Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-01-20

More Investigations.
From our Regular Correspondent.
NASHVILLE, Tenn,
Jan. 10th, 1875.
To the Editors Of the Chronicle!
The Hobbs mystery" has been
cleared up at last, though the report of
the committee appointed to investi-
gate that disgraceful business has not
yet presented their report. A report,
of very volumiuous character, Is eX-
pected Monday. The investigation has
resulted i'm disclosing these facts In
the election of Comptroller two years
ago this month, the contest finally
narrowed down TO two candidates-W.
w. Hobbs, OF Waverly, and Jno. l..
House. of Frauklin-than whom two
men more grossly incompetent for the
position could not have been found.
Hobbs has served as Clerk of one ofthe
courts of Humphreys county for year
or two, keeping his records by means
of small memorandum books, Of which
he has lost several, so that the records
OF that court are in very much mud
died condition. He Is a large, florid-
loud, aud is evidently better fitted
by nature and association to the soci-
ETY. of hunters and roysterers than that
of refined intelligent gentlemen,
while his mental abilities are certain
ly not above the average. His COM
petitor House, has been for several
years resident of Franklin, Tenues-
see, where he was engaged in rnercan.
tile pursuits. Just before the election,
he broke fiat, and while in this city,
pending that election was under the
influence of liquor most of the time,
disgusting his friends by his bombas
tic, staggering manner.
These are the men whom one hum
dred citizens of Tennessee, chosen by
their fellows to represent the entire
| State in Legislative assembly, finally,
| Influenced by narrow-minded views
and personal and partisan feeling,
| pitted against each other as the candi-
| dates for the most important office in
the state Government. Upon the ad-
| jourument of the Legislature, the day
! before the contest was decided, Hobbs
and House had conference.
which resulted in an agreement
that after certain vote the morning
following, the one who polled the
most votes should have transferred to
him bodily all the influence carried by
the other, Hobbs promising that he
was successful he would give House a
clerkship in the Office worth at least
81 800 per annum. The ballotting
the next day resulted in Hobbs
election whereupon the latter returned
to Waverlv. During his absence from
the city, House borrowed 81 500 from
State Treasurer Morrow, with the I'M
derstanding the money was to be kept
back from the salary which would be
due House as Hobbs clerk, but when
Hobbs took charge of the Office he
" went back on House, and refused
: him the appointment. Then House
began TO talk in a very unpleasant
way, alleging that he had spent 81 500
in bTibing members of the legislature
to vote for Hobbs and that he was
out at least S., 900 in consequence
of the canvass. Finally, to close
his mouth, Hobbs borwed SO 900 paid
Morrow the 81 500 the latter had loan.
ed House, gave House the remaining
81 800 and told him to "git up and
git" which injunction was immedi
ately carried into effect.
| [NoTE-Our correspondent here re,
cites the purchase Of the office from
Hobbs 10y Duncan, which we have
heretofore published, and proceeds as
follows.-EDs. CHRoNIcLEl:
Mr.. Duncan looks upon the matter
in a business light. Says the State has
saved Sl5O,0OO by the appointment o
Burch, and that he Duncan ought t
be reimbursed for his outlay by the
people to whom he has rendered such
signal service,
AFTER THE FUNDING LOBBY.
The other investigating COMMITTEES
is hard at work, having held a session
Yesterday and another to-day, in The
course of which a number of witnesses
were examined and several other
would have been but for the inability
of the Sergeant-at-arms to lay his han(
upon them. House and John Frierson
President of the First National Bank
at Columbia, have been diligently
searched for, but to no purpose. Mr.
Rule, of the CHRONICLE was to hav
been sent for by the committee, but a
he is now in the city, that expense ant
trouble will be saved. The name O
Judge Houk having been mentione,
in connection with the passage of tn
funding bill, that gentleman may alsr
begin to pack his carpet-bag and pre-
pare 10 visit the capital of his beloved
State. As it is generally believed tina
House lied when he claimed to hav
bought up the members of the las
legislature whom he mentioned, tn
duties of this last committee of inves
tigation will probably be confined L
an inquiry into the means used TO sc
cure the passage of the funding bill
THE SENATORIAL FIGHT.
The Senatorial fight will be unde
: full Roadway soon after this lette
reaches the eye of the reader AT thi
writing, all is surmise or guess-wOrk
All the candidates are in the city, an
the hotels are crowded with politician
and wire pullers. Landon &. Hayne
is expected tonight, as is also Mix
Walden, of Memphis. The latter
very strong for Johnson, and will en-
o deavor to hold the Shelby count
r men up to their so-called pledge
, support the eX-PTesident. White, {
. the Lebanon Herald, is here also, pu
= ting i'm word here and there for h