The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-03
IN A REMINISCENT MOOD
Henry M. Wiltse Knew Prisoner Who Became Governor
Death of Judge Thompson Recalls Series of Incidents

doing nothing. without a soul to help
me or say a word of encourasement,
| l looked up and saw Maj. ID. ]. Duffy
ridor OF the building. Responding, he
| said to me: Il want you 10 listen 10
| a little telephone talk up the way
| there. and then tell me if YOU can what
| in thunder that fellow needs OF O. ieie-
| phone" There was - need to listen;
F, Does one lis.en to hear the roar OF
| thunder during an electrict demonstra-
| ton among the cloudsy A man was
using a neighbor's telephone. and MS
tones of voice reminded me OF ONO
river mates that used to hear once
In a while, talking to negro hands"
when a steamboat had got itself hung
on a sandbar. And by the way. that II
a situation not at all calculated to pro-
mote placidity, even on the part OF q
passenger who is in a hurry. We nao
no purpose of listening with a view
to hearing what the gentleman at tho
telephone was saying. but just to make
a hasty guess as to the number OF
miles his voice would probably nave
carried without the aid of telephone
appliances; and then I went back 10
my toll. still unaided. The incident
awoke in my mind another instance CT
Peyton Willkinson's wit. Away back a
long time since, Capt. George Il.
Fletcher, our prominent and popular
fellow townsman, at present vice-presl-
dent of the Evans Fletcher company.
was connected with the old establish
ment now known as IT. H. Payne
company. The telephone was some
, thing new here. and the system in use
was mighty crude compared with that
of this day. about which we venture
sometimes to find fault. despite its
greatly advanced efficiency. They had
a telephone at Payne's, of course, and
one day when Peyton Wilkinson was in
there. "just sittin' around" Capt
Fletcher essayed calling up somebody
and talking to him biy
Evinced a Strength OF Voice.
He conjured O. connection into exist
ence somehow. by some hand bell-ring-
ing arrangement, and began, to talk
with the party of the other part. He
evirced much strength of voice in the
outset, and as he got warmed up to MS
subject, everybody in the store was
made to know that lungs and vocal
organs OF no mean capacity or SINAI!
calibre were in action. Peyton listeneG
for a while and then seemed to 'osa
patience all of a sudden. He took all
vantage of a pause in Capt. Fletchers
performance to observe, 20, Fletcher.
what in the devi! is the use of using
that telephone? Just stick your head
out of the window there and go ahead.
They'll hear you all right enuogh; don't
you worry about that a bit. Ans.
Bob Campbell and Asbury Conner.
Campbell, and still more knew A. b
Conner, who was known always es
Asbury. Mr. Campbell was the father
of William b., who was well known 10
many now living here. Mr.. Conner
was the father of Judge Sam Conner.
who needs no introduction to this au-
dience." Both of these men served az
sheriff of Hamilton county. My most
district recollection of Ashoury Conner
is that ] went one tune when boy
with MY brother and Maj. S. A. Key, 10
see young man who was in jail ana
in whom we were much interested.
for one thing because ne was unlaw-
fully there, pursuant to o gross out
rage but that was no fault or tne.
sheriff. He was very friendly to al
concerned, and thought that as good
time as any to play little JOKE on inc
whole party, so he let us into the cell
locked the door just MS securely as II
we had all been prisoners, went UP
town and stayed, an hour os so. re
call that Mai. Key got mad enough 70
have torn down the whole jail, but no.
couldn't. 1t all resulted IN good laugh
when Sheriff Conner came back. DID
YOU ever stop to think how many OF,
the Conner relatives held the office OF!
sheriff? I'll count them up, some tims.
Offhand. there were j. C., thlnk "
was; Asbury John e. :. and Sam A.
The gist of this story Is that former!
Sheriffs Campbell and Conner. moved
away from here and went west to grow,
up with the country. They finally botit
settled in Logan county, Arkansas, snd
in the fall of 1881 ran against each
other there for sheriff. Was that what
might be called coincidence?
Prisoner Became Governor.
One morning. years ago. Maj. Charles
D, MoGuffy received note from a
man with whom he had formed
friendship in the west. saying he was.
in jail and wished to sec the major.
The latter asked me If ! would 90 With
him land went with him" He In
troduced me to. a Mr.. Spry, Elder VIII
liam Spry, of the Mormon faith. He'
was in Jail on a charge which had no
valid force and without the slightest.
legal warrant for the proceeding
against him. 1t did not take Maj. Nc
Guffy long to convince the officials that
they had made a mistake and a dan
gerous one, which might, If they per- \
sisted in their foolishness. lead to
serious consequences for them. Theyi
let us take Elder Spry with us, and he
was glad to get a shave. breakfast.
and a few other Injuries attainable in
the free state. He went back west.
and in due time became governor Of
Utah. He wrote a letter to Maj. Nc
Guffey after attaining that dignity, and
did not fail to mention both the bads
Offices and the good ones, that had at
tended his visit to Chattanooga. 1t is
not my intention to even indicate by
this story that getting into Jail alwass
leads to the gubernatcrial office.