American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-10-25
VOLUME 2.
THE REBEL LEADERS
Important Suppressed Testimony.

taken at the assassination trial at Wash
ington
Sapdford Conver testified as follows =
4 am a native of New York; have resi-
ded in Canada since October last, was
couscripted into the Confederate army
and detailed to service in the War De-
,artmeut of the Confederacy, at Rich
mond under James A. Scddon, Secretary
Of war; while in Canada was intimately
acquainted with e. n Sanders, Jacob
Thompson, DR.. Blackburn, Tucker, Wm'
G. Cleary, Capt. Castleman, MIR. Gamer
on, Porterfeid, Capt Magruder, and
others: | also knew Clemont e. Clay,
and Gen. Carroll of Tenn. ! knew Sur
raft, also, aud j. W. Booth, and visited
these gentlemen in Canada; saw Surratt
there on several occasions, last April, III
Jacob Thompson's room, also in compa-
NV with Geo. n. Sanders, and other keb-
els in Canada Surratt is about hve feet
nine or ten inches high, fair complex
joued man with light hair; saw him
about the 9th or 7th of April with Ihomp-
son. Sanders and Booth !; at that time he
delivered to Thompson in his room, IN
nv presence, dispatches from Richmond
to Thompson, from Benjamin and JET Ia
Wis; the latter either cipher dispatch or
letter. Benjamin was Secretary of State
of the Confederacy. Previous to this,
Thompson conversed with me upon the
subject of plot to assassinate President
Lincoln and his Cabinet, of which gave
notice before the assassination. in the
New York Tribune, the paper for which
I correspouded had been invited by
Mr.. Thompson to participate in that en-
terprise. When Surratt delivered these
dispatches from 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 dispatches spoke
of the persons to be assassinated Mr.
Lincoln, Mr.. johnson, the Secretary OF
War, the Secretary of State, Judge Chase
and Gen. Grant. Thompson said on that
occasion, or on the day before that inter
view that the assassination proposed would
leave the Government of the United States
entirely without head, that there was
no provision in the Constitution of the
United States by which they could elect
another President. Mr.. Wells 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 early part of February, in
Thompson's room in St Lawrence Hall,
Montreal lie then spoke of raid on
Ogdensburg, New York, it was abandon
ed, but that was because the United
States Government received information
of 1t. he said he would have to drop for
a time, but added, "well catch them
asleep yet,'' and to me he said, "there is
inc opportunity to immortalizc your
self, aud save your country" meaning the
confederacy. | told them | was ready 20
do anything to save the country, and
asked them what was to be done he said
''some ofo boys are going toplay grand
Joke on "Abe and Andy" which he said
was to kill them; his words were "rcmove
them from Office, he said that the killing
of tyrant was not murder /; that he had
commissions for this work from the Rebel
authorities, and conferred one on Booth,
or would confer one; that everybody en-
gagged in this enterprise would be COM
missionsd, and if they escaped to Canada
they could not be successfully claimed
under the Extradition Treaty l know
that Thompson and the others held these
commissions in blank; they commission
ed Bennett Young, the St. Albans raider;
il was blank commission filled up and
conferred by MIR. Clay; as it came from
Richmond, it was only signed "James
A. Seddcp, Secretary of War;" Mr..
Thompson called me to examine these
blanks so that ] might testify to the gen
,uineness of Seddon's signature in the
case Of Bennttt Young, before Judge
Smith. The signature was geneuine.-
In subsequent conversation, after the
first referred to in Febraary, Thompson
told me that Booth had been conaaission-
sd and every man who would engage in
it would be. / had conversation with
VIM. C. Cleary, on the day before, or the
day of the assassination, at St. Lawrence
Hall. We were speaking of the rejoic-
ing in the States over the surrender of Lee
aud the capture Of Richmond. Cleary
said they would have the laugh on the
other side of the mouth in day or two.
I think this was the day before the as