Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-05-16

ASKED Booth II he was geing to open q theater
there, and he said no, and then left. He was
accompanied by two men, one OF whom was
pointed out TO him (witness) as George N.
Saunders. - ~
testified that he lived In Washington, was well
acquainted with Booth, and was at Montreal,
canada. from last July to the Sd or 4th of Feb
Iuary. The first time saw Booth in Canada
he was talking with George N. Saunders.
saw Mr.. Thompson, Mr.. Olay, Mr.. Tucker and
several others. They were psinsed out to me,
but was not acquainted with those GENTLE
men. asked Booth what he was doing there
asked him, !" Are you going to play here %
knowing that he was an actor. He said no. he
was not. Sand I, "What are you going to do r'
ure trip" saw in the papers afterwards that
he had been trying to make an engagement
with Buckland, Of the Theater Royal there; but
do not believe 1t. The next time saw Booth
was on the steps OF the Kirkwood House, in
THO CITY, tho might VI tho April, q few
minutes before five, or between I've and six
O'Clock. He was going into the hotel. 1 was
standing talking to young man nap,ed Oal-
Ian, think, who works in one Of the Depart
ments: just tnen Booth passed me going into
the hotel, and turned around and spoke to me.
l asked him when he came from Canada for
did not know he had left there. He said he had
been back some time, and was going to stay
here some time, and would see me again. 1
asked, Are you going to play here again %
Said he, " No, am not going to play again; 1
am in the oil business" laughed and joked
at that, 1t being a common joke to talk about
the oil business. few minutes afterwards
saw him coming down street on q bay horse.
took particula notice what kind of q looking
made me do it. The next ] saw OF him l
heard the speech and saw him jump out of the
box at the theater, and when he fell he fell on
one hand and one knee, and recognized him.
He fell with his face towards the audience. I
said, '.He is John Wilkes Booth, and he has
shot the President" That Is the last ever
stage.
Lieut. Gen. U. S. GRANT, witness for the
prosecution, testified that he had met Jacob
under Buchanan, once. That was when the
army was lying opposite Vicksburg, at what
is called Milliken's Bend and Youngs Point
opposite shore, apparently surrepttiously,
trying to avoid detection, and a little tug was
sent out from the navy to pick it up; when they
got to it they found little white flag sticking
ont Of the stern of the row. boat, and Jacob
Thompson Ia it, they brought him to Admiral
Porter's flag ship, and was sent for and met
ness he had; there seemed to be nothing import
ant at all in the visit, but he pretended to be
under flag Of truce, and. therefore, he had to
be ALLOW allowed to g 60 back again; cannot ss say
It was the first flag OF truce we had. He said
he had been offered q commission-anyth thing
a military man, he preferred having something
more like civil appointment, and he had
taken the place Of an inspector general in the
repel vice, with the rank of heutenant-eolo-
JOSEPH H. SIMoNDs, witness for the prose
cution, testified that he was the business agent
oil region. did some little business for him
in the city Of Boston, which was entirely
closed up before left there. He owned third
undivided interest at first in lease of 3H acres
on the Allegheny river, near Franklin. It was
bought by means of contracting to pay off the
old debts Of that lease and carry on the work.
furnishing one-haif Of the purchase money Of
the land interest, and owning one undivided
third as before stated. The land interest cost
purchased, for $1,000, an interest in an associa-
ticn there owning an undivided thirtieth of q
tract. These interests were all that he pos
q dollar from them. The first interest he &C.
quired in any way was either in December,
1868, or January, 1864; cannot say as to the
knew Of it; my first knowledge Of it was in
May, 1864. ! accompanied him TO the oil re-
gions in June, 1854, for the purpose OF Ia king
amount invested by him in this Allegheny
river property, in every way, was about g., 600,
and the other investment about $1,000, making
$4,000 in all. all Of which know to have been
q total loss to him. His business was entirely
closed ont there in the latter partof September,
1864; think on the 9th of September. The
conveyances were made over to his brother,
Junius Brutus Booth, which was without
compen sation, the other was to me, in consid-
GRAFTON OF my services, for which have never
nothing
all the expenses Of the transfer and the con-
veyances.
SAMUEL P. JONES, tblind.) witness for the
prosecution, testified that he had resided In
Richmond during the war The nearest that
know TO anything concerning plot to as
sasslnate the President among the officers
there is their common conversation in camp,
as would 60 about amongst them, and their
conversations would be Of this nature: that all
suspicioned persons, or those kind Of people
they were not certain were Of their way OF
in hi
came near them. But after found out what
/ could learn in reference to these things, they
were desperately anxious that any such thing
as this sheuld be accomplished. In a general
way have heard sums offered, to be paid with
Confederate sum, for any person or persons
to 60 North and assassinate the President. 1
heard q citizen make the remark once that he
would give from his private purse $4,000 in
addition to the Confederate amount to have the
President assassinated-to bring him to Rich
mond, dead or alive. The rebel officers, as they
would be sitting around their tent doors,
would be con versing on such subject great
deal. They would be saying they would like
and they should think it could be done; and
have heard such things stated as that they had
certain persons undertaking it.
SAMUEL KNAPP CHESTER, witness for the
prose cution, testified that he was by profession
an actor; had known Booth about ten or eleven
years-for about six or seven years Intimately.
think it was s IN NO MoVem5eF saas ma naa n con.
was not acting, and he told me that he did not
intend to act in this portion Of country again;
that he had taken his wardrobe to Canada, and
INTENDED to run the blockade. The next time
met him was about the time we were to play
julius Caesar, which we did play on the 25th
of November; and II was either on the oath or
25th that he asked me to take walk with him,
or asked if knew some costumers, where he
might get some dresses fer his character in that
play, and asked him where his own ward
robe was. He said it was still in Canada, in
charge of friend, and think he said, named
Martin. l will not be positive, but think he
said it was in Montreal He did not say any
thing to me at all ABOUT the oil business then,
that remember. met him, talking with some
he said he had q better speculation than
that on hand, and one they would not laugh
at Some time after that, / met him again and
he again talked of this speculation, and asked
me how would like to 60 in with him. told
him / was without means, that could not;
and he said 1t did not matter, he always liked
me and would furnish the means. He left me
then in New York, and received several let.
tiers from him from Washington, telling me he