The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-06-16
The COnspirat0rs In Canada.

The COnspiratOrs In Canada.
The meanest of all the wickedness
attempted by the agents of the late
rebellion was the introduction into
the Northern cities of clothing infected
with smallpox and yellow fever, to
destroy the inhabitants. When the
report of such an attempt was first
published, we regarded it as sensation
al and incredible. We did not believe
that such monsters of crime exist on
the face of the earth. But it was too
true. The plot was formed. Just as
the setting fire to the hotels and thea
tres, throwing trains from rail tracks,
&c, to destroy women and children,
were devised by men holding high POI
sitions, and actually perpetrated; Just
as the assassination of the President
and others was conceived and execut-
ed, so the horrible plan was laid to
send pestilence into our cities.
One of the agents has given his tes-
timony, which is confirmed by the tes-
timony of the men in Washington to
whom he sold the plague-infected clio
thing; and we have the names of all
the parties engaged. In the great
assassin trial" III progress at Wash
ington, witness appeared from Can
ada, I. I. Hyams, who testified to his
agency in the matter, under the direc-
ton of DR.. Blackburn, the dabolical
inventor of the scheme. DIR. b. want
ed an emissary to go with the infected
clothing, and dispose of it in Wash
ington and other cities. How could
he find such a man? Let the man
speak for himself. He testifcs:
81 was introduced to DIR. Blackburn
by the Rev. Stuart Robinson, at the
Queen Hotel, Toronto; DR.. Blackburn
was about to take South some soldiers
who had escaped from Northern pris-
ons; | asked him if he was going
South himself; he asked me if | want
ed to go South and serve the Confed-
eracy; [ said | did; he then told me to
come up stairs; he wanted to speak
with me; l went up stairs with him in
to q parlor; he offered me his hand,
as a Free Mason, in friendship, and
said he would never deceive me that
he wanted to place confidence in me
for an expedition; he asked me If
would like to go on an expeditions; !
told him | did not care if | did, he
said | would make an Independent for
, tune by tat least one hundred thou
sand dollars-and more glory than
Gen. Lee; that / could do more for
= | +ha SAnNhas.,, Gnnfa, tl,o,, &c
, had taken one hundred thousand sol
, diers to reinforce Gen. Lee; I consid-
| cred, and after time / said | would
| 90; he then told rue he wanted me to
= take n certain quantity of clothing
: he did not say how much-coats,
: shirts, and underclothing, into the
States, and dispose of them at auction
I he wanted me to take them into Wash
I ington City, into Norfolk, and as far
: South rs l could go, where the genor-
| al Government held possession; he
wanted me to sell them on hot day
or night; it did not matter what mon
ey got for the clothes; ] was Just to
dispose of them for what could get.
G. What did he tell you you were
to receive for your services? A. He
K said one hundred thousand dollars; he
said should have sixty thousand dol
, lars as soon as | reported back to
7 Canada, and that il the thing succeed
! ed could make ono hundred times as
!, much.
= O. Where were you to get posses
sion of the clothes? A. l was in To
ronto to go on with my Legitimate
: business, and if left was to inform
q DR. Stuart Robinson where / was, and
= he was to telegraph on write to mt
somewhere about the month of Janu-
AIRY, 1864, | went on with my work
!, until, ! think, the Sth of June, 1864
q, on Saturday night had been out tC
n take a pair of boots home to custom
:, er of mine; when | returned my wife
!, had letter from DIR, Robinson, which
X he had Just left there; / called on DIR
d Robinson and asked him what | wal
e to do; he said he did not know any
q thing about it; he did not wish him
self to commit any overt act agains
the United States Government; that
had better take only just enough mon
l. ey to carry me down to Montreal. =
II Hyams then took the clothing il
" trunks to Washington, and sold it to
Y dealer who sold it at auction the mex
=, day. Hyams returned TO Canada anC
" met G. c. Clay, Prof. Holcombe, Pres
D. ton, Beverly Tucker, DR. Blackburn
at and several others, all of whom wer
familiar with his operations, and com
N plimented him on his success.
= 20. You speak of DR. Stuart Robin
y son, Presbyterian divine of Louis
ID vile, Ky, who introduced you to Dr
Blackburn; did he seem to have