The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-03-09

SOME ACCOUNT OF THAT EXTRAORDINARY
FEMALE. 454

SOME ACCOUNT OF THAT EXTRAORDINARY
FEMALE. l54 /
Don Piatt speaks of seeing Mrs. Cobb, who
retires with Andrew johnson, and says;
] was surprised to find that she was fair to
look on and by no means carried in her coun-
tenance justification of the attacks of a We
nal press. She stood before me in the new
cash room of the Treasury buildings, where
the Inauguration ball is to be held, and ]
saw lady with an elegant walking dress
with the colors artisticaly blended; of full,
wsl-roundcd but admirably proportioned fg-
ure; eyes black and flashing; hair chestnut
brown and abundant, and carrying over all
the evidences of twenty ears experience in
this breathing world of ours. And what ex-
periences they have been.
. The story runs, that soon after his Acct
dency went into the White House, he was
taken, or pretended TO be taken, with panic.
He feared assassination, and prepared re-
quest to the Secretary Of War to furnish the
White House with guard to prevent some
Democrat from numbering him. The rough
but willy Secretary, whose knowledge of hu-
man nature enabled him to look through An
drew, Immediately complied. That familiar
Baker was called up, and instructed to put D
guard about the Executive mansion, so that
no evil-minded Democrat or other secession
ist could go in and knock our Radical Presi-
dent in the head. And, added the Secretary,
let the detectives be shrewd men and note ali
who 60 in and come out, and make the same
iu writing, aud report every twenty-four hours
to the Department.
These orders were carried out, and soon
some curious developments were made. All
sorts of characters, male and female, were
| found on visiting terms with his Accidency,
at all sorts of hours; and among these came ,,ae
L. Nnnf
| know who this Cobb is" demanded tn1 ~
| retary. and in eight hours answer cane oaSh,
| "Psrdon- brnker.n So, under instructions, the
f.m;l;or set q tran for Mrs. CoDO and the
pa.s;Ja,t;si Casualty called Andrew john
- ,Istectiye. dressed in rebel gray, call
al on Mrs. Cobb, and offered her three hum
ared dollars for the PRESIDENTS signature to
pardon. The next DAY the pardon was pro-
f,,sed. duly signed, and almost before the ink
ne. dry. the document was under the nose of
| the President.
"What does this mean,v cried Andrew.
"Don't know" responded Carnot, who Or
ganized victory. "Is it your signature?"
sit is" roared Andrew, Sand want it in
vestigated" Ks s
That was what the Carnot who organized
victory wanted, and that night Mrs. ank Mr.
Cobb were seized in their frugal couch, and
all their papers and the three hundred dol
lars aforesaid captured and recaptured'
| and an active prosecution began. -
The Developments were TOO neavy hh tIl
Andrew. He came to the aid OF Mrs: CeDp.
He nrocursd her release. and the indignant
dame thus backed attacked Baker. The
Chief Detective went to prison, while the
Cobb went at large. He sent for pen, ink
and paper, and employing Q dexterous
seratsh-psn, @ began history of sixty days
= detective in the Executive Mansion. An
drew hearing this, took another panic, and
ordered Baker to be released.