American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-06-14
REBEL LEADERS +!
Their CompIicityin the Assassination.
Very Important Suppressed Testi-
mony,
BOOTH SPECIALLY AUTHORIZED.
ASTOUNDING REVELATIONS

to suppressed, relative to the Rebel lead
ers, taken at the Assassination trial at
| Washington
Sandiord Conover testified as follows !:
i am native of New York have re-
sided in Canada since October last; was
conscripted into the Confederate army
and detailed to service in the War De-
partment of the Confederacy, at Rich
mond, under James A. Seddon, Secretary
of War, while in Canada was intimately
acquainted with g. n Sanders, Jacob
Thompson, DIR. Blackburn, Tucker, VIM.
@. Cleary, Captain Castleman, Cameron,
Porterfeld, Captain Magruder, and 9th
ers. also knew Clement G. Clay, and
General Carroll, of Tennessee | knew
Mr. Suratt also, and j. W Booth, and
visited these gentlemen in Canada; saw
Surratt there on several occasions last
April, in Mr. Jacob Thompson's room,
also in company with George N. Sanders,
and other Rebels in Canada; Surratt is
about five feet nine or ten inches high, a
r-complexioned man, with light hair;
saw him the 9th or 7th of April, with
Thompson, Sanders and Booth at that
time he delivered to Thompson, in his
room, in my presence, dispatches from
Richmond to Thompson, from Benjamin
and from Jefferson Davis; the latter eth
er cipher dispatch. Benjamin was
Secretary of State of the Copiederacy -
Previous to this, Thompson conversed
with me in reference to plot to assassi-
nate President Lincoln and his Cabi-
net, of which [ gave notice before the as
sassination in the New York Tribune, the
paper which corresponded. ! had been
invited by Mr.. Thompson to participate
in that enterprise. When Surratt deliv-
cred these deypatches from jeff. Davis,
Thompson laid his hand upon the papers
and said, referring to the assassination and
the assent of the rebel authorities, This
makes the thing all right" The des-
patches spoke of the persons to be .assas-
sinated-Mr Lincoln, Mr.. johnson, the
Secretary of War, the Secretary of State
Judge Chase, and Gen. Grant. Thomp-
son said ON that occasion, or on the day
before that interview, that the assassina-
ton proposed would leave the Govern
ment of the United States entirely with
out a head that there was no provisions
in the Constitution of the United States
by which they could elect another Presi-
dent. Mr.. Welles was also named, but
Mr. Thompson said it was not worth while
to kill HIM; he was of no consequence
My first interview with Thompson on
this subject of assassination was in the
carly part of February, in Thompson's
room, in st. Lawrence Hall, Montreal. =
liz then spoke of raid on Ogdensburg,
New York 1t was abandoned, but that
was because the United States Govern
ment received information of it. lie said
he would have to drop it for time, but
added, We'll catch them asleep vet, !"
and to me he said, "There is better op-
portunity to immortalze yourself, and
save your country" meaning the Confed-
eracy. | told them | was ready to do
anything to save the country, and asked
them what was to be done lie said,
Some of our boys are going to play a
grand joke on Abe aud Andy" which he
said was to kill them his words were,
Remove them from Office" and he said
that the killing of tyrant was not muir
der; that he had commissions for this
work from the rebel authorities, and con
ferred one on Booth, or would confer one !;
that everybody engaged in this enterprise
would be commissioned; if they escaped
to Canada they could not be successfully
claimed under that Extradition Treaty |
know that Thompson and the others held
these commissions in blank they COM
missioned Bennett Young, the st. Albaus
raider; it was blank commission filed
up and conferred by Mr.. Clay; as it came
from Richmond, it was only signed Jas.
A. Seddon, Secretary of War; Thomp-
son called me to examine these blanks so
that l might testify to the gennineness of
Seddon's signature in the case of Bennett
Young, before Judge Smith. The sigma
ture was genuine. In subsequent con-
versation, after the first referred to in
February, Thompson told me that Booth
had been commissioned and every man
who would engage in it would be. | had
a conversation with VIM. C. Cleary, on
the day before, or the day of the assassin
alton, at St. Lawrence Hail. We were
speaking of the rejoicing in the States
over the surrender Of Lee aud the cap
ture of Richmond. Cleary said they
would have the laugh on the other side of
the mouth in day or two | think this
was the day before the assassination. He
knew | was in the secret of the eonspir-
acy. 1t was to that he referred The
assassination was spoken of among US as
commonly as the weather.
Before that Sanders asked me if
knew Booth very well, and expressed
some apprehension that Booth would make
fzzle cf it--that he was afraid that the
whole thing would be failure. / com
municated to the TriJu4e the intended
raid on St. Alban's and the President; (;
but they refused to publish the letter.
did this in March last as to the Presidents
assassination also in February l think
certainly before the 4th of March
Surratt delivered the dispatches in Mr.
Thompson's room, four or five days be-
fore the assassination The whole con-
versation showed that Surratt was one OF
the conspirators to take the Presidents
| Al. i r