The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-11-08
IN COL. HoeE's DEFENSE.
Col. John E. Penn Urges the
Public to Reserve Decision.

Col. John e. Penn yesterday made
public statement in defense of his
brother in. law, J. Hampton Hoge, who
was recalled from San Francisco while
on his way to assume his duties as con-
sui st Annoy, China. by dispatch from
President Cleveland, as already stated
in The TIMES. Colonel PENIS state
ment is as follows:
To THE PUBLIC: The wide publicity
and great extravaganza in reference to
the charges which are said to have been
made before the department at Wash
ington against J. Hampton Hoge, consul
to Annoy, induce me to make the follow.
ing statement:
A day or two after it had been an.
nounced in the papers that President
Cleveland had determined to recall
Colonel Hoge from his appointment,
went to Washington and in company
with the Hon. James w. Marshall,
called ON Secretary of State Gresham,
and requested him to furnish me, as a
friend of Colonel Hoge, with q copy of
the charges, ii any had been made to
his department.
He informed us that an attorney from
Baltimore had called upon him and
preferred charges against Colonel Hoge,
and had furnished him certain papers
in connection Herewith, which he had
turned over to the President, and 1t
was therefore not in his power to show
us the papers, but that he would give
US the substance of the charges, which
were:
That Colonel Hoge, as attorney, had
collected certain claims amounting to
something less than $500 and had failed
to pay them over; that the Baltimore
attorney who NJ ade the charges had in
sisted on a settlement by Colonel Hoge,
and that Hoge had given him check
for something over $500, the Secretary
not remem boring the exact amount and
not having tho papers before him; that
this check was sent to Roanoke for col
lection and the bank on which it was
drawn protested and returned it for non
payment; that the Baltimore attorney
was informed by the cashier of Roam
oke bank that neither Colonel Hoge nor
his wife, whose name was signed to the
! check, had any money in the bank upon
which it was drawn, nor did they keep
any account with that bank, and that
| Colonel Hoge was insolvent and would
| not pay his debts; that the Baltimore
attorney also had letter from Roam
| oke attorney stating in substance that
nothing could be made out of Colonel
Hoge.
I replied to the Secretary of State
that knew nothing in reference to the
check or the debt for which it had been
| given in payment, but that knew that
Colonel Hoge was entirely. solvent and
able to pay his debts several times over,
and that the check, L was satisfied,
| would be made good as soon as I could
communicate with Colonel Hoge.
| The Secretary informed me that he
| did not soc copy OF the dispatch whic
had been sent by the President to Hoge
at San Francisco, but understood it to
be request for him to return to Wash
ington city and explain these matters.
This ended our interview.
Since that time many exaggerated
statements have been published broad
cast by the press, among others Wash
Record, which says: --latest and great.
est sin of all, he has apparently com
mltted forgery, which is the decisive
reason for temporary recall" Then fol-
lows statement from G. w. S. Mus.
grave counsel for Merchants o.ect tive
| Credit and Collection Bureau.
| | have ascertained that the check
given by Colonel Hoge was signed by
him in his wife's name, dated on the
10Th day of October, 1893, for S325 in
favor of w. Fl. IL. Raleigh. l don t
know why Colonel Ho5e gave the check
in question. He left Roanoke city on
tne night of the 10th of October, of the
the same date of the check, for New
York city, and from there he went, as |
understand it, by way OF tho Southern
! Pacific railroad to San Francisco He
was very much pressed for tune on that
day in closing up his pecuniary matters
II is true that his wife did not have
money in The bank upon which the
check was drawn, but she had then, and
has now, more than that amount TO heI
credit. subject to her check or her hus.
bands check in another bank, and it
may be by inadvertence he drew the
check on tho wrong bank, but whether
this be true or not the check was but
an acknowledgment OF the indebted