Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-11-06
Col. Horc's Recall.

\ dispatch from Washington says;
Excessive tendency to sprees, failure
to pay his bills and forgery are the
trinity of charges that have stopped
Colonel J. Hampton Hoge, of Roanoke,
Va, at San Francisco, on his way to
China, and will probably cost him the
place to which he was nominated by
President Cleveland, that of consul 10
Annoy.
A protracted Gag" last week, lasting
from the Atlantic TO the Pacific coast,
drew the special attention of the State
Department to the risky colonel. Per-
sous who rode nthe same train say
that he began taking congratulatory
drinks with alarming frequency as soon
as he got outside of Roanoke, and the
farther he travelled the more he drank,
and the more he drank the more he
wished to drink.
1t was Colonel Hoge's train, and he
ran it to suit himself. He would dis
embark at way stations and sample the
goods of every saloon in sight. A
prominent points, such as Ell Paso and
Tucson, he made special efforts to pro
mote conviviality, and every one was
made to know that Colonel Hoge, Of
Virginia, WAS aboard that train on his
way to China, where he was to act as
consul.
He was robbed at FL Paso while par
ticularly drunk and on recovering grew
boisterous and was complained of. He
knocked down the expostulating con-
ductor and wanted to fight duel.
Only his official position, proclaimed
long and loud, saved him from arrest.
Unfortunately for the Colonel, Mrs.
Hughes, prohibtionist and the wife
of Governor Hughes, of Arizona, was
on the train. She wrote her husband
and he, it is said, Immediately protested
to the President regarding the bibulous
colonel.
An unpaid tailor's bill was another of the
fateful straws in the case of Colonel Hoge.
He ordered several handsome suits from
Washington tailor after his appointment, but
never paid for them. When the tailor could
not collect the money, he filed charges with
Secretary Gresham.
Last aud greatest sin Of all, he has appar-
emily committed forgery, which is the de-
cisive reason for temporary recall. Accord
ing to G.. w. S. Musgrave counsel for the
Merchants Protective Credit and Collection
Bureau. Colonel Hoge was their local repre-
sentative several years. He did not attend
to business and they dropped him. Then he
would not turn over the $500 due on collec-
tons to settle accounts.
The company was on the point Of bringing
suit when Hoge was appointed Consul. Then,
continues Musgrave:
Thinking that We could induce him to
settle amicably, we notified him that unless
he did remit, the matter would be placed be-
fore President Cleveland In response to this
he, on October 10. sent us check for 1925,
drawn on the First National Bonk of Roam
oke, and signed Lulu c. Hoge, per ]. Hamp-
ton Hoge. We deposited the check for COL
lection, and it was returned protested.
The bank said that neither Lulu C. Hoge
nor J. Hampton Hoge had an account at the
First National Bank. Suspecting that the
check was simply sent in order to give Mr..
Hoge few days start for China, l hurried
to Washington and found that Hoge had
started for China.
81 Immediately sought Secretary Gresham
and had interviews with him. The Secretary
said that he would place the papers before
the President as soon rs possible, and that
Colonel Hoge would be recalled. 1t was sug-
gested that as the Gaelic would sail from San
Francisco the 31st, there was no time to be
lost. and evidently from the recall of Colonel
Hoge no time was lost"