The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-06-06

/ ueutS ot Tie Tepei emlSSaFleS III Sauaua
i 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 permission to visit WashiD gton
with the view of obtaining revocation
of his previous sentence. While he was
there. waiting to obtain q bearing at the
War Department., the case of Mrs. Cobb
came mp, and selected him to represent
an applicant for pardon. A regular ap-
plication was made in the name of Clar-
enee j. Howell In this fictitious appli
cation were set forth fully the offenses
committed by the applicant. The detec-
tive 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 Sc
cret, introduced Howell to Mrs. Cobb as
an applicant for pardon However
censurable. unjustifiable, or illegal my
course may have been, my only desire
was to serve the President and the Gov
ernment The fact is familiar to jurists,
that in such case of emergency, when
prompt action FOR the public good is de-
marded, the courts have decided that
margin OF authority transcending the let
ter OF the law Is allowable. The charge
aHu pronounced ul TIC IA
the disposal of the case, clearly indicate
his unwiilin gness to regard the letter at
the sacrifice of the spirit of legislation.
Captain Howell stated his case to Mrs.
Cobb, ami she agreed to procure full,
completes. land unconditional pardon, for
all his past cffenses," as the contract
reads, for the sum of $500. 1t is proper
/ here to remark that the usual routine at
the Executive Mansion and the Attorney
General office in procuring pardons,
requires from two to five weeks, record
of names of the applicants being placed
on the books of the Attorney General
! office, which names are taken up in their
order and disposed of For an extraor
! dinary consideration, however. Mrs. G.
] agreed to procure the pardon in question
in twelve hours, as appears from the fol
| lowing contract:
WASHINGTON, Z. c., Nov. ), 1865.
For and in consideration of the sum Of
$780, paid to me by Captain Clarence j
Howell, | hereby agree as follows, to-wi,:
To take from Captain Howell his state
ment in regard to his case, and procure
for him the full and complete pardon for
his past offenses. The money to be paid
| as follows: 500 in hand, and the remain
ing $500 on the delivery of his pardon
further agree that in case l do not sue
ceed in getting the pardon rs agreed,
will retnin to him the 800 received of
him. (Signed)
MRs L. I. COBB.
The above contained the following re
ceipt on the back.
WASHINGTON. d c., Nov. 5, 1868
Received on the within, 800
(Signed) MKs. L L. COBB
This occurred on the 7th of Novem
, ber. To secure positive and indisputable
evidence against Mrs Cobb, took six
$50 Treasury Eotes and marked them in
the prcsercc of five persons, that they
might be identified as the bills paid for
the PARTON. On the evening of the 7th.
when Howell was to have it, accompanied
by detective officer, went with him to
the Avenue House, where he was to re-
ceive the document, determined, as soon
IS the money was paid by him to Mrs
Cobb and he lad the pardon in his hands,
TO demand the money. AS shown by
Mrs. Cobbs testimony, the pardon was
not procured on the 7th, she allcdging
that the President was sick, that Mr.. Sc
ward was not in the city, and that q friend
of hers in the Treasury Departm ent. who
assisted her, was also absent from the
city, in New York, but on the following
evening size would certainly have the par
doh ready. Accordingly, on the evening
of the Sth, I again visited the Avenue
House with detective, and1de moment
Howell paid the money to Ms Cobb and
received his papers, entered the room
am. demanded from her the 5000. She
at once recognized me, and remarked she
had met me before" / inforne ed her
that had been posted as to her doings
at the White 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 character. and the
business in which yon are eugaged.s
think YOU will not be permitted again to
visit the White Honsc" She refused to
return tire money, when | asked her to
90 with me to my Office; she consented i
and asked me if l had any objection to ]
heAhusband accompanying Us: l replied
..certainlv NOT" and, entering the car
riage with Mr. and Mrs Goth, went to
ras headquarters. ] took Mrs Cobb into /
nav private office. and requested her to
return to me tie money paid her by How
ell stating to her distinctly that Is was
my money; had marked it for the pur-
pose of entrapping her; the person for
whom she had obtained the money was
potrCapt. Howell, but Capt. Hine, had
devised this plan to ascertain how and
through what means she obtained par
dons: she should not impose upon the
! President any longer, and should lay
all the facts before him at once, awaiting
his decision in the matter. She became
/ much excited and extremely abusive, de-
ciaring that she had obtained a great
many pardons from the President, and
she should continue to obtain them as
long as she could obtain customers; she
and the President had a perfect under
standing, and he dare not refuse to sign
/ any paper she presented TO hirn. / ask
| ed her how many pardons she had pro-
| cured She said she could not tell, but
! q great many; she had got three in sin
gle day, and very Indignantly claimed