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until the coming in of the “reform” administration of Mr. Hayes.
Then there was a search made for places to put in the “reformer's” nieces, and the records were examined to see who were behind clerks as to “influence.”
The list showed nobody behind Mrs. Mumford, and, the commissioner having been changed, of course she was “reformed out.”
She informed me. I visited the Treasury Department, the Department of the Interior, and the Agricultural Department to see if she could not be restored to a place.
I found it utterly impossible until I visited a “rebel brigadier,” General Key, then Postmaster-General, and told him the story.
He gave her a clerkship in his department, and there she remained as long as she chose to stay in office, so far as I know.
I saw the boys from time to time.
They called to see me with their mother and they seemed to be very gentlemanly and bright.
I had one other occasion, while in New Orleans, to administer capital punishment.
I certainly had no desertions reported to me that required it. The circumstances of this case are peculiar enough for narration.
For something over a week prior to the 12th of June, 1862, there had been continued complaint made at my headquarters of burglaries and robberies committed in the night time in many houses and in many parts of the city.
No clew was brought to me by which the offenders could be ascertained, and it became a very annoying scandal and disgrace.
On the morning of the 12th I said at mess table: “This system of night thieveries must be put an end to, and I am going to attend to nothing else, routine duty excepted, until it is done.”
When I got to my office in the Custom House about nine o'clock, a respectable looking Spanish gentleman sent in his card, came in, and said to me that his house on Toulouse Street had been entered the night before in this way: An officer in the full uniform of a lieutenant came in and produced an order to search the house for arms.
The officer had four men with him, and they searched everything in the house, evidently looking more carefully after pistols than guns.
When they went away they gave the owner a certificate of search.
This certificate read as follows:--
A. M. Thayer and Co. 1892.
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