The Shasta courier., 1867-07-27
SH ASIA COURIER
Gen. Baker and A. johnson.

"utn Oeneral BAKER, the Government
detective, discovered the fact that Mrs. Cobb
could procure pardon for rebel in twelve
hours, or less, when by the regular channel
1t took about two weeks, he naturally con-
GUIDED that something was wrong, and set
about = working up the case" After pro.
curing pardon from Mrs. Cobb, he took it
to the President, and the following is an ac-
count Of the interview
l found the President alone in his room,
and after the usual salutation, l said, I" Mr.
President, have some papers here, which
desire to show you" lie said, Take q
seat, SIR" Immediately unfulded the par.
don and laid it on the table before him. He
put on his spectacles, looked at it, and said
Sir, where did you get this ?" u got it
from Mrs Cobb" l then handed him Mrs.
Cobb's written contract for procuring said
pardon. He read it, when I exhibited to
him the marked money, and began de-
tailed statement of all the facts connected
with the case. He interrupted me in mo-
ment and said, Where did you get this
pardon?" | replied, From Mrs. Cobb, {"
and was proceeding to narrate the circum
stances, when he again interrupted me bT
saying, Well, what is this all about 2"
began Il third time TO relate the circumstan.
ces, when he interrupted me with rising
passion, =" This is a detective job. isn't it?'
| answered, Yes, sir, and if you will
listen to me moment. | will explain it,
He raised the pardon from the table, and
said. But what business have you with
this pardon ?" When | again attempted to
make an explanation, he broke in by saving,
Well, this is very strange affair. This
pardon has not been recorded. You have
no business with it, sir. There is no oath
of amnesty attached to it," / then politely
requ sted the President to listen to me, stat.
ing that | would explain the whole matter
had not proceeded far, however, before he
became very much excited. rose from h
chair. and said, Sir, what business have
you to interfere here? What business has
this woman to use my name in connection
with this matter? How did this pardon get
out of the Attorney Generals office without
being recorded ?'' Looking at the pardon,
he remarked, This is my signature. l
did not sign this pardon until very late this
afternoon. and here find it returned, as you
say, through pardon broker" He called
his son, robert, and said, Robert, do you
know anything about this pardon?" Yes,
father, that is the pardon you signed for
Mrs. Cobb, this afternoon"
lie took the pardon from his drawer, un
business Where is Mrs Cobb =; / re
piled, At my headquarters" Did you
arrest her, sir2" | replied, No, sir |
simply asked her to 60 to my headquarters
to make IL further explanation" Again he
became very much excited, walked the room
to and fro, and suddenly turned ferociously
upon me and exclaimed: " Who employs
you to interfere with the duties of the Presi.
dent or Attorney General ?" Ny answer
was / certainly intended no wrong l did
not conceive it to be possible that he could
know the real character of this woman; my
only desire was to exhibit to him the charac.
ter Of the persons engaged in procuring par.
dons, and the means employed, and If had
done wrong | WAS very sorry. He became
more composed and wanted to know who
this Mrs Cobb was. l stated to him as far
as possible who she was. He then asked
me if | would request Mrs. Cobb to come
and see him the following evening at six
o'clock. | replied, " Certainly" lie also
requested me to come and see him the next
evening, which | promised to do, and eav
ing the pardon and Mrs. Cobb's contract
with Captain Howell in his possession, | re-
turned to my headquarters
The following needs no comment. 1t
proves beyond doubt that johnson and
Mrs. Cobb were in company in the pardon
business
On the evening of November 10Th, 1865.
in 4 conversation with the President. he
affirmed that 1t was not possible that he
could know the character of the females Wis
iting his house he desired to give them all
an interview; Mrs. Cobb and Mrs Wash.
ington had been there frequently-he knew
their faces we'll believed he had on one or
two occasions recommended Mrs Cobb to
the Secretary of the Treasury for situation,
but beyond that he knew nothing of her or
Mrs. Washington, and if he could be con-
yinced that the character of these women
was bad he certainly would not tolerate
their presence at the Executive Mansion a
moment. lie then asked me to make out a
written report, as briefly as possibly, on
which he could base some order directing his
sub .rdinates to exclude bad characters from
the White House.
After wha; had said to the President re.
specting Mrs. Cobb and her operations at
the White House, and after furnishing him
with an official report at his own request,
certainly thought he would give orders to
have her kept out of the executive mansion.
On the contrary, | found that she was a
more frequent visitor than ever. and was
DoasuhS among Der trends that in spite of
General Bakers Interference, she was still n
welcome guest of the President. | could not
think that possible. So, in order to bring
the controversy between the President and
myself to an issue, directed an officer TO
ascertain whether this was true, and learned
that she was constant visitor. Still, think
ing that the President could not be aware of
her visits, on the 18th OF November | sta.
toned detective police officer at the front
entrance, with instructions TO prevent Mrs.
Cobb's entrance. About ii O'Clock. as
usual. she presented herself and was tols.
she could not go in. She asked the officer
bv whose order he was acting. and he re-
piled, :. By order of General Baker"
Mrs. Cobb replied, = Well. | will see The
President in ten minutes" She went round
to the rear part of the house, entered the
kitchen, went up to the Presidents private
room and told him that General Baker had
stationed detective at the door TO prevent