Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-10
LETTER FROM BEVERLY TUCKER AYp
VIM C. CTEARf

LETTER FROM BEVERLY TUCKER AND
WIN. c. CLEARf.
The letter Of Beverly Tucker in relation to the
assassination plot appears in the Montreal Ga.
zete of Friday
MONTREAL, May d. 1866. y
| To the People of Canada:
| have this moment seen the proclamation of
| Andrew johnson, acting President OF the United
States stating that 1T appears from evidence in
/ the Bureau of Military Justice that the atrocious
murder of the late President, Abraham Lincoln,
and the attempted assassination of the Hon. W.
II. Seward, Secretary Of State, was melted. con-
/ certed and procured by and between Jefferson
| Davis, late of Richmond. Va, and Jacob
| Thompson, Clement c. Clay, Beverly Tucker,
4 George n. Saunders, w. c. Cleary and others,
| Rebels and traitors ag linst the Government of
| the United States harbored in Canada and Of.
| fer ng rewards for the apprehension Of the ac-
cused, $4,000 being the sum offered for my ar
| rest.
1t is scarcely possible that such proclamation
| wOu have been issued unless some such evi
| dence" has been adduced What such " evil
dence' is ! am totally at a loss to conjecture. |
| am compelled, therefore, to content myself with
| the declar ton that whOsoeyer hath sworn 10
| anything authorizing in tie slightest degree
suspicion of my having ." melted, concerted or
procured or OF any knowledge " hatever by me
| Of the attac Ks made on the President and Mr.
| Seward, or any acts or projects OF O kindred
| character, or OF any plan to kidnap or capture
either of them, or any of the Federal authorities
hath blackened his soul with diabolical perjury.
| Until information reached here of the attack
| on President Lincoln by Mr.. j. Wilkes Booth
| and that on Mr.. Seward by SINE other person,
| did not know that any such person as j. Wilkes
| Booth existed. had never heard OF him before
| I DO not know any Of the persons in arrest at
| Washington, and lever heard of them till read
the notices in the United States newspapers of
| their apprehension.
have within day or two past made icauiry
| and ascertained that Mr. Booth left st Lawrence
| Hall, Montreal, on the 27th of October last The
| officers Of the Ontario bank state tn q on that
| day he purchased OF the bank bill on England
| iOr C6l lbs Id for which he paid in American
| gold, and. al the same time, made deposit of
$50, Canada moLey which yet remains to his
credit, and that he stated he intended 10 rnn 10
| blockade. Whether he made such attempt or
' into the United States by railroad have
| not asceTtline6,
Tue clerks ia the st. Lawrence Hall inform
me that he arrived at the house on the 18th of
| October being here ninS days. | was not in
Montreal daring that time. Ny association with
| the other gentlemen named in this atrocious pro.
camatiOn he's been intimate for wears and
admit IL would be strange il they had any knowl.
| edge Of Mr.. Booths purposes, that | should be
| in utter ignorance of il.
The whole bus ness is, in my deliberate judr.
| ment, an attempt to get up pretext for q difd-
Guilty with the British Prov inces; and the con,
sideraion that since have been here have re.
ceiyed nothing but hospitality AID kindness from
you, impels me TO make this blief ad iress 10 aid
in the 1issi alton of such lretexts. have to.
day appeaed ~ President Johnson and Secreta.
~ Stanton TO allow me copies OF the alleged
evidence" with respect to myself, to give Inc a
chance 10 disapprove t.
4 wi s | VyiU haf 20
tere and verify the above by my solemn oath
and that will agree that the United States
Consul, or any respectable counsel he may de-
signate, shall crta examine me in relation TO the
al.eged evidence or any other and all the acts
OF my lie. BEyElLY TUcKEs. !
LETTER FRoI CLEARY.
C!eary's letter is published in the Toronto Lea.
der, and reads as follows
To the Editor of the Leader:
S!r-lhe reward of $1,000 offered for my cap.
ture by President Johnson, imperatively de.
MAIDS that should take the first opportunity
and the most public means of referring to the
proclamation which brands me before the world
as partcipatOr in the murder of the late Pres.
dent OF the United States. The other gentle
men Whose names are associated with mine
leave speak for the nselves.
In this proclamation | am referred 10 as the
clerk OF Mr.. {. C. Clay. ] dely most emphati-
cally that ever occupied such a position. As
TO the assassination OF Mr. Lincoln declare
before high Heaven and { whole world that |
knew nothing OF it until ii had been committed,
and announced in the newspapers. There is not
particle OF truth in the stateme t that ICON.
cocted and melted" the, assass nation.
The announcement Of the great crime came
upon me, as il no dyubt did upon thousands of
OF Others who read it in the papers on the day
succeeding Good Friday, like a clap of thun.
der; and shared, with all my heart, in the gen.
eral regret that so foul deed had been commit.
ted and that, too at a time when the war as
considered, had virtually been brought to a
close.
Positive proof Of my innocence il is, OF course
impossible for me TO produce. But if crcumstan-
t.al evidence is Of any avail, may state that
only a week ago ] went 10 Detroit, under SAT- |
conduct ofthe military authorities to arrange my
Affairs and return TO my native State. If had
been guilty OF tho crime laid To- my charge does
any one suppose that would h I'VE ventured 10
go upon American sill when important revela.
tons were daily being made and numerous per-
sons arrested
lean do NJ more now than openly and une
quvocaliy assert my innocence. In doing this,
appeal to the justice of q community which, !
trust, Will not sentence me unheard: ind to the
right fee ing of the Government at Washington,
who have been most egr giousiy deceived il any
evidence has been put in their possession which
wOuld make ne the accomplish of assassns.
Asking your favor for the insertion of this card
as soon as possible am, sit, yours respectfully,
w. c. CLEARY.