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

/ to 60 to my headquarters to make an
explanation" Again he became very
much excited, walked the room to
and fro, and suddenly turned feroci-
|ously upon me and exclaimed, "Who
employs you to interfere with the du-
ties Of the Presidentor the Attorney
General 2" May answer was, / GER
Ftainly intended no wrong; did not
conceive it to be possible that he
could know the real character Of this
woman; my only desire, was to ex-
|hibit to him the character Of the per-
sons engaged in procuring pardons,
and the means employed; and if 1 had
done wrongI was very sorry. He
became more composed, and wanted
Ito know who this Mrs. Cobb was
stated to him, as far as possible, who
was she. He then asked me If 1
would request Mrs Cobb't to come and
see him the following evening at 6
o'clock. I replied, .Certainly.' He
also requested me to- come and see
him the next. evening, whichI prom.
ised to do, and leaving the pardon
land Mrs. Cobb's contract with Capt
Howell in his possession, returned
to my headquarters od Ggnfs Z
But to return to Mrs. Cobb. On
arriving at my headquarters, Isinfor-
med her that she was ut liberty to 90
home, and Immediately furnished her.
self and husband with conveyance.
Before leaving, she reiterated her de-
termination to lay the whole matter
before the President, and have me
summarily dismissed the service. She
told me she had very influential
friends. in Washington, and she would
60 before the Grand Jury and have
me indicted for false imprisonment,
&c. fsH aHf4 III 1lgt fss8i 4
h In compliance with the Presidents
request, went to the mansion the
next evening, and found him in q
state Of great excitement. I He de-
nounced "mylintcrference with mat
ters at the White House Mrs. Cobb
was respectable virtuous lady, and
i had no right to interfere with her
occupation" .1had sincerely belicv-
ed could render the President a
great service by exposing the charae.
ter and business of this woman.
When. however, / found that he was
determined to put wrong construc-
ton upon my motives, and to sustain
Mrs. Cobb, l felt mortified and indig.
nant. Never was there a 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 cap.
tive apparently by the vile protege 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 e-one for false imprison.
ment Of Mrs. Cobb: one tor false inn
prisonment of Mr.. Cobb; one for rob
berry in taking from her the 5000
had marked and given to Capt. How
ell, and one for extortion. It would
be difficult to imagine how Grand
Jury could ever find evidence in this
case on which to base their indict-
ments; but when, it Is recollected that
nearly every member of this Grand
Jury was Secessionist; and many of
them, ii not all, had at some time du-
ring the previous four years fallen
under my official notice. these facts
will, perhaps, furnish ar explanation.
When it become known that these
indictments had been found against
me, the disloyal press throughout
the country hailed .he event as one
likely to terminate my official connec-
ton with the Government, and de-
clared that President Johnson would
never permit himself to oe comprom-
ised by permitting the continuance
Of the Detective Bureau. Especially
were pains taken by the Associated
Press to send the news broad cast
everywhere, that Col. Baker had been
indicted for robbery, without giving
any Of the circumstances in connec-
ton with the case. To these reports
| made no reply, determined to wait
patiently, satisfied that if any impair
tial investigation could be had, /
should stand not only honorably ao-
quilted before the community, but
that my action in the case would be
commended rather than censurcd. ,of
On the evening of November TO-.
1865, in conversation with the
President, he affirmed that it was
not possible that he could know the
character of the females visiting his
house; he desired to give all an inter-
view; Mrs, Cobb and Mrs. Washing
ton had been there frequently-he
knew their faces well believed he
had, on one or two occasions, recon-
mended Mrs. Cobb to the Secretary
Of the Treasury for q, situation, but
beyond that he knew nothing of her
or Of Mrs. Washington, and If he
could bo convinced that the
character of these women was bad.
he certainly would not tolerate their
presence at tho Executive Mansion a
moment. He then asked me to make
out q written report, as briefly as
possible, on which he could base some
order directing his subordinates to
exclude bad characters from the
White House.
After what / had said to the Pres
ident respecting Mrs. Cobb and her
operations at the White Honse. and