Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-06-16

1 1le IOHeWlng S tIle testimony, HilHefH
suppressed relative to the Rebel leaders, Ia
ken at the assassination trial at Washing
ton
Sandford Uonover testified as follows:
am native Of New York; have resided il
Canada since October last; was conscripteC
into the Confederate army, and detailed Il
service in the War Department of the Con
federacy, at Richmond, under james A.
Seddon, Secretary of War; while in Canada
was intimately acquainted with g. n San
ders, Jacob Thompson, DR. Blackburn, Tuck
er, VIM. G. Cleary, Capt. Castleman, Mr..
Cameron, Porterfeld, Capt Magruder, and
others; | also knew Clement G. Clay, and
Gen. Carroll of Tennessee; knew Mr.. Sur
ratt, also, and J. w Booth, and visited these
gentlemen in Canada; saw Surratt there on
several occasions, last April in Mr.. Jacob
Thompson's i room, also in company with
George NJ Sanders, and other Rebels in
Canada; Surratt is about FIVE feet nine or
ten inches high, fair-complexioned man
with light hair; saw him about the 9th or
9TH of April, with Thompson, Sanders and
Booth; at that time he delivered to Thomp-
son IN his room in my presence, dispatches
from Richmond to Thompson, from Benja-
min and Jefferson Davis; the latter either a
cipher dispatch or letter Benjamin was
Secretary Of State of the Confederacy. Pre-
vious to this, Thompson conversed with me
upon the subject of a plot to assassinate
President Lincoln and his Cabinet, of which
/ gave notice, before the assassination, in
the New York Tribune, the paper for which
| correspondent. | had been invited by Mr.
Thompson to participate in that enterprise.
When Surrat delivered these dispatches from
Davis, Thompson laid his hand upon the
papers and said, referring to the assassina-
ton and TO the assent of the Rebel authori-
ties, This makes the thing all right The
dispatches spoke of the persons to be assas-
sinated Mr. Lincoln, Mr. johnson, thcSec-
TetaTy of War, the Secretary of State, Judge
Chase and Cen Grant. Mr. Thompson
SAID on that occasion, or on the day before
that interview, that the assassination pro-
posed 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. Welles was
also named, but Mr.. Thompson said it was
not worth while to kill him; Ihe was of no
consequence. My first interview with
Thompson on this subject of assassination
was in the earl y part Of February, in Thomp-
son room in St Lawrence Hall, Montreal.
de then spoke Of raid on 0gdensburg.
Now York, 1t was abandoned, but tn at was
because the United States Government re-
ceIyed information of it, he said he would
have to drop it for time, but added, well
catch them asleep yet, and to me he said,
There IS better opportunity to immortal
lie yourself and save your country, mean
ing the confederaey. | told them | was
ready to do anything to save the country,
and asked them what was to be done he
SAID, some of our boys are going to play
grand joke on Abe and Andy" which he
said was to kill them; his words were re
move them from office, and he said that
the killing OF tyTant 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
engaged IN this enterprise would be commits
stoned, and II they escaped to Canada they
could not be successfully claimed under the
Extradltlon Treaty; know that Thompson
and the others held these commissions in
blank; they commissioned Bennett Young,
the st. AlbanS raider; it was a blank com
mission filled up and conferred by Mr. Clay;
as 1t came from Richmond, it was only sign
ed James A Seddon, Secretary of War"
MIR. Thompson called me to examine these
blanks so that l might testify to the genu-
lneness of Seddon' signature in the case of
Bennett Young, before Judge Smith The
signature was genuine. In a subsequent
conversation, after the first referred to in
February, Thompson told me that Booth
had been commissioned, and every man who
would engage in it would be- / had a con-
versati0n with VIM. c. Cleary, on the day
before, or the day of the assassination, at
st. Lawrence Hall. We were speaking of
the rejoicing In the States over the surren-
der OF Lee and the capture Of Richmond.
Cleary said they would have the laugh on
the other side of the mouth in day or two.
l think this was the day before the assassi-
nation. de knew | was in the secret of the
conspiracy. 1t was to that he REFEREED
The assassination was spoken of among us
as commonly as the weather.
Before that Sanders asked me if knew
Booth very well, and expressed some appre-
henslon that Booth would make a fizzle of
It-that he was desperate and reckless, and
he was afraid that the whole thing would be
a failure | communicated to The Tribune
the intended raid on ST. Albans and the
proposed assassination of the President
but they refused to publish the letter. |
did this In March last, as to the President
ASSASSINATION; also in February, | think
certainly before the 4th of March, Surratt
delivered the dispatehesin Thompson room
four or FIVE days before the assassination.
The whole conversation showed that Surratt
was one of the conspirators to take the
President life. That was the substance of
the conversation. 1t was also understood
that there was plenty of money when there
was anything to be done The conversation
indicated that Surratt had very few days
before left Riehmond-that he was lust
from Richmond.
While [ was in Canada, | was a cores
pondent for The Tribune, and received no
compensation except from The Tribune. /
have not received one cent from our own
Government, nor the promise.
They never supposed was a correspond
ent for any paper; | only said / was seeking
items they supposed / was a Rebel and /
was in their confidence the proposed Ogdeps-
burg raid was printed in The Tribune; / did
not communicate this matter directly to the
Government, for the reason that l supposed
the communication in The Tribune would
be seen by the Government officials, and
did not choose to have the information 90
to the Government directly from me / re-
quested Mr.. Gay, of The T5Sbuae to give
the information to the Government, and |
believe he did so. | saw Surratt in Canada
three or four days in successionin April last.
l had conversation with him personally
about Richmond. / was introduced to him
by Sanders | was expected to participate
with these Rebels in the raid on 0gdens-
e eurg l never received any pay from them
President talked nf In EaL..,as-. III.