The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1867-06-06

- I a ''s''' - - H.S. So
,,Il9OTTUM WA, 10
ness you are engaged in, ( think you
will not be permitted again to visit
the White House She refused to
return the money, when asked her
to 20 with met to my office; she con-
-sensed, and asked me if I had any
objection to her husband accompa-
nying us; I replied, certainly not,
and, entering the carriage with Mr..
and Mrs, Cobb, went to my head
quarters. / took Mrs. Cobb into my
private Office, and requested her to
return me, the money paid her by
Howell, stating to her distinctly that
it was my money; / had marked it
for the purpose OF entrapping her; /;
the person for whom she had obtained
the pardon was not Capt Howell, but
Capt Hine; !. had devised this plan
to ascertain how; and through what
means she obtained, pardons she
should not impose upon the Prcsi.
dent any longer ahd / should lay all
tho facts before him at once, awaiting
bis, decision in the matter, She be.
came very, much excited and very
abusive, declaring that she had ob.
tanned great mary pardons from
the President, and she should con.
tinue to obtain them as long as she
could find customers she and the
President had perfect understan-
ding,and he dare not refuse to sign
any paper she presented to him. +
asked her how many pardons she had
procured. She said she could not,tell
but great many; she had got three
in . single day, and very Indignantly
claimed that she had as much right
to do so as other brokers. | asked
her who among her acquaintances
were engaged in the business. She
mentioned the name of: Mrs. Ella B.
Washington, she and one Of the reb-
el Colonels and others. She said
that Mrs. Washington had obtained
ten pardons, where she, (Mrs. ,Cobb)
had obtained one. She did not see
why she should be selected for arrest
while Mrs. Washington and others
were allo we'd to be unmolested, add.
ing the rcmark "Your acton in
arresting me will cost you your CON-
mission. shall see the President
tomorrow, and have you mustered
out Of service. I replied to her !:
: The President will probably require
some other reason for my dismissal
from service than the statement of a
vile creature like you"
To satisfy me of her intimacy with
the President and with the attaches
at the White House, she entered into
a long and minute statement Of con-
versations she had with him, assuring
me that he had informed her that I
was to be mustered out Of service on
the 18th of November; that Mr.. STAN
tsn would not be retained in the
Cabinet beyond the 1st Of January !;
that many of the Black Republican
and Abolitionist office holders were
to be removed, and she knew who
they were; that the President had in
formed her, on one occasion, that the
Detective Bureau was to be broken
up, and that Stanton's friend, Baker.
would retire into private life. After
listening for more than an hour to-
Of this character, l de-
cided immediately to see the Presi-
dent. | took the pardon, as deliver
ed by Mrs. Cobb to Capt. Hine, Mrs
Cobb's written contract with Capt.
Hine for procuring the same, the
marked $50 notes paid by Hihe to
Mrs. Cobb and by her returned to
me, and, leaving Mrs. Cobb in charge
Of one Of my officers, I went to the
Executive Mansion about 8 o'clock. /
found the President alone in his
room, and, after the usual salutation
| said, "Mr. President, have some
papers here that | desire Co show
you" Hesaid, "Take a seat, sir" 1
Immediately unfoldcd the pardon and
laid it on the table before him. He
put on his spectacles, looked at it,
and said, :sSir, where did you got
this?" ~ got it from Mrs Cobb. 1
then handed to him Mrs. Cobb's writ
ten contract for procuring said par
don. He read it, when / exhibited
to him the marked money, and began
q detailed statement of all the facts
connected with the case. He inter-
rupted me in q moment, and said,
"Where did you get this pardon 2" 1
replied, "From Mrs. Cobb = and was
proceeding to narrats the circum
stances, when he again interrupted
me, and added, "Well, what is this all
about?" Ibegan q third time to re
late the circumstances, when he in
terrupted me with rising passion,
"This issa detective job, isn't it 2" l
"Yes sir, and if you will
listen to me a moment will explain
it." He raised the pardon from the
table and said, "Bdt what business
have you with this pardonYe When
| again attempted to make an ex-
planation, he broke in by saying,
swell, this is very strange affair.
The pardon has not been recorded
You have no business with it, SIR
There is no oath ofamncst, attached
to it, ! then politely requested the