The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-04
JOHN PAUL JONES SOUVENIRS.
Massachusetts Men Secure Valuable
 Relies From Woman Befriended.

From the Boston TranSScrlpt.
 An old flintlock pistol, with history as interesting as ever pistol had; manu- scripts which throw interesting sidelights upon historic facts, and other valuable souvenirs connected with the name and memory of one of the greatest sea fight CTS who ever trod a deck were brought home from Europe by Gen. Samuel c. Lawrence of Medford, and Hon. Charles T, Gallagher, two of the cabin passen- gers who landed at Charlestown yester- day from the White Star liner Republic, arrived from Liverpool and Queenstown.
 The souvenirs were of John Paul Jones, and the manner in which they came Into the possession of the present holders re- fleets only credit upon the big-hearedness of Messrs Lawrence and Gallagher. They went abroad primarily to attend the con clave of delegates of thlrty-third degree Masons in Brussels, in June, at which were present six delegates from the Unit ed States and three each from nineteen other countries. Later they attended In London a meeting of thirty-third degree Masons from England. Scotland and Ire land.
 While on the continent they visited Paris, and learning that Mime. Gombault, granddaughter of one of Paul Jones' sis- ters, vas living there in destitute oircum- stances they proceeded to hunt her up. Mime. Gumbault they found to be a bril- liant woman, a fine linguist, and thor oughly American fin spirit notwithstand- ing her long residence in France She was horn in Charleston, s. C., there marrying the Frenchman whose name she now beras. He died several years ago, since when times have been hard with the widow She has two children, mar ried, one living in Paris and the other in the south of France.
 Aside from their interest in Mme Com bault as a descendant of America's first great naval captain, both General Law renee and MT. Gallagher were interested in the woman because of Masonic kin shlp: for John Paul Jones was a blue lodge Mason, and one of the few busts of the great captain by Houdon was pre- scented to the Boston Masonic temple by General Lawrence some years ago. Gen eral Lawrence and MT. Gallagher, with number of other patriotic Americans in Paris raised a fund for Mime. Gofnbault, which will keep her comfortable the re- mainder of her days.
 AS a result Mme. Gombault presented General Lawrence through MT. Gallagher with some very valuable historic souve- nirs of John Paul Jones. Among these Is hintlock pistol which Jones used In his famous fight between the Bonhomme Richard and the British man-of-war Serapis, when he captured the latter ship while his own was sinking. The old lady also gave to General Lawrence q print from an English engraving of the battle which Jones owned.
 Most important of all were some manu- scripts in French and English, mostly copies of original documents by Jones. one set of these in French consists of letters written while Jones was in com man of the Russian fleet. under the Elm press Catherine, in the Black sea, where he won for Russia the only real naval victory in her history, when he annihi- lated the Turkish fleet and established on the Black sea the supremacy Russia has retained since that famous battle.
 Another important manuscript gives detailed account of the fitting out of the Ranger by Jones at Portsmouth, N. H., for the United States government. This was the vessel in which Captain Jones went to Europe. flying the new American flag. In this manuscript are details of all expenditures connected with the equlpping of the vessel for her adventurous voy-