The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-12
CARSON AS A FINE ART"
CHAPTER FROM WASHINGTON SOCIAL HISTORY
HOW TO HIDE FRAUD.

/
W. sH1NGroN, March Cool. Don Piatt, in
| the Sunday Capital, adds remarkable charac.
ter to the recent social history of Washington.
The principal point of it is that it was Mrs.
Belknap and Mrs. Robson to whom Mrs.
Williams the wife Of the late Attorney Gene
raj, wrote the anonymous letters which led
to the retirement of Mr.. Williams from the
Cabinet. Pistt says:
"We have been reminded of strange
circumstance that came to us some two years
ago. We took from the carrier one day let
ter, an anonymous letter, that read as follows:
"' You are aware no doubt, that you have
enemies; but do you know that at this time
there is combination of them, determined to
ruin you? Two women, having high posi-
tions, are plotting against you. Now, these
women are not to be feared if you know all
about them. I will tell you. One of them
made fortune out of the Secor claim and the
French arms; the other out OF George P. and
the French arms. In the War and Navy De-
partment buildings are the proofs of their
evil conduct If you will make the acquaint-
ance of Mr.. -, he can put you in the way
Of getting copies of these papers, and the pub.
LEGATION will silence two of the worst women
in Washington
"rhis is but part of the letter; the rest is
made up OF the vilest ISLANDERS ever put in
circulation. We do not generally pay any at
tention to anonymous letters; but there was
something in this which attracted our atten-
ton, and we preserved it. We did not make
the acquaintance suggested, nor did We en-
deavor to procure the paper to which our
anonymous friend referred. But not long
after an attempt was made to burn the old
Navy Department buildings, and r. member
ing the hint given AS in the anonymous letter,
we published On editorial headed ARSON rs
Fine Art, in which we spoke of The clumsy
attempt at arson as indicating the female
mind Not long after We recrivsd second
letter, evidently from the same source. L.
reaC:
"'You have scotched the srake, not killed
it, and by not folio siag ny advice you have
lost golden opportunity TO hnish for good
your enemies. This is not the last fire, nor
are these people the kind of people to give up
without q desperate effort to save them
selves.
"Agaln followed matter unfit for publica-
ton, evidently designed by the writer to pro-
woke US TO attack the two ladies she charged
with wrongdoing. Not long after this second
letter, another eff,rs was IN lde to fire the
navy building This was followed by a third,
and then came an unmistakable attempt at
arson in the Winier building, where many of
the archives and records of the War Depart.
ment are preserved, on account OF the fir
proof character of The structure.
"About 10 o'clock at night the wa'chman
o duty discovered dense volume Of smoke |
l ,suing from one of the rooms of the base |
msnt. Imme diately. before he could give any
alarm, column of flame burst out and shot |
up through the grated openings in the corr- |
dor to the fourth story. The fire, by the
merest accident, was confined, or rather con-
find itself, to the one room. 1t burned out |
almost as suddenly as it kindlled, and was |
under control when the engines reached the |
locality, An inspection of the premises re- |
vealed the facts, first, that petroleum had
been used to sa.urate the shelves. books and |
furniture of the room. The odor was quite |
strong, and the manner in which the flames |
had shot out and then subsidized indicated be.
yond doubt the mineral oil we named.
"Secondly, the windows on the north side |
were found open, SO as to give sufficient
draft. But further investigation revealed the
fact that the incendiaries had mistaken the
room. and through accident selected that next
the one in which the more valuable
documents had been filed. We found after.
ward that these anonymi US letters were scat
'ered very generally over the city. There
was no doubt but that they emanated from
he same source. Bat the most startling fact
hat was subsequently developed was that the
luthoress of these troublesome missives was
herself the wife of Secretary of the Cabi-
act. "-Erchange.