Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-11-30
The Western Conspiracy.

PULL CONFESSION OF ADBMocRATIc EDITOR.
Mr.. J. ]. Bingham, editor Of the Indiana
polls State Sentinel, Chairman Of the Demo-
cratic State Central Committee Of Indiana,
"third degree" member, and "grand COM
mander" of the {" Order of the Sons of Lib
erty," has made confession before the Mil
tary Commission at indianapolis.
His evidence. given on Friday last, is to
the effect that he was misled as to the cha
racter Of the reasonable organization and
its ultimate purposes, and was not made
aware Of them till some months after his in
itiation. The programme Of the revolution
lists included a general rising in the North
west the assassination of Governor Morton,
and the release of Rebel prisoners at Camp
Chase, Ohio; Camp Douglas, Chicago;
Camp Morton, indianapolis, and on john
sons Island. N
He says he joined the American knights
in October or November, 1868, at Military
Hall, then leasedtoeShe Democratic Club Of
Indianapolis, and was initiated then. Dodd,
Harrison, NJ. Jak66s; Dir. Johnson, Wander
GRIT and others were present. On the I'd or
Sd day of August Dodd called on him to
issue as Chairman Of the Democratic State
Central Committee, call for a mass meet
ing on the 18th Of August. He asked his
word Of honor that he would not reveal any
thing he might say. Bingham promised it.
Dodd said revolution had been determined
on at the council of sixteen, held at Chicago ;
that it consisted Of four members from In
diana, four from Missouri, four from Illinoist
and four from Kentucky. Dodd, Bowles and
Bullitt were present. Dodd said they ar
ranged there to release the Rebel prisoners
at Johnson's Island and Camp Chase, Ohio /;
Camp Morton, Indiana; Camp Douglas,
Illinois and the released prisoners at Camp
Douglas were to release those at Rock ISL
and at the same time they were to rise in
Louisville and seize the Government stores
and property.
Bingham was astonished. Dodd wanted a
mass meeting called, under pretense OF OPP
posing the draft and instructing the Chicago
delegates. Bingham refused Dodd wanted
him to call Congressional Convention to
nominate Congressman, as a cover for his
revolution. Bingham refused. Dodd went
to Mcdonald to have him influence Bingham
to call the Convention. Bingham thought
he ought to reveal the plot, and tried Nc.
Donald to know whether the secret had not
been entrusted to him; found 1t had not, and
impaired it to Mcdonald on the 4th Of Au-
gust; 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 barbecue near Louis
Vile. The revolution was to take place the
day after the barbecue. Kerr said that Bull
litt and other prominent members Of the Or
der were arrested because of that notice f; that
I. IA Al 10 do
Bingham thought this so important that
he called the DEMOCRATIC Central Committee
together August Is, 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 COM
ing election-there was danger Of that If the
revolution was made public. Dodd was here
for two weeks, and Walker for ten days; he
told them they would be arrested, and they
left. Dodd claimed that the scheme was
false until Kerr charged it upon him at the
two days meeting Of the Central Committee,
August II, when this revolutionary plot was
discussed; they said the plot must be drop
ped Walker called that meeting and assur-
ed the Committee it was stopped August IL.
Walker told Bingham he must be at the
Bates House and meet the Rebel officers
him while en- route to Chicago to release the
Rebel prisoners, and notify them that the re-
volution was postponed.
In August, about the time the arms were
found in Dodd's building, messenger
brought him q communication from Dodd
and Walker, then at Chicago, protesting to
be an address to the Committee OF Thirteen,
asking its publication in the Sentinel. He
examined It, and refused to publish it. They
proposed to publish it at Dodd's Office, but
Bingham having an interest, said they should
not publish it, and sent it back to Walker
who said he wrote the address, and signed
Dodd's name, as Chairman of the Committee
of Thirteen. Dodd was Grand Commander.
Members 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 Tuesday August l6.
Bingham said no inducements or threats
had drawn out this testimony; it was volun-