Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-29

! He denounced .'my interference with mat
ters at the White House Mrs. Cobb was a
respectable, yirtuous lady, and | had no
right to Interfere with her occupation"
had sincerely believed | could render the
President Il great service by exposing the
character and business of this woman.
/ When. however. found that he was deter
mined to put wrong construction upon my
motives and to sustain Mrs. Cobb, | felt
mortified and Indignant. Never was there IA
greater contrast between anticipatiOns and
the result. 1t was coming down from the
summit of human glory. when the unworthy
ruler of a great people was conquered and
led captive apparently by the vile prote9e OF
his fancy The Grand jury of the District
of Columbia then being in session, on the
! following day, very much to my surprise,
learned that four indictments had been found
against me-one for false Imprisonment of
Mrs. Cobb one for false imp prisonment of
Mr. Cobb one for robbery in taking from
! her the $500 | had marked and given to
| Capt. Howell, and one for extortion- 1t
! would 10 hifii""lt to imagine how a Grand
Jury could ever find evidence in this
which to base these indictments but when
| it is recollected that nearly every member of
this Grand Jury was a Seeessionist: that
many Of them, if not all, had at some time
/ during the previous four years fallen under
my official notice, these facts will. perhaps,
furnish an explanation When it became
! known that these indictments had been found
against me, the disloyal press throughout the
/ country hailed the event as one likely to ter
inmate my official connection with the Gov
ernment, and declared President johnson
would never permit himself 10 be compro-
| missed by permitting the continuance of the
1 Detective Bureau. Especially We're pains
/ taken by the Associated Press - send the
l rlar -py
had been indicted for robbery, without Civ
! ing any Of the circumstances in connection
7 with the case To those reports | made no
reply. determined to wait patiently, satisfied
that if an impartial investigation could be
had, | should stand not only honorably ac-
quilted before the community, but that my
action III the case would be commended
rather than censured
ON the evening of November 10th 1865
/ in conversation with the president. he affirm
/ ed that it was not possible that he could know
the character OF the female visiting his
/ house he desired to give all interview.
/ Mrs. Cobb and Mrs Washington had been
/ there frequentlv-he knew their faces well
! believed he had on one or To occasions rec
/ commended Mrs Cobb to the Secretary of the
/ treasury for situation. but. beyond that,
/ he knew nothing of her or Of Mrs. Washing
! ton. and that If he could be convinced that
/ he certainly would not tolerate their presence
at the Executive Mansion u moment He
/ then asked me t. make a written report, as
/ briefly as possible, on which he could base
some order directing his subordinatcs T.
clude bad characters from the White House.
After what | had said u the President
spcctinZ Mrs. Cobb and her operations 1T the
White House. and after furnishing him with
an official report. at his own request, | GER
tanlv thought he would give orders t. have
her kept out of the Executive mansion. ON
the contrary. | heard that she was more
frequent visitor there than ever, and was
boasting among her friends that in spite of
Gen. Bakers interference she was still a
welcome guest of the President. | could not
think this possible - in order To bring the
controversy between the President and my
self II an issue, directed an officer t. ascer-
tain whether this was true. and learned that
she constant visitor. Still thinking
the President could not be aware Of her
visits on the 18th Of November, | stationed
a detective police officer at the front entrance.
with instructions t. prevent Mrs Cohb's
entering. About II o'clock, n usual. she
presented herself. and told that she
could not = in. She asked the officer by
whose order he wae acting, and he replied
= Bv order of Gen. Baker Mrs. Cobb re
piled Well. viii see the President in
ten minutes She went round To- the rear
part of the house. entered the kitchen. went
mp to the Presidents private room. and told
him that Gen. Baker had stationed detect
i've at the door To prevent her seeing him.
The President sent for the detective and said
: Sir, by whose order do You presume to
guard my door - The detective replied
:. am not guarding the door. was sent
here bv Gen Baker Il prevent Mrs. Cobb from
entering the house. The President said
=. Tell Gen Baker want t. see him imme-
diately." Accordingly he started for my
Office. but in the mean time the President
had sent his private messenger, who arrived
first, and in a very excited manner informed
me the President wished t. see me immediate
Ia. | must drop all business and come at
once. | went, and entered the President
private room. found him alone, pacing the
/ room very excitedly. Furiously he said to
me - How dare You place detectives at my
door2'' told him that supposed he de-
sired Mrs Cobb and other females of like
character TO be kept from the house He
answered - When want your services |
will send for YOU Mrs. Cobb has Just as
much right to come here as you or any other
person. This is not the first time. Sir. that
YOU have interfered at the White House.
Now | want it stopped.
Still pacing the room he repeated several
times what he had before said concerning
Mrs Cobb-that she had as much right to
visit the White House as any other respecta-
bic person. Walking up to me like pugil-
list. he shook his fist in my face, and said
again 4" How dare You presume to exercise
any control over the management of the
W hite Honse?" | then said Mr.. Presi
dent, when such vile characters as Mrs. Cobb
can visit the White House at all times of
night and day; when she can procure par
dons as she has done in the case of Capt.
Howell, and deliver them in person incom-
plete or without being recorded when she
boasts publicly in the streets, hotels. and
saloons Of this city that she is Il pardon
broker and the President dare not refuse any
of her applications. but she has the President
Of the nited States in her power, | think it
is high time that somebody interfered. The
President replied - How dare vou talk to
me in that way Sir? Now, Sir. tell YOU
once for all. YOU must not interfere with my
business ; neither must YOU interfere with
anv person who has business at the Executive
mansion. | started to leave the room, hen
he followed me to the door, and. with his fist
clenched said '' Now. recollect what / have
told YOU You can 90 and tell your friend
Stanton all have said. | say. you can 90
and tell your friend Stanton all have said. =
With this | left the Presidential mansion
and have never entered it since.
In one of my conversations with the Pres
ident, he repeatedly accused me of being a
tool of the Radicals. He said he had been
informed that was in the employ of the
Radicals, and had heard that had detailed
detectives to watch the Presidential mansion,
with view to ascertain and furnish list OF
the prominent copperheads and rebels who
were visiting the White House.
From the Toledo Blade.