Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-06-29
THE CONSPIRACY TRIALS.
THE ARGUMENT OF JUDGE BING-
HAM.
After our report closed yesterday


ment upon the evidence, and tracing out the
course OF the conspiracy, took up the Charles
Selby letter, found by Mrs Hudspeth in the
Ter, and handed by her to Gen. Dix the
same day, which was transmitted by Gen. ID.
to the War Department, was delivered 70 Mr..
Lin coin, who considered it important enough
to endorse it with the word ASSASSINATION" :"
and file 1t in his office, where it was found
after the commission of this crime and brought
in to this Court to bear witness against his as
sassins. This letter, dropped by Booth, shows
most conclusively that Booth was in New
York on the 11th of November.
Although this letter would imply that the
ASSASSINATION spoken OF was to take place
speedily, yet the party was to bide his time.
Though he had entered into the preliminary
arrangements in Canada, although conspira-
tors mad doubtless agreed TO Cooperate with
him In the commission OF the crime, and lots
had been cast for the chief part in the bloody
drama, yet it renamed for him as the leader
and principal of the hired assassins, BY whose
hand their employers were to strike the mur.
derous blow, to collect about him and bring to
Washington such persons as would be will
ling to lend themselves for price to the hor-
rid crime and likely to give the necessary aid
support in its contamination. The letter de-
clares that Abraham Lincoln must die, and
now, meaning as soon as the agents can be EN-.
will bide your time. But, says the gentlem an,
it could not have been the same conspiracy
charged here to which this letter refers. Why
not 1t is charged here that Booth, with
the accused and others, conspired to kill
and murder Abraham Lincoln - that is
precisely the conspiracy disclosed in the
letter Granted that the parties on trial
had not then entered into the combina-
ton; If they at any time afterward entered
into it they became parties to 1t, and the con-
spiracy was still the same. But. says the gen.
tleman, the words of the letter imply that the
conspiracy was to be executed within the fort
night. Booth is directed, by the name Of Louis,
to meet the writer within the fortnight. 1t by
no means follows that he was to strike within
the fortnight, because he was to meet his CO.
conspirator within that time, and any such
conclusion is excluded by the words "Bide
be executed within the fortnight, and was not
so executed, and the same party, Booth, after
wards by concert and agreement with the ac-
cused and others did execute it by "striking
sure" and killing the President, that act when
ever done would be but the execution of the
same conspiracy. The letter is conclusive ev-
idence Of 50 much of this conspiracy as relates
to the murder or President Lincoln AS Booth
was to do anything but fail, he Immediately
thereafter sought out the agents to enable HIM
to strike sure, and execute all that he had
Canada to do-to murder the President the
Secretary OF State, the Vice President Gen'l
Grant and Secretary Stanton.
Even Booths o-coDspirator, Payne, now on
his trial, by his defense admits all this, and
says Booth had just been to Canada, "was
filed with mighty scheme, and was lying in
wait for agents." Booth asked the o.opera-
ton ton Of the prisoner Payne, and said & ~ Will
s1ys SSa SsH e. pRsa Rsar to stick BY me- It is in
the oil THIS you are ret told Sy the sa.i AT
bears witness against itself.
We find Booth in New York in No vember,
December, and January, urging Chester to
enter into this combination, assuring him that
there was money in it; that they had ''friends
on the other side;" that if he would only par
ticipate in it he would never want for money
while he lived, and all that was asked of him
was to stand at and open the back door of
Ford's Theater. Booth, in his interviews with
shnt has "a,
himself, and allows Chester to reimburse him
the $50 which he (Booth) had transmitted to
him in a letter for the purpose Of paying his
exrnnses to Washing ton as one of the parties
to this conspiracy. Booth told him, although
he himself was penniless, there Is money in
thissWe have friends on the other side;' and
if yx9will but engage, Will have three thou:
sand dollars deposited at once for the use OF
your family.
Failing to secnre the services OF Chester, be-
cause his soul recoiled with adherence from
the foul work Of ASSASSINATION and murder, he
found more willing instruments In others
" hom he gathered about him. Men to commit
the assassinations, horses to secure speedy and
certain escape, were to be provided, and to
this end Booth, with an energy worth of
better cause, applies himself. For this latter
purpose he told Chester he had already ex-
pended $4,000. In the latter part OF Novem6 Der;
1854, he visits Charles county, Maryland, and
is in company with one OF the prisoners, Dr.
Samuel a Mudd, with whom he lodged over
night, and through whom he procures OF 6ard.
ner enc OF the several horses which were at
his disposal, and used by him and bis Cocoon
spirators in Washington on the night OF the
ass assination.
Some time in January lsst it is in testimony,
tsat the prisoner Wudd introduced Booth TO
John H. Surrat and the witness Weichmann
that Booth invited them to the National Hotel;
that when there in the room to which Booth
took them, Mudd went out into the rassRge,
called Booth out and had private CONVERSE
thin with him, leaving the witness and Surratt
in the room Upon their return I'm TO the room room
coming In all three, Booth, Surratt and sam
uel A. Mudd, went out together and had a
conversation in the passage, leaving witness
alone. Up to the time OF this interview 1t
seems that neither the witness or Surratt had
any knowledge OF Booth, as they were then
introduced to him by DIR. Mudd. Whether
fs't Roots it is d not important to inquire. Mudd
deemed it necessary, perhaps wise precau-
tion, to introduce Surratt TO Booth; he also
deemed it necessary to have private conver-
sation with Booth shortly after wards, and di-
rectly upon that TO have conversation to-
gether with Booth and Surratt alone. Had
this conversa alton, no part OF which was heard
by the witness, been perfectly innocent, IL Is
not to be presumed that DR.. Mudd, who was
an entire stranger to Weichmann, would have
deemed it necessary to hold the conversation
secretly, nor to have volunteered to tell the
witness, or rather pretend to tell him, what
the con versation was; yet he did say to the
witness, upon their return to the room, by way
Of apology, probably, for the privacy OF the
business with him, and wished to purchase his
farm. This silly device, as is often the case in
attempts at deception, failed in the execution;
for it remains to be shown how the fact that
Mudd had private business with Booth, and
that Booth wished to purchase mis- farm, made
1t at all necessary or even proper that they
should both volunteer to call out Surratt, who
up to that moment was stranger to Booth.
What had Surratt to do with Booths purchase
of Mudd's farm! And IL 1t was necessary to
withdraw and talk bv themselves secretly
about the sale OF the farm, why should they
disclose the fact to the very man from whom
they had concealed 1t!
Upon the return OF these three parties to the
room, they seated themselves at table and
upon the hack of envelope BOOTH traced
lines with q pencil, indicating, as the witness
states, the direction of roads Why was this
donel As Booth had been previously In that
section Of the country. as the prisoner in his
defence has taken great pains to show, it was
certainly not necessary to anything connected
with the purchase Of Mudd's farm that at that
time he should be indicating the direction OF
roads to or from it: nor is it made TO to.appear