Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-07-04

NJ my headquarters, | informed her sh,
was at liberty to gohomc, and immediately
furnished herself and husband with a con
veyancc. Before leaving she reiterated
her determination 10 lay the whole matter
before the President and have me summa
rily dismissed from the service. She tolt
me she would go before The Grand Jur,
and have me indicted for false imprison
ment, &c.
I In compliance with the Presidents re
quest, | went TO the mansion the mex
evening, and found him in state of grea
excitement. lie denounced my interfer
cnce with matters at the White House
! Mrs. Cobb was respectable. virtuous lady
and had 70 right To interfere with hel
occupation" | had sincerely believed |
could render the President a great service
by exposing the character and business OF
this woman. When, however, | found that
he was determined to put wrong con
strucjiOn upon my motives. and To sustain
Mrs Cobb, felt mortified and indignant.
Never was there greater contrast between
anticipltions and the result. Ii was com
ing down from tho summit OF human glory.
when the unworthy ruler of n great people
was conquered and led captive apparently
by the vile 'rOtegc of his fancy.
The Grand Jury of the District OF Co
lumbia then being in session, on the fol-
lowing day, very much To nv surprise,
learned that four indictments had been
found against me-one for false imprison-
ment Of Mrs. Cobb; one for false imprison-
ment Of Mr.. Cobb; one for robbery in
taking from her the $500 had marked
and given to Capt. Howell, and one for
cxtortion. 1t would be difficult to imagine
how Grand Jury could ever find evidence
in this case on which to base these iudict-
ments; but when il Is rccollected that near
ly every member of this Grand Jury was q
Seces.ionist; 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 in
dictmcnts had been found against me, the
throughout the country hailed
the event as one likely 10 terminate my Of
fetal conn cciion with the Government, and
declared that President johnson would
never permit himself To ID, compromised
by permitting the continuance of the De
teCiiye Bureau. Especially were pains
taken by the Associated Press to send the
news broadcast everywhere. that Col Bl-
ler hal been indicted for robbery, without
giving any ofthc circumstances in circum-
'tanccs in connection with the case. To
those reports | made no reply, determined |
to wait patiently. satisfied that, if an i'm |
partial investigation coIll b. had. should /
stand not only honorable acquitted before |
he community, but that my action in the |
caSc would be commended rather than cen 1
,urcd
On the evening of November 10, 1865. in ,
/ conversation with the President he al |
lrmcd that it was not possible That he |
.Ould know the character Of the females |
'isiting his house; he desire, to give all an |
Interview; Mrs. Cobb and Mrs. Washing
on had been there frcquently-hc knew
heir faces well; believed he had on one or
NJ occasions recommended Mrs Cobb TO
he Secretary of the Treasury for situa
ion. but beyond that he knew nothing of |
Ter or of Mrs. Washington, and II he could |
,c convinced that the character of these |
women WAS bad, he certainly would not
olcrate their presence at tho Executive
Mansion moment. He then asked me to
naks out p written report, as briefly as
'ossible. on which he could base some or
Ter directing his subordnates to exclude
'ad characters from the White House.
After what | had said to the President
Mrs. Cobb and her operations ut
he White House, and after furnishing him
With an official report at his own request,
certainly thought he would give orders
o have her kept oat OF the Executive
Mansion On the contrary. | hard tlI,t
he was more frequent visitor than ever.
nd was no iS,ing am )ag her friends that in
pitc OF G. n. Il iScrs Interference she was
till welcome gIeSt OF the President. | |
Ould not think this possible So. in order
q bring the controversy between the
President and mysclfto an issue. directed
N officer to ascertain wk,ther this was
rue. and learned that she was constant
iSitOr. Still tlinkin, the President
President could not be aware 0f her visits,
IN the 18th Of November, 1 stationed de-
cctive police officer at the froat entrance.
With Instructions TO prevent Mrs. Cob5's
ntering. About II o'clock, rs usual, she
herself and was told that she
ould not go in. She asked the officer by
whose order he was acting, anil he replied:
BY order of Gen. Baker" Mrs. Cobb re-
,licd "Wcll, will see the President in
en- minutes" She went round to the rear
,art of the house, entered the kitchen. went
Ip TO the Presidents private room, and
old him that Gen Baker had stationed
Ieiective at the door to prevent her seeing
i'm. Tho President sent for the detec tive
nd said: ''Sir, by whose Order do YOU
'resumc to guard my door?" The detec-
i've replied, Il am not guarding the door
was sent here by Gen. Baker to prevent
'Irs Cobb from entering the house" The
President said: "Tell Gen. Baker want
o see him Immediately" Accordingly he
tarted for my Office, but in the meantime
he President had sent his private messen-
,er, who arrived first, and in a very excl
ed manner informed me the President
Wished to see me Immediately; Unjust drop
VI business and come at once. | went,
md entered the Presidents private room.
found him alone, pacing the room very
Furiously he said to me: "How
lare you place detectives at my door?'' |
old him that supposed that he desired
Yrs. Cobb and other females of like char
lcter to he kept from the house. He an
Iwered: "When / want your services Twill
end for you. Mrs. Cobb has Just as
much right to come here as any other per-
ION. This is not the frs: time, sir. that |
you have interfered at the White House.
Now want it stopped -g
Still pacing the room, he repeated seve-
al times what he before said had cOncer-
hing Mrs. Cobb-that she had as much |
right to visit the White House as any
other respectable person. Walking up to |
ne like pugilist, he shook his fist in my
face, and said again; 'How dare you pre- i
,ume to exercise any control over the man