The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-08
BEN BUTLER'S BLUFF.
How the General Circumvented
an Adventures.
4 Ne-vy Game, That Was Boldly Played,
But It Failed to Win Against tho
CRUZ Lawyers Superior
Shrewdness.

"There is anunwritten chapter in the
history of the Baltimore convention of
$780," said Gen. Coggswell to Wash
ington Star man, (which think it is
the proper time to relate, and which
shows Buffers wonderful nerve. After
the Charleston convention had seeded
and the convention was moved to Balti-
more Caleb Gushing was designated as
its presiding officer. A female adven-
turess thought here was good chance
TO make something out of the occasion,
and she came up, claiming TO have GER
tain letters written by Cushing, which
she threatened to make public and give
to the republicans unless she was paid
large amount for them. Cushing was
greatly worried at thought of the
charge and sent for Butler to see If he
could suggest any way of getting rid of
the woman.
Butler agreed to take charge of the
matter and went over to Barnum's no
tel, where he found in a magnificent
suite Of apartments very handsomely
dressed and beautiful woman of the
world and possessed Of abundant nerve.
Butler informed her who he was, and
that he wanted the letters. The woman
was very naughty and declined to have
anything 70 do with Mr.. Butler or any
one else except Mr.. Gushing himself. She
said if Mr. Cushing wanted the letters
he could come over and get them, but
he could not have them by proxy, and
then she want on to say that in view Of
the Importance of the letters and the
exigencies of the case she had no doubt
the republicans would pay her a large
sum for the letters, as they would be
most effective campaign documents.
Just because of the exigencies of
the political situation replied Butler,
Just because the letters that you claim
to have in your possession written by
Mr.. Cushing are SO important, and just
because they would prove such eff
fective campaign literature, Is the
reason why these letters must be sur
rendered to me, and why you will not
see Mr.. Cushing, and neither he nor any
of his friends will pay single dollar
for them She grew extremely indig
nant at such remarks from Butler. and
told him that the conversation might as
well cease there, and he could leave the
room.
Butler, however, was not to be
bluffed off. He refused to leave, and
told her that she must surrender the
documents. She absolutely refused to
consider it a moment unless she was
paid tremendous sum, and finally said
that if Mr.. Butler did not leave her
apartments she would have him re-
moved by the people in the hotel But
Ter then saw that time for parleying
had gone by and that he must resort to
extreme measures.
Drawing himself up to his full
height and looking her squarely in the
eyes, he said: Madame, do you know
where you are?'
''She replied: Yes; am in Barnum's
hotel in Baltimore
EXACTLY said Butler, in Baltimore,
and do you know that tn ere are ten
Thousand men who for five dollar bill
would be only too glad to put your
body in a sack and throw it into the
Patapsco?
''The woman wilted. She saw at
once that she had man worthy Of her
nerve to deal with and that if she was
not very careful she might find herself
in great peril, and she consented to
surrender the letters to Butler for the
payment of one hpndred dollars and
her ticket to New York. Next morn
ing Butler handed her one hundred dol
lars, ticket to New York, and saw her
off on the train. The woman has
never been heard of from that day to
this"