The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-22


This he had done solely az a matter Of precau-
ton, TO prevent any suspicious characters from
entgrinR the tNecutlye mansion. Nothing unu-
sual, however, bad occufred. then sent for
3. 81 Jones, cne Of the delectivea detailed for [
tnis service, aud inierrogaied hfu with refer |
ehce 70 seeing any persons Of doubtful business |
or CHARACTER aOOut the Executive Mansion. He /
also assured me that nothing alarming bad |
uanspired, bot remarked. There's some strange |
proceedings tberei" that the second day after
he entered ON duty his business became |
known 10 some OF the attaches oil the White
House. who invited him inside, and he became
familiar soon with many of the frequent visitors
at the National Homestead. He Informed me
that a regular system OF pardon brokerage was
in successful operation, both by the conspicuous
Rebels in the capital and by certain class Of
disieputable women, well known to the local
police OF this city; among whom he mentioned
the name OF Mrs Cobb, who he said was n con-
stant visitor, was there at all hours OF the day
and night. Boosting openly that she had pro-
cured, and could procure, pardons from the
President at any time IN six hours, and she ex-
hibited to him on one occasion two paidons
which she had obtained for Rebels at Richmond,
declaring on that day she had made a thousand
dollars. When questioned as TO her mode of
proceeding, she simply remarked she had an
Understanding with the President, and he dare
not refuse TO grant her requests. She further
claimed that IN the prosecution OF her business
she found It necessary to divide portion OF the
money received for pardons with certain Gov
eminent officials.
/ decided 10 bring such q record Of facts
before the President with respect to her case,
as would satisfy him OF her unworthy conduct
and the nefarious business in which she was
engaged. To accomplish this / determined to
manufacture a fictitious application for pardon.
To represent an applicant selected Captain H.
II. Hine, formerly Assistant Provost Marshal
General at ST. Louis who was then In Washing
ton endeavoring to procure the reyocauon Oh
sentence passed upon him by a military COM
mission under General Rosecrans. IT seems
Captain Hine had been tired, convicted (as he
claimed unjustly), and sentenced to the Alton
PeniteDt8ry. Before the sentence was carried
into execution, however, he escaped and fled
to Canada. While there he was known as
Rebel officer and consequently became very
familiar with all the Rebel officers then
engaged in organizing raids aud committing
depredations upon the border. He wrote me
number of letters giving Information as to the
movements of the Rebel emissares in Canada.
After the assassination of the President, he
communicated many important facts to the
Government in consideration of which the
Assistant Secretary OF War gave him permits
sion to visit Washington, with the view
of obtaining revocation of his previous
sentence. While he was there, waiting
to have a hearing at the War Department,
the case of Mrs, Cobb came up, and | selected
| him to represent an applicant Tor pardon. A
regular application was made, IN the name of
| Clarence j. Howell. In this fictitious applica-
ton were set forth fully the offenses committed
| by the applicant. The detective officer before
| mentioned, who was placed on duty at the
| White House, and who had become acquainted
| with Mrs. Cobb and her business, being in the
| applicant for a pardon. However censurable,
unjustifable, or illegal my course may have
been, my only desire was 10 serve the President
| and the Government. The fact is familiar to
| jurists, that in such case of emergency, when
| prompt action for the public good IS demanded,
| the courts have decided that margin OF
authority transcending the letter of the law is
| allowable. The charge and verdict pronounced
by the judge, in the disposal OF the case, clearly
| indicate his unWilliDgness to regard the letter
| at the sacrifice of the spirit of legislation.
| Captain Howell stated his case to Mrs. Cobb,
and she agreed TO procure "full, complete,
| and unconditional pardon for all his past
| ohenses,n as the contract reads, for the sum
of three hundred dollars. 1t is proper here
| to remark, that the usual routine at the
| Executive mansion and the Attorney Generals
| Office, in procuring pardons, requires from
| two to five weeks, a record OF the names of the
| applicants being placed on the books OF the
Attorney Generals Office, which names are
taken up in their order and disposed of. For
an extraordinary consideration, however, Mrs.
Cobb agreed to procure the pardon in question
in twelve hours, as appears from the following
| contract:-
WAsHINeToN, D. G., November 5, 1s65.-For and in
Carene o. Howe u & psa 20 as me yw by
wit;-To lake from Captain Howell his statement in
regard to his and procure for him the full
@ tor h1s past % ss a The
S2G0 the delivery OF his pardon on Monday evening
at O'clock l further agree that in case @ q
| (Signed) Mrs. L. L. COBB.
| Inc dDoNe COntdlueu lne lOHOMlnS IeCclpG VI
the back:-
wAsH1NeToN. D. c.. November s. lss5.-Recelve eC
(signedJ Mrs. L. L. COBB.
This occurred on the 5th of November. Tt
secure positive and indisputable evidence
against Mrs. Cobb, l took six $50 Treasury
notes and marked them in the presence of five
persons, that they might be identified as the
bills paid for the pardon. On the evening O.
the 7th, when Howell was to have it, accom-
panied by detective officer, went with hlm tC
the Avenue House, where he was to receive the
! document, determined, as soon as the money
was paid by him to Mrs. Cobb, and lie had the
pardon in his hands, to demand of her the
money. As shown by Mrs. Cobbs testimony
the pardon was not procured on the 7th, she
! alleging that the President was sick, that Mr..
Seward was not in the city, and that a friend ol
hers in the Treasury department. who assisted
her was also absent from the city, in New York,
but on the following evening she would GER
tainIy have the pardon ready. Accordingly on
the evening OF the Sth, again visited the
| Avenue House with detective, and the
moment Howell paid the money to Mrs.
Cobb and received his papers, 1 entered the
loom and demanded from Mrs. Cobb the
$200. She at once recognized me, and re-
! marked she "had met me before" | informed
her had been watching her fer several days.
believed / was posted as TO her doings at the
Write House, and said, "You shall not impose
upon the President by your presence. He,
doubtless, regards you as an honest woman,
and when he is made aware OF your real char
| acter, and the business in which you are en-
gagged, think you will not be permitted again
| to visit the White House." She refused TO re-
| turn the money, when asked her to go with
me to my office; she consented and asked me
| If had any objection to her husband accom-
tering the carriage with Mr.. and Mrs. Cobb,
went to my headquarters. ] took Mrs. Cobb
| into my private office, and requested her to re-
turn TO me the money paid her by Howell,staiing