The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-06-09
A Strange History.
Death Of a Former Citizen OF GeOrgla in
San Francisco and His Strange Will.

Oglethorpe (Ga) Echo.]
The following mysterious paragraph,
few months since, was found In the New
York Tribune
''Dr Oliver HUFF, of San Francisco, VIII
died recently, directed in his will that
monument, not to exceed 1000 in cost
should be placed over his grave, and torbad
any society of which he was member, o
any friends, TO pass resolutions OF condolenc'
over his decease, or to communicate the FAC
to mis- friends in the East"
1t i only in Oglethorpe county, Georgia
where the history and antecedents of DR.
Huf are known, that the motives which
prompted this singular document can be ex
/ planned.
| DR.. Oliver HUFF WAS the iIlegitimate sol
of Col. Richard HUFF, once a wealthy land
and slave owner in Goose Pond district, who
created quite a sensation before the war by
I liberatiug 100 slaves and establishing them
! in Liberia In this band OF colonlsts was a
mnlatto woman, who claimed to DE the
mother Of Dr. Huff But between her and
| the alleged son no friendship had existed tor
wears. He always appeared to avoid the
mulatto mistress Of his father, and was en-
Outraged in this by his sire. Young Hut
grew up into a bright, handsome lad, and
was sent by Col. Huff TO the first schools III
the New England States During the vaca
tions he visited home, bat here his society
was marked. The whites looked upon him
a. tainted with negro blood, while from his
/ bearing he ocoTned the suspicion.
HUFF graduated with distinction, and hav-
ing expressed desire to study medicine, his
father sent him to France, from which coun-
try he returned with the highest diploma
He located on the plantation of his father,
but his old troubles began again. The whites
in the neighboThood had not forgotten the
suspicious circumstances surrounding the
young doctors BIRTH and he was placed I'M
der the ban of society. DR.. Huff was proud
and ambitious, and soon seemed to avoid as
ISOLATION. Al length the whites began to
discover that there was not the taintest re-
semblance to the negro race in DIR. Hut,
and the report got IN circulation that his
mother was Caucasian, and that the mu-
Iatto woman had been paid to claim and
rear the infant a. her son.
After this the barrier OF society began to
give way. A few whites recognized DIR. Hun
and employed him in their family, but in Il
condescending way that chated his proud
spirit. Others spoke Of him As the niger
doctor"
He was once engaged to one of the first
young ladies in South Carolina, but the re-
port of his birth reaching her famly's ears,
the match was broken off
The beginning Of the late war found Col.
Huff dead who left his ilIegitImate son
fine property, to revert to him AT the death
Of the lawful heirs.
About this time Dr. Huff quilted the
county, letting no one know his destination.
But some of the soldiers from this county
saw him during the war as surgeon in a Con
tederate regiment. His men were devoted
to him. and our boys did not expose his his
tory.
ia liz I, -,
but about five years ago rumor reached
this county that he was seen in San Fran
cisco, Cal, was doing a fine practice, and
had accumulated quite a fortune Our peo-
pie respected the motives that occasioned
his exile, and no etfOrt was made to commu-
nicate with or expose him. The next we
hear from him is the news of his DEATH cir
culated through his strange will. The very
clause that WAS aimed to preserve his histo-
~ caused curiosity to be aroused and an ex-
pose made.
DIR. Huff had never married While he
was recognized as a white man in the Gold |
en- State, he always had the air Of hunted
man. His life has been an unenviable one, |
and he doubtless hestated to entail the |
curse of suspicion that had followed him |
upon innocent heirs. His demise WAS |
upon the Pacific slope. good |
man was gone.
DuI Tue duIecedGnLS OF this man mas at |
last been cleared. 1t is said that his mother |
is white woman and belonged to one of |
the first families in Virginia. She was
near relative to Col. Huff and while on a |
visit To him in this county an unnatural in |
-imacy existed between them, which result |
FL in the birth of son, this same DIR. Huff. |
To hide the shame Of the girl mulatto wo-
man was hired to claim it as her offspring.
There Is over 1000 acres of the land in
ibis county, the titles to which are vested |
n the hero Of this sketch. As there are
iGGbts about his mother, and b. leaving no
heirs, it is claimed that this property will
-evert to the State.
We give the story as related o Us.