Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-03-10
New York ssWorld'' furnishes the an
nexed sketch of Mrs 'Belknap, the wife of

n6XoQ Sketcn OF MIS-. bolkudp, GHe Wllo VI
the disgraced late Secretary of War:
This lady has been the object Of general
admiration since she first came to Wash
ington six years ago to visit her sister, the
former wife Of Gen. Belknap. Her hand
some face and figure and witty converse
tional powers at once made her central
figure in any assemblage. She is tall, has
a well-deyeloped ard rounded form and
graceful carriage. Her features are regu-
Ial, her complexion clear and fair, while
her hair is black, and her eyes black and
very bright When first she came to Wash
ington Mrs. Belknap was the widow of
MI. Bowers, who had died some months
before in Cincinnati. Her family name
was Tomlinson. and she was a native Of
Harrodsburg, KY. Her father, DR.. Tom
linsQa, was an eminent physician, and
highly connected. He had d large family
of sons and daughters. All OF the latter
were noted for their beauty, and were
reigning bellies Of their native State.
The mother of Mrs. Henry Clews, Of
New York, was one Of the sisters, and the
second and present wife of Gen. Belknap
another. Mrs. Amanda Tomlinson Bow
ers was married two years ago in Deem
Der to the Secretary of War. She was
heartily welcomed to the cabinet circle
here, and has held q foremost place among
the ladies who are the acknowledged queens
in society. She has been especially distin-
guished for her ready tact in receiving the
strangers who each week throng the houses
Of the members of the cabinet. She always
had an appropriate greeting ready for each
conner. She has appeared to the greatest
advantage this winter, and has gone much
| into society, as from her position she WAS
compelled to do. Sh displayed great taste
| in dress, and wears the richest materials
All shades and colors are becoming to
Mrs. Belknap's style, and she INDUCED i'll
| Worth's most effective combinations. AT
! the many entertainments she has attended
| this winter she has looked equally beauti-
| full. whether attired in pale rose colored
| silk, with soft, creamy lace, or turquoise
| blue silk, with long garlands of flowers
| trimming, the low corSage and very short
sleeves,a as we'll as the tablier and trains of
! ivory tinted silk trimmed with fringe and
| lace, or even her carriage costumes, one OF
black velvet and lace, another Of blue vel-
vet, trimmed with bands of pheasants'
| feathers. She has many other toilets Of
| the richest materials. Mrs. Belllnap is
dainty from head to foot. Hats and boots
match each costume Her foot is the small
est in Washington. She wears number one
and a half-shoes, though she is five feet six
inches in height. Slippers and boots of
satin for these dainty feet come from Paris,
and are always enough seen % be admired.
The Jewels Mrs. Belknap most frequently
wears consist of a string of large pearls
around her neck, with a beautiful pendant
of diamonds Her earrings are two soil
talre drops for each ear.
| An aigrette of diamonds is the only Or
I nament she eyer wears on her Shapely head,
amid the puffs Of dark hair that are always
arranged to suit the contour Of the hand
| 70 Dt.p tO arria erA
Gen. Belknap she spent eighteen months
in Europe, and brought her wedding trous-
seau with her on her return. Her mar
riage was solemnized at the residence of
her brother in Harrodsburg, Ky. One
\ child, bright little girl, now one year of
age, has blessed the union. Gen. Belknap
is very proud Of his first daughter. His
children by his previous mar lages were all
sons. Mrs. Belknap is q devoted mother,
and is untiring in her care of her pretty
little Alice, cheerfully relinquishing any
pleasure when the child needs her pres
ence. This lady has made frequent visits
| to New 7 ork, and has been much feted
| wherever she has stayed there. After her
return from Europe two years and a half
| ago she passed many weeks at the Fifth
| Avenue Hotel. Her most recent visit was
| early in January, when she attended q
grand ball at Delmonico's 1.-THE Patriarch S
| ball), for which purpose she had gone to
| New York. Size resided in Cincinnati
prior to the death Of her first husband, and
| for a time afterwards.
| SURVEILLANCE OF THE BELKNAP MAN
SION
Last night shortly before midnight in
| formation was received by the secret ser
vice division Of the treasury which led to
the suspicion of design on the part of Gen.
| Belknap to clandestinely leave the city.
| Several officers of the division were imsne-
| diately detailed to shadow" hisresideIces
fInt't the meantime the Attorney General
and the District attorney were both noti-
| fed of the suspicious entertained. Both
we're decisive in the opinion that if any
such design was attempted it must be pre-
vented at all hazards The officers remain
ed at their posts all night and observed q
suspicious movement of lights about the
house which confirmed their information.
| They were also soon satisfied by the recon-
| noiterng from the inside that their pres
ence had been discovered. Early this morn
ing the front door was opened by Mrs.
| Belknap, who called one Of the officers in
She stated that his GRAND was known, and
that 1t would be more agreeable to her if
the 'shadoWing" was done inside the
house, and she therefore invited the officer
to remain in doors. lie complied with her
request
After remaining All hour or two, during
which time he saw nothing of Gen. Belk-
nap, Mrs. Belkuap desired him to leave the
h ouse because the officers ON the outside
had not withdrawn, and she was not re-
lieved of the annoyance. The officer bowed
himself out and renewed his watch with
his associates. Some time after it was
thought that as nothing had been seen of
Gen. Belknap it would be as well to be GER
tain that he was in the house. The bell
was rung by an officer, WHO sent up his
card. Word was brought down that Gen.
Belknap declined to see him. The officer
then demanded to see him. Gen. Relknap
then came down stairs, his eyes red and
swollen with weeping. his hair disheYeled,
bis clothes awry and looking but the mere
wreck of the handsome and magnificent
Secretary Of Wsr. The officer being salts
fed Of his bodily presence did not prolong
the painful interview, and retired. This
from the police Judge Of the District an
order of arrest, to be used in the event of
Gen. Belknap's attempted escape. To-
night the secret service force was With
drawn and 2 detail Of tAp metropolitan
polioe substituted, which Will watch the
premises until further orders, two Of the
force being inside the house. On We'd
nesday Belknap was formally arrested by
the police and bailed in $4,000,
WHAT TIE 44.E, DRESS SAYS OF IT.
The New ork Herald" says:
Whether the acceptance Of Belknap7s
resignation really protects him from i'm
peachment is q question on which opinion
will differ; but there is no room for ques-
ton that the purpose Of the Rresiaent1was
to bar an impeachment and assist q con-
bold attempt to shield guilty officer from
the legal consequences Of his crimes makes
the President a neral accomplish in the
guilt of Belknap. The downfall of Score
tary Belknap means the ruin of the Re-
publican party. It is only another of the
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