The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-20
HoDNETT HUMBUGGED MN.
The WhiIOm Washington Agitator
Claims to Have Saved sackviIle.
From the Washington star.

From the Washington Star.
One of the most curious and interesting
stories that have been brought out by
the recent publication of extracts from
Lord Sackville's pamphlet is one that
comes from Brooklyn, in which John Pope
Hodnett, formerly conspicuous here as a
crank and agitator, figures. He is the
narrator as well as the hero of the story
in question. 1t appears in special dis
patch from Brooklyn to the Philadelphia
Press, which says:
There is a lawyer here who claims to
have saved the life of Lord Sackville
when he was the British minister to the
United States. He is John Pope Hodnett
of Fulton street. Mr.. Hodnett founded
and has been continuously president of
the United Labor League of America He
tells this story: In 1882 we had a member
ship of 10000 in Washington. Nearly half
were Irishmen. There were in Baltimore
an organization of Irishmen who believ-
ed in the rule of violence. They made
great many attempts to win us over to
their views. During the excitement in
1882 over the prosecution in Ireland of the
Phoenix Park murder suspects, some
members of the Baltimore society went
to Washington and proposed to members
of my organization that all friends of
Great Britain occupying prominent posi-
lions in Washington be assassinated.
They We're particularly bitter against
Sackville- West. The plot came TO my
ears and in a secret meeting of the United
Labor League 1 denounced the plotters
and threatened that If they proceeded !
would tell all that | knew to the authori-
ties. l had met Sir Lionel and 1 had
found him o favorable to the cause of
Ireland as man in his position could af-
ports after the Murchson letter episode,
IL was again proposed to kill him, for the
letter had infuriated the hot-headed and
they took it as evidence of his enmity to
ireland friends I a
hard fight to calm my organization, but
succeeded completely
"Mr. Hodnett denies positively that in
consideration of these services he secured
from the British minister a large sum Of
money"
John Pope Hodnett is well known IN
Washington, where he resided for several
years, and posed as a representative Of
the labor interests. He was continually
engaged in agitation, and was regarded,
when his methods became familiar, as a
blatherskite of the highest degree.
He came to this city about the time of
President Grants first Inauguration, and
procured an appointment under the in
ternal revenue bureau in the terrific
ries. When he gave UP his position and
friend OF the workngmen, and pestered
congress to pass various measures.
He organized what he called the Union
Labor League and had as his followers
several hundred colored men.
Hodnett, among other. pretensions.
claimed to be heir to the throne of Eng
land. 1t is said that while reading ancient
history in the congressional library that
he became convinced that he was heir
10 the. throne Of England and was also
entitled TO occupy the white house. He
claimed that he was related in some way
to every person of prominence, includ-
ing Washington and Lincoln, as Well as
of foreign nobilities, and in his adver-
tisement of his legal work he so stated
Attached to one Of his cards was print
ed this statement:
mfr Hodnetts ancestors (the Earls of
March, the Earls of Shrewsbury the
Lords of Baltimore, the Dukes Of Bucking-
ham, and the Dukes of York; were orig
inally owners OF states Of New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. in
Guiding Washington and the District of Co
lumbia''
Hodnett was the founder of a number
of imaginary labor organizations, the most
prominent among them being the one re-
ferred to, styled the United Labor League
of America" OF which he figured as pres
ident. In this CAPACITY, he had head
quarters on Louisiana avenue, and later
on Missouri avenue, and had a. body guard
Of twelve colored men.
This United Labor League" never had
any recognition from the bodies OF or
ganized labor in the District. It's men,
bers were nearly all colored men of the
most ignorant class and the general i'm
preston was that Hodnett lived off the