The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-11-04
The Western Conspiracy.

CONFESSION OF A DEMOCRATIC ADiAon'
Mr.. j. j. Bingham, editor oil the lndianapo-a
oils State Sentinel, Chairman OF the democrat
ic State Central Committee OF Indiana, third
deereen member, and a "grand commander"
of the "Order of the Sons of Liberty" has
made a confession before the Military Com
mission at Indianapolis.
His evidence, given on Friday last, is to the
effect that he was misled as to the character
of the reasonable organization and its ult-
mate purposes, and was not made aware of
them till some months after his initiation
The programme of the reyolutionists included
a general rising in the Northwest; the assassi-
nation OF Gov. Morton, and the release of rebel
prisoners at Camp Chase, Ohio; Camp Doug
las, Chicago; Camp Morton, indianapolis, and
on Johnson's Island.
He says he Joined the American knights in
October or November, 1868, at Military Hall.
then leased to the democratic Club of Indian
apols, and was initiated then. Dodd, Harri-
son, M. Jacobs, DR.. johnson, Vandergrift, and
others were present. Onthe second or third
days ofAugust, Dodd called on him to issue
as Chairman OF the Democratic State Central
Committee, call for mass meeting on the
18th of August. He asked his word of honor
that he would not reveal anything he might
say. Bingham promisedit. Dodd said revo-
luton had been determined on at the Council
of Sixteen, held at Chicago; that it consisted
Of four members from Indiana, four from Mis-
souri,, four from Illinois, and four from Ken-7
lucky. Dodd, Bowles and Bullitt were pres
emit. Dodd said they arranged there to release
the rebel prisoners at Johnson's Island and
Camp Chase, Ohio; Camp Morton, Indiana;
Camp Douglas, Illinois and the released pris-
oners at Camp Douglas were to release those
at Rock Island at the same time they were to
rise in Louisville and seize the government
stores and property. Bingham was astoaish-
ed. Dodd wanted a mass meeting called I'M
der pretence of opposing the draft and in-e
structing the Chicago delegates. Bingham
refused; Dodd wanted him to call Congress
sional convention to nominate a Congressman,
as cover for his revolution; Bingham refus-
ed. Dodd went to Mcdonald, to have him in
auence Bingham to cali the convention. Bing-
ham thought he ought to reveal the plot, and
tried Mcdonald to know whether the secret
had been entrusted TO him found it had not,
| and impaired it to Mcdonald on the 4th OF
August; they could not determine what to
| do, and agreed to meet again the next day.
| Bingham didn't inform the authorities, be-
cause he thought they knew it, as it was
agreed that notice OF the uprising should be
| given by publishing q barbecue, near Louis
| Vile. The revolution was to take place the
L
| and other prominent members Of the order
| were arrested because of that n0tice-that
many left the State for Canada. s9 mo
| Bingham thought this so important that he
| called the Democratic Central Committee to-
! gether August 10, to consult on its effect on
the party. Another reason why he did not
| inform the authorities was, because he did not
/ wish to injure his party in the coming cleo
tion--there was danger of that if the revolu-
ton was made public. Dodd was here for two
weeks, and Walker for ten days I; he told them
| they would be arrested, and they left. Dodd
| claimed that the scheme was false until Kerr
| charged it on him at the two days. meeting of
the Central Committee, August 18th, when this
1 revolutionary plot was discussed, they said the
| plot must be dropped. Walker called that meet
/ ing, and as sured the committee it was stopped
| Aug.11. Walker told Bingham he must be at
the Bates House and meet the rebel officers
| from Louisville, who were to consult him
| while en- route to Chicago to release the rebel
prisoners, and notify them that the revolution
was postponed. In August, about the time
the arms were found in Dodd's building, a
messenger brought him az communication from
Dodd and Walker, then in Chicago, protesting
/ to be an address to the Committee OF Thirteen,
asking its publication In the Sentinel. he
| examined iti and refused to publish II. They
proposed to publish 1t at Dodd's Office, but
Bingham having an interest, said they should
not publish it, and sent il back to Walker, who
| said he wrote the address, and signed Dodd's
| name, as Chairman of the Committee of Thir-
| teen. Dodd was grand commander. Mem
bers were sworn to obey him implicitly. In
this revolution, Dodd expected assistance from
members Of the Order, who came up to the
mass meeting of August 18th.
Bingham said no inducements or threats had
| drawn out this testimony; 1t was voluntary.