The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-17

his expense. Smalley asked the gen
eral about the Kuklux.
"4eS, yes" said Toomba." "l'I tell
you all about them, but irs let us get
a safe place"
Taking him off some dista ca Gen.
roombs pointed out an unsl specting
Jewish merchant, whose ply, steal APP
l pearance was rather agains' nm.
| There he is" said TUomb rs THAT
| is the great head OF the X ulIlux Ian.
My friend. you must come over to nv
home; it is the only place where YOU
would be safe from his ohse walton.
will do nv bs st to ge, yoo sal, /, out
| of the country"
Scared half to death, Snlaley fol-
lowed the general, and eut, ring the
mansion the door was rlos,,l, when
Gen. Toombs said:
Now, you are safe. | vii see the
chief of the khan and Try .u.d get a
pass for you out of the com try
Meantime there W IS no attention
wanting to make Sm;iley comfortable.
He was treated like pl nee. Id soon
underwent a change OF e; t about
Toombs. aud began to T gard h.m as
one of the grandest of men.
Finally "a rap was heard II tie door.
"Leave it all to me" said the general.
"This is the Great Cyclops. | will get
him to give you a pass"
The Jew entered, in obedience to
EoombS' summons, which had been
previously sent him. He was thor
oughly ignorant of t. G use which was
being made of hin, consequently
Hoombs' talk to him threw him into
coDfusions for he did not understand
its motive. This confusion was duly
noted by Smailey, who put it down as
an evidence of the mans guilt. Fin
ally, when the bewildered Hebrew de-
parted without having given any APP
parent satisfaction, Gen. Toombs tarn-
ed TO Smailey and said:
Il have staked my honor for your
safety. Before daylight i viii have
my closed carriage ready, into which
you must be placed. AS the khan will
think that l am within, it will not be
molested, and soon you will be placed
at a safe distance"
Thus Smalley found his exit from
the little village of Washington, and
soon after gave his wonderful letter
to the public. This version of the af-
fair is told by one of Gen. Toombs'
closest friends.
GEN. TooMBs' TRUE CHARACTER
is not to be judged by his wild talks
to some correspondents. He is at
home and in business one of the most
conservative of men. His assaults
upon carpet-Daggers are not intended
for honest men who are seeking the
legitimate aims of life. To northern
men, in whom he recognizes honesty
OF purpose, he is as genial and hospit-
able as they could wish. Perhaps
there never was man in Georgia who
was more vilified than II. j. KimbaIl.
and not entirely without reason.
When the Kimball House was erected
Gen. Toombs made it his headquarters
when in Atlanta. Being asked about
his choice of it he is said to have an
Wered:
"By Cd, have a right to stop in
it. The money with which it was
built was stolen from the treasury of
Georgia, and that gives every Georgian
an interest in it"
When this celebrated house was des-
troyed by fire, Kimball was called back
from Chicago to organize for its re-
erection. He had before him hard
task in raising subscriptions. Among
those upon whom it was necessary
that he should call was Gen. Toombs.
No sooner had he entered Toombs'
door than the doughty old southerner
exclaimed:
"K1mball, your return to Georgia is
worth more than hundred thousand
dollars: I'm glad to see you back to
stay with u.s."
This compliment fairly took Kim
ball off his feet, and relating the incl
dent he could only say:
IL could only look in silence at the
grand old figure before me-"
Toombs was a potential factor in
the calling of the constitutional con-
vention of 1877. He insisted that the
constitution of 1868 was a nullity; its
ratification only rested on the bayonet.
and it i'll became freemen to live I'M
der the badge of slavery. A new con-
ventlon should be called, even If it
did no more than meet and ratify the
old document. This would make it
the handiwork of Georgians.
In the convention he was one of the
most prominent actors. When the
treasurer of the state expressed doubt
about his authority to pay the MEM
bers OF the convention for the number
of days over the forty prescribed in
the call for the convention, Gen.
Toombs solved the problem by say
ing:
Il will advance the money out Of
my own pocket, and trust the people
of Georgia for its repayment"
AS consequence he advanced near
ly $4,000, which was refunded by the
next legislature.
His pride of state is wonderful.
One day he sauntered into the supreme
court room, rather under the influence
of liquor. An attorney was address
ing the court in terms which seemed
to Indicate that Georgia would not pay
her debts. InterruptiDg him at once,
Gen. Toombs said:
"May it please the court, Georgia
will pay her debts. III she does not,
then 1 will pay them fer her."
Gen. Toombs is now "a years of age.
He stoops considerably. and has an In
firm walk, which denotes his weak
ness. He has lost much flesh in che
past few years. His eyes are weak,
a cataract growing over one of them,
which causes considerable suffering.
In his home at Washington he is al
ways surrounded by some of his grand
children, in whose company he takes
great delight. They feel that he has
but few days more to live, and do
everything in their power to render
his declining years comfortable.
When he passes away, a great man
indeed will have fallen-and an honest
one.