The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-07
MRS. COUGAR IN CHICAGO.
The Heroine of Lafayette Creates Sensa-
ton in the City by the Lake.
Chicago Herald.

suffrage convention yesterday, in Evanston,
was Mrs. Helen NJ. Cougar, of Lafayette, Ind,
heroine OF the Cougar Wallace Mandler scan
dial. All day long the ladies sat in the Bap-
list church and argued about the need of
making this wicked world better. But still
Mrs Cougar was not there, and the interest
was not complete. Late in the afternoon Mrs
Elizabeth Boynton Harbert gave a reception
and fifty ladies came and went, but still Mrs
Cougar was not there. Eight o'clock in the
evening came on apace, the closing session of
the convention was at hand, and still no
Mrs. Cougar, though all Evanston, and most
of the surrounding provinces and principal
tiles were focking to the church
to further the cause of woman
and to see Mrs Cougar. Nearly all
the people had gone from the reception at
Mrs. Harbert,s house-all save Mr.. Harbert
and Senator Castle and two or three ladies'
and reporter for the Herald. Just as these
few were starting for the church, sad that
Mrs. Cougar had not come there came
adown the street. lin the cleaning" a small
boy carrying satchel, and beside the boy
was pretty little lady, who approached the
party smiling pleasantly. This was Mrs.
Cougar, The ladies rushed forward and en-
braced Mrs. Cougar One of them even
kissed Mrs Cougar, and Mrs. Cougar re-
turned the kiss, and seemed very much
pleased, in very pretty way, with almost
everybody in the party. Mr.. Harbert, Sena-
tor Castle, and the Herald reporter stood
around and tried to look pleasant while the
ladies quite forgot there were ever any
gentlemen in existence. But pres
emily, they remembered it, and
introduced Mrs. Cougar, and then the
party turned back to Mrs. Harberts house.
Il won't detain you but minute-only a
little minute, but l must have a clean face,
and then I'll go with you right up to the
church. Oh, please don't make me speak to-
night. Pm so tired"
1t is quite impossible to tell just how
daintily Mrs. Cougar said this. Several of
the ladies had told the reporter: You will
like Mrs. Cougar, I'm sure, for she has such
pretty ways. She is really person of very
remarkable personal magnetism. Everybody
likes her." The reporter was prepared for
very much that was fascinating, but was
really quite surprised at being carried away
and rendered speechless by Mrs Cougar
Senator Castle, too, seemed quite demolished.
He smiled his very best, and his button-hole
bouquet bushed its very brightest red.
After the party had been waiting some
minutes in the parlor for Mrs. Cougar to re-
turn, some one suggested that time was
valuable and the ladies must not talk up
stairs too long together. Then some one else
facetiously suggested that ladies were not
apt to know how fast and much they did
talk when they got together. 1t was an I'M
fortunate man who made this suggestion.
He was frowned down. Men were at a dis
count in Evanston yesterday.
Presently Mrs. Cougar appeared. She
looked delightful. The Herald reporter is
prepared to say that if Mrs. Cougar had
wanted to cast ballot just at that minute
as she appeared in the parlor door, she could
have had done So She could have had any
thing. If Mrs. Cougar wants to vote she can
1t would not be in the heart of any Judge of
election to deny her. She did not wear the
Langtry bang, nor bangles, nor silver but
tons, engraved with the monograms OF gen.
tlemen admirers, but she looked plain and
ladylike She wore a black silk basque,
which fitted her slender figure neatly, and
short black silk skirt which hung gracefully.
Her face was fair and delicate, her eyes blue,
and her hair frizzed-not frizzed, exactly,
either, but rather waYy, She carried on her
arm brocaded dolman, lined with fur and
was buttoning her corn-colored gloves with
glove buttoner, though perhaps, on second
thought, it was hair-pin If ANYBODY had
said just then that Mrs. Cougar was ever
guilty of a scandal, almost any of the gentle
men present would have defended her with
pistols.
She put on her cloak, and the party went
out, and as they descended the front steps,
Mrs Cougar said
ooh, dear, Pm so afraid of you newspaper
people,"
But you needn't be, Pm sure" put in the
reporter.
''Yes, said she, "and if you'll just let me
take your arm, please. I'll be quite careful
[ shouldn't like to fall"
The other people dropped to the rear and
the next ten minutes was consumed in
walk to the church.
Il am very sorry" said Mr.. Cougar. mot
to be able to get here before, but the hack
man failed me at my home in Lafayette, and [
missed the train. Then l was up nearly all
last night trying to catch another train, and
so, as you may imagine, I'm very tired to-
night-too tired. almost to speak But [
presume 1 shall have no trouble Indeed
my great trouble is to know where to stop
talking, for | feel so earnest an enthusiasm
in this work"
why" said the reporter 81 thought that
temperance was your theme"
"Oh, no; woman suffrage is what [ have
devoted most of my efforts to, though tenn
perance is one of our principles, of course"
But was it not your antagonism to the
whisky element that caused you all your re-
cent troubles in Lafayette?'
Eyes, sir; that is just it," and here Mrs.
Cougar became interested, and in a very
winning way, argued the scandal case into
the very teeth of her defamers She said
that Mr.. Wallace was one of the finest men
in Indiana, and that when ne was nominated
for senator the beer and whisky league an
tagonzed him bitterly. She herself adyo-
Gated his election, for the opposition candi-
date was one OF the wickedest of wicked men
and she knew the virtues of Mr.. Wallace.
The whisky association tried to buy her off
with $500, and when she refused to be bought
they sent her threatening letters. They
spent not less than 500, 900 to elect their can
didate and after the election anonymous let
tiers were sent to her saying that she would
''rue to her dying day. the course she had
taken She thought it was unmanly, to say
the least to threaten woman so.
But womans reputation, you know is
her dearest inheritance" she said, land they
thought when they assailed me there would
surely yield and cease to fight them. That is
the sole reason they brought those cruel
charges against me- but they have not fright
ened me even thus, and our cause | am sure,