The Atlanta constitution., 1896-07-27
REAL ATLANTA KING
Man Who Formerly Resided Hero Emperor
Of Cannibal Isles.
WAS HERE QUITE RECENTLY
Spent Several Months Here During the
Exposition.
HE IS NOW GOING TO GET MARRIED
Will Wed New York Girl ans Take
Her Home To Be His "Sooth-
ing Spirit"

King. and Atlanta figures in the truthiul
romance as the longtime home OF the
newspaper monarch.
John +. Hobbs who was I'm Atlanta dur
ing the entire period of the exposition last
fall and who has spent much of the pres
ent year visiting relatives on Chapel street.
this city, is the king. He rules over a
group of cannibal isles. and at home ne
is Oumalea L.
He is now setting royalty loving New
York on its by the feat of taking an
American wife. and, while the event is not
of the same social Importance as the Wed
ding of the duke of Marlborough, IL Is
sufficient to fill several columns In the
New York papers
Hobbs is well known in Atlanta. lie hveu
here many years. He came back about the
time the exposition opened last fall, fresh
from his kingdom. He made his nome
while here with some relatives on Chapei
street, and wrote long newspaper arucies
for papers In Australia.
As a vivid descriptive writer. he was
quite notable. The purpose of his articles
was to show how the wool and other prod
ucts of Australia might find a market here.
Among the many newspaper men in. Al
lanta at the time he was an oddly. Pictur-
esque in appearance with life story rival
ing fiction in it's actual details, he was
deeply interesting fi~ure among the eN-
position correspondents.
IN appearance hlflS liODbS, OF OuiisiiNd l.
is dark He is of powerful build, with
large hands and feet. and has massive
head. He Is not above the medium in
height. but Is built with the solidity of an
oak. His face is round and full, and clean
shaven. 1t shows strong intellect and moral
power. and the powerful jaws show the
mans wonderful will.
Several interviews with the king We're
published in The Constitution. and the
newspaper correspondents who were here
devoted much space to their imperial COM
rade. lie was very plain in dress. lie
hadn't the appearance Of a petted monarch.
or Of one who had "a nation at his com
mand, with it's revenues to blow in as he
should choose. lie wore light gray frock
coat that he had evidently worn all the
way from Australia. and there We're many
who were disposed to look upon his stories
of being 4 king as fairy tales, manufac-
tured by fine Imagination The keen cor
respondents who saw much of him, how
ever soon discovered that there was foun-
dation for his stories The narratives with
which he entertained the newspapers bore,
upon close investigation, the stamp Of
truth.
Hobbs left Atlanta a few weeks ago. lie
lived very quietly here, not obtruding his
title upon any one. When he left here he
went to his native place Ia Lexington
county. South Caroliue There he Is well
aud he has spent some time there visiting
relatives.
Now the New York papers tell Of his HE-
preaching marriage According to The
World. he Is shortly TO marry the daughter
of Mr.. 4. Collin. of 81 Fourth avenue, New
York. Immediately after his marriage he
will return with his queen to lillSa islands.
of the New llebrides group. This island is
I2.000 miles east Of Australia.
'Th,. etor.v pf fno Ifphbe roIate1 bv
himself is fun of vivid interest. II is the
same story which he was fond of relating
TO the newspaper men here during the expo
sition.
II was sent out IL 1890 by the Australian
gov eminent" he said, Ito Investigate the
working of the new labor law. White men.
P2puans, Jaw inese-all sorts of laborerS
had been tried in the new sugar fields of
Australia. but none We're worth having but
the men from the New Ilebrides group.
They are tall, well-made, saddle-colored
fellows with curly black hair.
THE contractors were careless in return
ing them 20 their island homes after their
terms of service in the Canehelds, and a.
the islands differ IN the language spoken
on them and all persons speaking strange
language are regarded enemies. great
numbers of the returned laborers were KILL
ed and eaten by cautious tribes as a matter
of safety. Under the new law each laborer
was TO be sent back to his own king and his
own island latitude and loI situde so-and-so.
to prevent his being eaten. 1 was sent out
to report on how that law was being kept
by the contractors.
Shipwrecked Before Crowned.
"Our little siXty-ton schooner was caught
ia hurricane one night and al J O'Clock
in the morning word passed Every
man for himself ! fastened cork jacket
over my pajamas and jumped overheard.
For two days / drfted, and then / was
picked up almost dead 10y two fishermen
from the Ilika islands They We're twenty
miles off shore. II had landed on their
island / would have been killed and eaten
as an enemy. but being white and coming
from over the hill Of water as they call
the horizon. they regarded mo as II mys-
terious messenger from God. They TOOK me
before the king, who adopted me.
"'rhe Ilikins had been preparing Tor war
for a long time They expected hostile
visit from "A neighboring nation. l perSuad-
ed the king TO let me form an ambush
something entirely new 40 him. our scouts
acting under orders retreated up a rlvine
before the enemy When we had them all
entrapped we fell on them from all Sides
and soon had them beaten. The KING was
so delighted with this new bit Of strategy
that he appointed me a war CHIEF forever.
"As for the invaders. they asked us TO
send Them home in our Doats-a sign that
they acknowledged complete defeat and
would remain forever after our inferior
friends"
Not long after this French man of
war stopped at our island and hung out a
trading signal As many OF our people
went abroad / went. too. ! demanded to
be taken away, but the Frenchmen paid
no attention to me. They ordered all the
men ashore and told the women to remain.
The men refused to 80 and the Frenchmen
NJ
driven overheard at the point of the bayo-
net The women were carried away, as
saulted by the Frenchmen and sold TO
islanders hundreds of miles away. | after
wards heard.
ITO get revenge for this the IlSans coax
ed ashore "A boat load Of men from the next
shin that came by and promptly killed and
ate them. They happened to be English
men and in due time warship was sent to
shell the Ilikians out of their village by
wav of punishment. | sent out a flag of
truce and under it explained to the British
commandant why the men were killed He
did not shell our village. AS a reward for
! this the king made me great war chief
in perpetuity.' I and all my heirs forever.
A 16 to l Hodakai.
about nine months after my arrival
among the Uikans the king died. leaving no
II .l..l~.