Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-06-09
THE CONSPIRACY TRIALS,
CONCLUSION OF YESTERDAYS PRO
CEEDlNGS
STEAMBOAT BURNING.


EXAMINATION OF LEWIS b. HARKINs
by Mr. Doster:-Have known the prisoner
AiZerooL Tor about ten years; during the latter
part or February or early in March last he
@ vas al Port Tobacco for day or two; he may
nAse stayed there longer than that; among
tnose who know him he has the name of being
a pretty good.natured fellow, but lacking
courage; nave known him on several occa.
slons 10 act cewardly.
EXAMINATION OF EDWARD FRAZIER
BY Judge Advocate Holt:-I reside in St,
Louis, and have resided there for e-ht or nine
years. Within the last year or two ehere have
Western and Southern waters by agents OF the
so-cailed Confederate Government who were
engaged in that business. A man BY the name
Thonoss a1sarh one. Minoi Magers was another
name OF Barrett was another. They were all
agents OF the Confederate Government. They
were engaged In burning steamboats, on the
Mississippi, Ohio and other rivers. Their
operations consisted in burning STEAMBOATS,
carrying Government freight; boats that were
used as transports and some that were not SO
used. The steamboats, Imperial, Robert Camp
oell, Daniel ID. Taylor and others were burned
at Louisville. There were beats burned at
new orleans, but 1 do not recollect their
names. They were owned by private parties.
The Robert Campbell was burned In the stream
while under weigh, with the agent on board
at Mnliken's Bend, twenty-fv miles above
Nlcksburg. G. State whether this plan of
operations embraced the destruction of the
Government hospitals and storehouses. A. 1t
embraced anything pertaining to the army.
hospital at Nashvillel A I do not; all that
know is that certain man claimed compen.
sation sa for it. Q. Do you know the man who
Government A. His name was Dillingham;.
Z. What amount did he claiml A. He did not
put any amount; he just put in statement.
time was that hospital burned! A. In June
or July, 1854. The fire occurred night
! did not hear OF anybody being burned.
IN a. nave nat You haze De osea xen
while there have an interview with JET.
ferson Davis, the so called President of the
Confederacy, and BENJAMIN, the Secretary OF
State? A. was in Richmond from the Goth
to the 25th day Of August, 1864, and then had
an interview with the Secretary Of War.
Secretary of State. and Jefferson Davis
Q. State what occurred at that inter view. A.
Mr.. Thomas L. Clark, Dillingham; and myself
went there In connection with boat burning,
and put In claims to Mr.. James A. Seddon, to
don said he had thrown up that business, that
it was now in the hands OF Mr. Benjamin. We
went TO MIR. Benjamin and presented our pa
pers to him. He looked at the papers and
asked me whether was in st. Louis. told
him 1 was. He asked me whether knew
anything about the papers; told him did,
Mr.: Clark il ne knew me to Be right: Mr.: clark
said that had been represented to him by Mr..
again the next day with Mr. Clark M W and d Mr.. Mr.
Dillingham; that he had shown the papers I
had left to Jefferson Davis, and he wanted to
knew whether we would not take thirty thou.
sand dollars and sign receipt in full. We
told him we would not do 1t. Well, he said
then that if Mr.. Dillingham was to claim this
thing at Louisville, he wanted a statement of
that thing. We went back to the hotel, and I
wrote ont q statement myself. t read that
Mr.. Dillingham had been hired by General
IBishopl Polk, and sent to Louisville express
4. Yes, sir; and 1 signed Mr. Ditiinenams
name to 1t; that was Civ en- to Mr.. Clark; Mr..
Clark took it over to Mr.. Benjamin and made
lars-thirty.f1ve thousand dollars down in
gold and fifteen thousand on deposit, to be
paid to him four months afterwards, provided
on Columbia, S. G., for thirty four thousand
dollars in gold in Richmond. The
draft we got cashed in Columbia, and
Z. You received the gold on that, did you
a. Yes, sir. While there, Mr.. Benjamin said
that MT Davis wanted to see me. 1 went in,
and Mr.. Davis, Mr.. Benjamin and myself sat
there and talked. The conversation turned on
bridge between Nashville and Chattanooga-
the long bridge they called it. Mr.. BENJAMIN
me II knew where it was. told him did,
but did not had never been there He said
he wanted to know what I thought about de.
stroying that bridge; that they had been think
ing about having it destroyed. 1 told him I
did not know what to think about 1t. He said
1 had better study 1t over; / finally told him
thought 1t could be done, and Mr.. Benjamin Il
think it was Mr.. Benjamin) made the remark
that he would give 100000 if that bridge was
destroyed, and wanted TO knot If would not
take charge OF the matter: told him would
passes were taken away from those men down
there, and that nobody would be allowed to
come up any more they said it should be done
then the conversation turned on the burning of
steamboats,; / told MI Davis that I did not
think it was any use to burn steam boats, and
ne said no, he was going to have that stopped;
l then told him that the best way to stop that
would be to take the passes away from
those men he had there Immediately; that
there were men lying around the South
whose passes would run ont, and they
weuld come back to get them renewed, and
that it should not be done; he said that what
had suggested should be done; l saw the next
day a published order reyoking those passes.
These passes were permits or authority to do
this work He knew that 1 had recei we'd
money. The statements made out were state
ments OF the service done and the amount
claimed. The sum originally demanded was
$4,000. He wanted to pay us, at first, s30, 600
in ereenbacks. l expressed the opinion to Da-
Wis that NO good was to be accomplished by
burning these boats iI that manner. He
He did not condemn what had been done. We
came to an understanding that we were to re-
ceive 100000 for doing 1t. ! asked Mr.. Davis
whether it made any difference as to where
the work was done He said 1t did not: that
Illinois would do; that it would include any.
thing pertaining TO quartermaster's stores for
the army, anu lu6I IL OuSnt 10 De as near TO
Sherman's base as possible; that Sherman was
the man who was doing them more harm tn an
any one else at that time. Minor Mayors,
have every reason to believe, was IN Canada,
and that he left there and went to Bermuda
Hundred. That was the last heard from him.
Most Of these men were members Of q secret
organization: 1t goes by the name OF the o.
A. T. organization. The order of American
knights. @. Will you state whether you were
also member of that order? Noanswer. q.
You need not answer if by so doing you will
criminate yourself. The witness made no re-
ply. @. You say you are not able to state de-
cidedlv the process by which these boats were
burned; were any combustibles besides match
es used3 A. I do not think there were. @.
DO you remember the position which Barrett
held in this association A. I'M derstood he held
the position of adjutant general OF the State OF
Illinois. Q. The adjutant general OF the Q. A.
K'sl A. could not say whether OF the o. A.
KS or the Sons Of Liberty. @. Do you know
at Chicago! A. MIR. Magers left st. Louis
either last June or July to 60 to Canada, and
-