The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-05-12
The Great Conspiracy.

''Perlcy" telegraphs the Journal the
following item which is sensible: ''Many
of the romantic tictions telegraphed hence
about Booth by those who would elevate
a wretched assassin into hero excite
much merriment when they return in
print for example: 1t has been grave
ly asserted that Booths head and heart
were removed and deposited in the Medi-
cal Museum here There is no shadow
of truth in the assertion, as the surgeons
who performed the autopsy did not touch
with their knives either the head or the
heart The bad head and wicked heart
are with the assassin's carcass"
A dispatch from Washington says that
President Johnson's proclamation offering
rewards for the arrest of the leading con-
spirators meets with general approval
here. The prisoners already captured are
confined in the old penitentiary, at the ar
senal, and are well guarded.
A correspondent says the confession of
Harold, and documentary evidence found
on Booths body, tasten beyond cavil the
plot and its full sanction upon jeff Davis
and his Canada commissioners. The trial
of the prisoners will commence the pres
ent week Rooms are being fitted up for
the military commission who are to act
as court, in the old arsenal building
where the accused are confined. The pro-
ceelings are to be officially reported by
the corps of the Daily Giobe, and no other
report will be penmitted-a restriction, by
the way, which no man has authority to
make. The prisoners are all heavily IRON
ed, with ball and chain on each leo. and
so handcutfed as to keep the hands several
inches apart, and the head is covered with
a sack, leaving only the mouth and nos
trils exposed, so as to prevent recognition.
Two prisoners occupy each cell, but a
sentinel attends each, and no conversation
is permitted The heads Of the prisoners
are covered with a thick pad of cotton 50
as to prevent them beating their brain.
out against the wall, as Payne tried to
do.
Some forty persons will be put on trial,
and there is said to be evidence sufficient tc
hang more than twenty of them Among
them are three persons who were previous.
ly pardoned by President Lincoln for vari-
Gus offences. The chief knowledge of the
plot comes from one of the conspirators
who came to Fortress Monroe and gave
himself up, after the assassination. He
states that he backed out of the affair some
time before, and his accomplices let hin
off, upon condition that he would stay
away from Washington for sixty days
Several of the accomplices had the duty
assigned to them OF cutting the telegraph
wires of the war department, and other:
ofputting the police on the wrong seem
for the tugitives, which was DONE
There is evidence that the conspirators
commenced holding their meetings in
r Washington as long ago as August, 1864
They were bound together by one of tn.
, strongest oaths ever taken by mortals. and
every person who was admitted to the Sc.
cret was bound to remain faithful TO I'll,
end at the penalty of death-his life to be
2 taken by one of his associates.
Mrs. Perrine of Baltimore was arrested
in Washington, Wednesday night. Sh,
is defiant rebel, and assisted in distribut
ing the spoils among Harry Gilmore
guerrillas who captured the train at Gun
powder bridge last summer. She is sup
posed to know something about the assas
sination plot. DR.. n. W. Browne, VIII
liam Cochrane and three other men from
Calvert county, Nd, were taken to Wash
ington under arrest, on Wednesday, charg