The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-21

A brief pause. and then he said: Gen
tlemen. you would ha; dly expect one OF my
complexion to discuss mat question" and
amid rCars Of laughter and applause, he
withdrew. Mr.. COrwin was Secretary of
the Treasury under Mr.. Fillmore, and. after
leaving the cabinet, continued to reside in
Washington for some years. During this
period an execution was levied on the office
of the National Intelliqencer by a spiteful
creditor, who, indemnifying the marshal
Col William Selden, demanded imme>
diate proceedings. Gov. CorNin came for
ward and offered his services to aid Messrs
Gales a. SeatOn, his old friends, in this en-
barrassment, by raising the amount needed
to pay the demand, aud Col Seldom, de-
Ginning to be made the instrument Of
this annoyance for some fancied slight,
gave US twenty-four hou to raise
the money. l was deputed by these gentle
men 60 accompany the governor to New
York, who expected to raise the amount
required-S10 900. We took the night train,
In the morning, after breakfast the gov
ernor iutr ducsd me to a young man, SEEM
ingly not moe han 81 or y years old, who
TO my surprise | found to be Gov. William
Sprague OF Rhode Island. Exhibiting nv
power of attorney and authority to offer as
security the square on L street and Fifth
known as ''Seaton's Garde - and telling
him the amount we needed, SIC, 900, he said (:
Meet me at 3 o'clock at the office of
Sprague, Hoyt & Co. and | will give you a
check for the amount The whole trans
action did not occupy a half hour
l called at the hour named. Gov.
Sprague had returned nome, but
the check for the amount was handed me.
Highly elated at our success, [ telegraphed
Messrs. Gales q Seaton and Col. Selden
the marshal, and took the night train for
home, Gov. Corwin remaining in New York
until the next day. When CIV. Sprague
was in he Senate some years after, per-
suaded him to purchase the square, paying
off a mortgage and having it decided to him
for, think in all, about $4,000. It may
be of interest to real estate spectators
| to know that it realized for him, some
years after, over 100000, the best invest
ment, as he informed me- he had made in
Washington.
A FAIR PRISONER.
Another instance of Gov. Corwin's kind.
ness of heart occurs to me. When Harry
Cllmor, whose command was composed Of
the young bloods of Baltimore and its
neighborhood, made raid on the Peunsyl-
van1a railroad train at Gunpowder river
among the passengers was Gen. Hancock.
and in the ladies' car was Miss Emily
Harper and Mrs. Bessie Perine, a young
widow. Mrs. Perine was the daughter of
the eminent lawyer 50 well known here, the
late u. Collins Lee. AS Harry Gilmor en-
tered the car Mrs. Perine, astonished at
meeting him, sprang from her seat
and saluting him as Cousin Harry
inquired for her brother, Richard
Lee, who was in GiImor's command.
The ladies detained Harry Gilmor in con
versation and it was said at the time pre-
vented the capture of Gen. Hancock. Some
time after Mrs Perine was arrested for this
act at Baltimore and sent on parole to
Washington, where she remained as the
guest OF her cousin, Mrs. Walter Davadge.
Gov. Corwin interested himself in her be-
half and accompanied her to Mr.. Lincoln,
and in his inimitabla manner introduced
her as his prisoner. very small, delicate
woman, charming in manner and "as pref
ty as a pink" The interview, as
1 heard them describe it, was very
amusing. MIR. Lincoln saying he
considered her very dangerous
and placed her under Gov. Corwin'S charge.
AT this day it can hardly be credited that
such an arrest could have been made, but it
is true, and not only true but really for a
time seemed very serious. Mrs. Perine soon
after went TO Europe and at Rome met Capt
Cooper of the royal British navy and re-
turned with him 10 the country as his affi-
anced. The marriage was celebrated with
nup ial mass at the cathedral in Baltimore.
The British legation was represented by
Messrs. Vane and Darlington, and in the
absence of any near relative had the pleas
ure of giving away the bride, Capt. Cooper
succeeding to an earldom and his charming
widow resides at the ancestral home as the
dowager countess.