
NO. it was month to a day."
..Well. here's another mistake: 'HObb
didn't treat me in a very gentlemanly man
ner. The first notice we had was wheI
Col Burch came in and said, swell, gen
tlemen, suppose you know there has beer
a change made in this Office, and that / an
now the COMPTROLLER We, that is Camp
bell and myself told him we had hear
nothing of it before. a few days after
Hobbs was about to leave the city for hi
home at Waverly, without letting me know
anything about it,"
told YOU the very night resigned that
had given up the office"
YES, that's So" admitted Capt. WO
mack, Il told the reporter so, too, and tina
is his mistake. The fact is, Oughtn't t
have answered any of his questions Friday
but he asked them in such quiet, insinu
ating manner, that l answered them before
| knew it, and 1 think now, Hobbs, that
we'd better not say anything more abou
this matter, while he's present"
The ex-COmptroller may have shared
this opinion of his late clerk, as the inter
view was brought to a termination, after
Hobbs had assured Womack that he wa:
willing TO let the courts settle their matter
in dispute, and that he had no wish TO pre-
judice the public mind with regard to the
coSe before it came up for trial.
As the question ''Who's Hobbs" has
been going the rounds of the State Press
our readers may be interested in Tearing
that he is tall, well-built individual, with
intensely auburn hair and heavy beard OF
the same color. He is about forty years Of
age, talks fiuently, and is evidently prac-
teal, cOmmOn-Sense sort Of an individual.