The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-24
STE. WASHINGTON WOMAN.
Mysterious NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Lack of
Taste for the Beautiful ON Wrecked
Sfeamer-Tha Secret Diyul9ed.

Mysterious observation-disclosures Lack OF
Taste for the Beautiful ON a. Wrecked
Steamer-The Secret Divulged.
Forty-one persons assembled last evening in the
large hall Of the Cooper Institute to listen TO the
ration, by Mrs. Jennie A. Perry 'The Washington
Womann alias .'The Mysterious Cincinnati Wo-
man," alias "The Republican Queen" OF what she
saw ana did In Washington, together with some ac-
count of the loss of the steamer Su.tana of which
n-ated vessel "Ars. Perry'' was the only lady sur
viyof.
Mrs. Perry is a lady OF about forty years OF age Of
somewhat below the medium stature tending So ne
what to e1nbo point, of good complexion. on the
stage with features of no very STRIKING regularity
executing perhaps q chubby double. chin, and with
dark hair and eyes. She was attired in black glace
silk, with jet trimming around the shoulders, her
hair neatly dressed and spray OF Covers in her
hair. In her hand, as she stood at che reading desk
she held a small fan, with which she emphasized
nine words out of ten, and drank from q tuinbler OF
what appeared to be water, every dozen or two of
sentences. Her j., recitalioti was written, and
1n mode of Seemed at mes
little embarrassed IN decipheIing the calligraphy.
The fantastic emphasis displayed by her in some Of
from its frequency, ana though her voice was by
means an unpleasant one she seemed to understand
nothing of reading or oratoIy. Vocal inaeXions
When her audience of forty-one persons in that
| immense auditorium had composed themselves-one
man reclining gracefully on back seat, another
leaning languidy or lazy against his friend and a
third in o front seat had adjusted his spectaces in a
satisfactory way and assumed the look of an indi-
| yidua of deep sympathy and COMMUNICATION for
somebody-the fair lecturess appeared
| In the opening part Of her discourse she stated
that the question had often been asked through the
public prints and by gossipsts "Who Is this Wash
| ington womanr &C. In answer to them she would
of william G. Perry, engineer on board the ram 10 )
| E. or Tennessee, a war vessel which achieved a
great reputation on the Mississippi river during the
late rebellion. She was employed during the war as
nurse in the federal hospitals and in April, 1865,
| left New Orleans in the steamer Sutana, having on
board about 1880 Union prisoners from the Ander-
| sonville Prison pens. On the 9th Of April the
vessel stopped at Memphis to COAL and
proceeding on her way North at one O'Clock
by the explosion Of the boiler. After many trying
difficulties in escaping from the wreck and after
obtaining her hfe-preserver which she had the mis-
fortune to put on "hind side foremost,n she pre-
pared herself to plunge from the wreck. The confu-
sion and horror OF the scene were delineated with
minuteness OF detail that would completely outrank
inaccuracy that would have crazed Lindley Murray.
| When the explosion occurred she was only half
dressed, and men were rushing In O few minutes
iarIy enough, she doubted { they even stopped 10
Ser a ankle Ss Of she WORE s fs
| Escapes and perlls imminent'' she was
| finally rescued by fisherman. Without stating how
triguing or lobbying clique at Washington she simply
stated that she could reveal many very remarkable
things In connection with the various departments,
and ntimaed that in the present crisis Of national
affairs one could afford to be neutral except per-
haps those at the White House and In the Customs.
She seemed to regret very deeply the fact that with
all her lobbying and influence she as yet never had
bite at the big Plum although she had raised some
to Wealth. and auence She Closed with an appes
to the Boys IN Blue and young men particularly to
vote for Grant and vaguely promised an early dis
closure OF startling facts Several taps of applause
were dlscernlble during her remarks.