St. Paul daily globe., 1888-06-03
COTTON WAS KING.
Millions Made, by Four Plot
ters, by a Clever
Trick.
Uncle Sam Fooled by Daring
Spectators at a Criti-
cal Time.
A Flying Trip Across the
Atlantic what Won
the Pot.
A Thrilling Story of the
Closing Days Of the
War.

SllO VI Iut N0W L OIh w OrlO, WlUn inter-
mittent showers of rain. As night fell
the wind changed to the northwest. 1t
grew very cold, and there were several
falls of snow in heavy, clinging flakes.
Washington was full of people. Members
of congress were met and buttOnh0led by
brigadier generals wearing brand new
uniforms i'll the lobby or general loung-
ing-rOOm of Wizards hotel. During
the four years Of the war it was the
general rendezvous for congressman
and contractors, for colonels who
wanted to be brigadier generals, and
for brigadier generals who wished to
have the double stars on their shoulder
straps; and lobbyists,
HUMAN VULTURES.
or wolves and SpieS-mOre euphOniOuSly
called secret service men-a1l these
classes made the lobby of Wizards a
common meeting place. | have spoken
of Willard's because in that very lobby
was incubated one of the most wonder
full coupS of the great war.
-Four men met there the evening of
Feb. Il. 1850. After exchanging a few
words they went up stairs to room 81.
1t was famous quarter in those days,
large. with a smaller bed room opening
off from it, Ii they could talk, of how
many strange secrets the walls of No.
q might tell
The four were all of prominence. The
first was a member of one of the houses
of congress. a man of national fame.
The second held an important position
just beneath the cabinet officer, of
GREAT CONFIDENCE
and Importance. The third was a man
who had arrived in Washington, tina
day: 1T was risky coming" he
said, as he laid off heavy overcoat, ev-
identity not of American make, ''but
you said come, and have taken the
chances" You will never be recog-
niZed here, p replied the public official,
while the congressman started little
when he heard the name of No. 3, and
recognized in it an old officer of the
United States navy, of an eminent
Southern family, who had resigned
some years before, and was sometimes
mentioned iii the foreign correspondence
of New York journals as being the
leading purchasing agent of the Con-
federate states in Europe, the man who
had bought 100000
STAND OF ARMS
made at Enfield, and landed them in the
confederacy, too, and approved the
heavy batteries of the Shenandoah, the
Florida. the Georgia and the Alabama
before they were put aboard these
cruisers. There were many agents
abroad who professed to have great
authority, but the man [ speak of not
only knew what to buy, but how to get
the things he purchased into confeder-
ate ports. SO much for No. 3.
The fourth man was a New Yorker,
who is still living. You may see him
occasionally now, always wearing the
same Satrnine look and seeming to be
very cold. lii summer his clothes are
the usual winter garments of the aver
age citizen, while in winter he is liter
ally clothed in
THE COSTLIEST FURS.
His horses and carriages are the finest
that show in the park, and as their
owner sits wrapped up with nothing but
part of pale face visible, he looks like
MephiStO taking the air. His only other
characteristic is fondness for rare and
costly precious stones.
The four talked for an hour. Then
the government official and No. 3 went
downstairs and got into a cab that was
waiting at the private entrance. They
both had so mutfied up their faces that
one who knew them well might have
passed them without recognition. But
the night was cold and that made the
heavy wraps necessary.
1t was still cold the next day. At
the Washington navy yard the rebel
blockade runner Petrol was to be sold.
She had first been brought up from
Fortress Monroe the day before, and
quite crowd of riyermen and naval
officers were aboard and about the Yes
sci taking a good look at her, for she
was one of the most famous
BLOCKADE RUNNERS
1Ytt1+ nd r.
est. Though she was a model of grace
and swiftness. she had so little room
that she would be useless for ordinary
commercial purposes, and so she
was sold for the small sum of
$4,000. Her purchaser was No 4.
He put her in charge of a Sailor-looll-
ing man, and directed him to ship men
enough to take her around to New
York. There she was thoroughly over
hauled. Her engines received particu-
lar attention. Stores for short trip
were put aboard, and the captain was
directed to ship proper crew for her
and sail for Newfoundland port, and
there await further orders. The captain
OF the Petrol was a true Yankee sailor
OF the old type, now almost lost
in the decline Of our merchant
marine. He was from Portsmouth,
n. H., and had been .'born
sailor" lie used to say. Faithful, of
sturdy honesty, knowing his business
thoroughly, he was just the man for an
adventure where a clear head and good
nerves might become important fac
tors. Two or three things puzzled the
honest captain not a little. What were
the owners going to do with the ship?
He never asked any questions, and al
ways kept his tongue
BETWEEN HIS TEETH,
and waited to be told whatever the
owners might wish him to know. He
made up his mind, however. that it
would do no harm to learn the exact
knew in the matter, No. 4. SO one after
status OF the only person whose name he
noon, Just before leaving for the New
toundland port designated, he went up
to the Office of a well-known
firm of ship brokers, whom
he had sailed for very often.
After few questions he found an op-
pOrtunity to make the inquiries he
wished. He learned that the owner of
the Petrol was "a rising man" in 1.-The
street, that he had made a great fort
une in bulliDg gold and was supposed TO
be worth s., 100000, and that his loyalty
to the government was without
suspicion. Greatly relieved, the
honest Portsmouth sailor returned
aboard TO find the owner
waiting for him. "Get everything
ready, all your stores aboard with a
good crew, and be ready to sail tO-mor-
row." He had orders to pay the highest
market price for able seamen and first
class firemen, and his engineers were
perfectly competent. He sailed the
next afternoon. Just as he was casting
off, the owner told him he would join
him a week later at st. Johns and give
him
HIS FINAL INSTRUCTIONS.
i 10 lL.l 4. e