The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-15

was no murder, only killing. think
Booth was specially commissioned for
this purpose. saw Booth in Canada
in the latter part Of October, with
Sanders, AT Mr.. Thompson's at the St.
Lawrence Hall, where he was strutting
about, dissipating and playing bill
iards. / have heard these men talk
Of the burning Of New York, and other
enterpi iscs which they have under
consideration now. ,..If>.f...
There was q proposition before the
agents Of these rebels in Canada TO de-
StrOy the Cr0tOn Dam by which the City
Of Ne,c York is supplied 1cith uater. 1t
was supposed it would not only dam.
age manufactures, but distress the peo-
pic generally. Mr.. Thompson re =
marked that there was plenty Of force,
and the city would be destroyed by Il
general confagration, and if they had
thought oflhis sooner they might have
saved great many nccks, This was
said few weeks ago. Thompson,
Sanders, COstlcman and General Car
roll were present. They had arms
concealed, and Il large number Of men
concealed in Chicago eight hun
dred--for the purpose Of releasing the
rebel prisoners there. ......
The DR.. Blackburn charged at Mas
sau with importing yellow fever into
this country, is the samo person re-
ferred to by me as intimate with
I Thompson, in Canada. saw him in
company with G.. N. Saunders, Louis
Sanders, Castleman, Wm. c. Clcary,
Porterfeld Captain Magrudor, and Il
number OF other rebels OF less note.
Blackburn was recognized there rs an
agent Of the Confederate States, and
so represented himself. In January
last Dr. Blackburn employed a person
named Cameron to accompany him,
} tor he purpose Of introducing yellow
fever into the Northern cities, to.wit
the cities of New York, Phladelphia
and Washington. lie went from Mon.
: treal TO Bermuda, about q year ago
last fall for the purpose OF getting tbs
, clothing infected with yellow fever
saw him after his return, in Canada
, and heard Jacob Thompson and VIM
, G. Cleary say that they favored his
? scheme and were much interested il
it, This was last January.
Abom the same time It ,raS proposed
to destroy CrotOn Dam, DR.. BtackJgr,
proposed to poison the reservoirs, dn1
made a calculation ofthe amount of poi
S0n0uS matter At w0uld require to impreg
nate the water so as to male an ordiRdry
drdught poisonous aRd dcddly. lie ha,
tho capacity of the reservoirs, and tn,
amoHnt Of water generally kept il
them. Strychninc, arsenic, prussi
5 acid, and a number of other things
do not now remember, were named
+. Mr.. Thompson feared it would be i'm
+, possible 10 collect so largea quantit,
of poisonous matter without suspicion
g and leading to detection. Thompson
$ appreciated the enterprise and dis
c cusscd it freely. Mr. Cleary did th
: same; and it was also spoken Of by
S Mr.. Montrosc A. Pallen, of Mississippi
and by person who had been a med
ical puryeyor IN the rebel army. Johl
i Cameron, who lived in Montreal, toll
= me that he was offered n largo com
It pcnsation. Il think Mr.. Thompso
was the moneycd agent for all til
: other agents; l'think they all drew o
y him for all the money they required
n | know some. of them did. Wbe
c Thompson said it would be difficult, {
+ collect so much poison without dctec
ton. Paltea and Others thought
: coald be managed in Europe. Pallen i
d n physician. | think | have hear
d Harris also mentioned in conncctio
l. with tho postilenco importation.
q think he lived in Toronto Ther
/ wcrc other parties in Montreal th;
o Blackburn employed, or cndcavorc
I to employ, but l do not romembe
c their names. .... .
:. | saw DR.. Stewart Robinson, q dot
&c tor of divinity, residing in Toronto
: he edited a paper in Kentucky.
d have seon him with Thompson an
C Blackburn, and he was present whe
| some of these, schemes were discussed
70 he approved them. lie saidthat any
il thing that could be done under heave
4, uldjustify them under tho circun
Is stances. lie appeared upon very int
Is mate terms with Blackburn an
;e1 Thompson. Three or four days aftt
j the assassination of the President,
II saw John II .Surratt, in Canada, wit
lc Porterfeld, ~ Southern rebel, now d,
n clarcd to bo a British subject by til
s. Canadian Parliament. i learned in
it mediately a(tcrward that Surratt WI
lc suspected, was pursued and had d
nc camped. | had q knowledge thi
W jeff Davis was the head ofthe so-callC
b. confederate States, was called its Pre-
idcnt, and had control of its civil AZ
m ministration. Gen. Carroll was pre-
at ont when Surratt brought tho di
OF patches from Richmond, and whc
h. they were read by Thompson, | b
ne lieve thcro were one or two Other
lis Gen. CdrroU, of Tennessee, said he ac
10 more dnriouS that Mr. Johnson Shou
r, be killed than any one else. He sale
It. HB tie damned prick.lonse wdS n
d. killed By somebody" he woutd kill h
II. himself. Heroferred to Vice Preside
in Johnson. His expression was woI
of of contempt for tailor; it means
rl tailor's louse. Booth was known
n. Canada by the name of''Pot." Ithir
d. l have heard Thompson so name hil
,is certainly Cleary, Kennedy who fir,