The Washington times., 1894-06-11
PROMISED TO BUY THE DRINKS
An Accomac Soldier Who Never Fought Will
Soon Arrive from Far Away Venezuela.
Willard's Hotel Was Once His Home, and
His Mission Here Was Search for Job.

trip.
Riley is noted character. He belongs to
the Washington army of Majahs and Jadgs,
and it was his boast before he sailed for the
Venezuelan post that no administration could
change quicker than could Riley of Accomac.
He proved by the holding Of places under
three administrations that he meant what he
said.
The first office ever filed under the federal
government by "Judge" Riley was the con-
sul-generalsbip to Zanzibar. Gen. Grant
gave him the appointment, and he held it for
anu mber Of years, in spite of the fact that it
was freely predicted that neither Riley nor
any other white man from this part of the
world could stand the climate and the life at
the Sultan's court. The Judge" had so pes
tered the big men OF the first Grant admins
tration that they determined to send him to
some post that would kill him. or, at least,
keep him long way off from washin gton,
says the New York Sun.
But Riley not only went straight on to Zan-
zibar and lived to get back to relate his ex-
periences. but he actually had, according to
his statements. an enjoyable time i'll that
country. He set up house which he called
the American legation" and soon had the
confidence of the blacks TO such an extent
that the Sultan and all his household re-
garded him as one OF those wonderful men Of
the new world they had heard o..
Things went on very well for the Judge
at Zanzibar until he began to object to the
manner in which the natives bathed in front
of the ''legation." The beach was not far off.
and the bathers were not modest even for
black people who had not been trained in the
proprieties OF life. The Consul-Generai kept
complaining to the authorities that he did not
like such capers. and ii reform was not soon
worked in that region he would take down
his gun and shoot somebody.
One night there was such a tumult around
the ''legation" that il looked as if the natives
were mocking the Judge" and defying him
TO interfere with their rights, and they hooteA
and yelled in the vicinity at rate which
proved conclusively they intended making
life miserable for him. They then sent him
word they would bathe in any manner they
pleased. no matter how many white people
the American might have in his house.
Sure enough, they swarmed to the beach,
and commenced to cut up hign jinks, when
the man from Accomac took down gun,
loaded it with bird shot, and blazed away at
the bathers.
There was a mighty yell. and when the
frightened natives calned down enough to
tell Of what had really happened, it was found
that the Consul General had peppered the
back OF one Of the Sutan's female relatives
who happened to be bathing at that spot.
The result was that the judge got into
trouble, which resulted in a demand for his
recall, and he finally left Zanzibar and came
back to Washington
Here he fingered for year or two when he
managed to get place in one OF the depart
ments. He did not hold it long, however,
and when the Cleveland administration took
hold OF things In 1885 the Judge worked
fha rt.Bnl
He was happy, and to hear him talk no one
would ever have supposed that he had been
in office under the Grant administration.
While holding place under the first Cleve-
land administration the Judge was much
incensed at the antics Of Governor Foraker
of Ohio relative to the proposed return OF the
Confederate battle flags. In fact he got red
hot, and going over TO Fourteenth street,
where he noticed congregated n number of
the newspaper correspondents whom he
knew, he said with decided emphasis: ''D-n
'em, they got no battle flags from my regi-
ment"
what are you talking about?n inquised
one OF the group.
Il am talking about men like that fellow
Foraker replied Riley. III all the Confed-
crates had been like my regiment there would
be no battle flags now IN the hands of this
Yankee government to give back
What WAS your regiment?' eagerly de- |
The Fourteenth Virginia, exclaimed the |
Judge" deiantly. by thunder, it has not |
surrendered yet. II was made up OF men |
from the Eastern Sho' and many of them |
from the grand old county of Accomac. l re- |
member that we tackled on one occasion lot |
Of bean-eaters from Boston and Dutchmen |
from Pennsylvania, and we killed so many Of |
the invaders that large portion of the county |
of Accomac was made SO fertile from their |
carcasses that II you had planted crowbars |
in that soil tenpenny nails would have |
sprouted there by the next morning.
''Of course, you took part in the terrible |
slaughter suggested one of his auditors.
Not in that particular battle" responded |
the Judge" who was getting little cautious |
after relating such a narrowing tale.
Now, look here, said one of the Young |
men with much spirit, Il am Union man,
and my sympathies were with that side during |
the war. l am also posted on war history, |
and want you to tell US what battles you |
were in
young fellah." said the Judge" 81 pity |
you for your ignorance. Do you suppose |
every man who belonged to the Fourteenth |
Virginia was actually in the field? Did it
ever occur TO you that during that memorable
struggle some men were needed on the hust-
ings? l was one OF the latter. and did not
claim had actually been in any battles; but
repeat the assertion that they got no flags
from my regiment and that it has not yet sur
rendered"
1t was not long after :his episode that Riley
lost his place ut the Agricultural Depart
ment and he ascribed it to the fact that some
one informed Cleveland of what he had said
about fertilizing the soil OF Accomac with the
bodies OF the Union troops.
After that Riley hung around Washington,
still making his headquarters for many
months at Wizards until yarn got into the
papers which thoroughly disgnsted him with
that tavern, and he transferred his presence
to a hotel further uptown, although he was
never known to live at any Of these places.
He invariably claimed when any prominent
put up at Willard's that he had xd-
vised him TO come there, and professed to
know him well. 1t seems that Just before the
Forty ninth Congress convened Frank Law
Ter. of Chicago, was on his way to the city,
and he telegraphed from Staunton, Va, while
en- route, to have a room reserved for him.
Judge" Riley, as usual, was in the lobby,
and the clerk showed him the message. "Do
you know this gentleman was the inquiry
"Law!er? Lawler?" remarked the Judge"
as he handed back the telegram. Certainly.
l advised him to stop with you. He is Of the
Virginia family OF LAWYERS. 1t is
a distinguished legal family, though none of
them have ever figured TO any great extent in
public life. l am glad to know that Frank is
coming 1t is strange he did hot wire me. l
shall wait here for him"
The story was given to the local papers,
and the Judge was so heavily guyed he
would never after that enter Willard's
Judge Riley prided himself on having an
intimate acquaintance with the Wise family
of Virginia, they being Accomac county peo-
ple He constantly reminded his listeners
that he old Gov. Henry A. Wise. and as for
George D. Wise OF Virginia,
why. he was a man on whom he could count
for anything. In fact, there was hardly
favor lie could ask that his friend George"
would not grant, The Judge" had habit
Of taking his baths at the Capitol, and relied
on the Richmond member to give him orders