The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-06-15

cure to lmpregnate the water, so as t
make an ordinary draught poisonous an
deadly. He had the capacity of the re
ervoifs, and the amount of water genera
ly kept in them. Strychnine, arsenic
prussic acid, and number of other thing
[ do not remember, were named. MI
Thompson feared it would be impossible
to collect so large quantity of poisonou
matter without suspicion, and leading t.
detection. Thompson approved of the en-
terprise, and discussed it freely. Mr.
Cleary did the same it was also spoker
of by Mr. Montrose A. Pallen, of Mis-
sissippi, and by person who had been Q
medical Purveyor in the Rebel army
John Cameron, who lived in Montreal
told me that he was offered large compen
sation: think Mr.. Thompson was the
money agent for all the other rgents
think they all drew on him for all the
money they required, l know some of
them did when Thompson said it would
be difficult to collect SO much poison with
out detection. Pallen and others thought
it could be managed in Europe; Pallen
is physician, think l have heard Har-
ris also mentioned in connection with the
pestilence importation I think he lived
in Toronto, there were other parties in
Montreal that Blackburn employed, or
endeavored to employ, but 1 do not re-
member their names.
saw DR.. Stewart Robinson, a doctor
of divinity, residing in Toronto; he edi-
ted paper in Kentucky; have seen
him with Thompson and Blackburn, and
he was present. when some OF these
schemes were discussed, he approved
them; he said anything that could be
done under heaven would justify them
under the circumstances; he appeared up
on very intimate terms with Blackburn
and Thompson, three or four days after
the assassination of the President, I saw
John Fl. Surratt in Canada, with Porter
field, a Southern Rebel, now declared a
British subject by the Canadian Parlia-
ment; learned Immediately afterward
that Surratt was suspected, was pursued,
and had decamped; | had a knowledge
that jeff Davis was the head Of the So
called Confederate States, was called its
President, and had control of its civil ad-
ministration. Gen Carroll was present
when Surratt brought the dispatches from
Richmond, and when they were read by
Thompson, l believethere were one or
two others Gen. Carroll of Tennessee
then said he was more anxious that Mr..
johnson should be killed than any one
else; he said eff the damned pricklouse
was not killed by somebody" he would
kill him himself; he referred to Vice
President johnson; his expression was
word of contempt for tailor; it means
tailor's louise Booth was known in Can
ada by the nickname af "Het," [ have
heard Thompson so name him, certainly
Cleary; Kennedy, who fred the city of
New York and was executed, was spoken
of as having performed that deed by au-
thority of the Rebel Government, under
the direction of Thompson this was COM
municated to me by Thompson himself,
or in conversation in his presence; Thomp-
son said Kennedy deserved to be hanged,
and he was devilish glad he was hanged,
for he was stupid fellow, and had man
aged things very badly.
James B. Merritt testifed-I am a
physician, and have been in Canada about
a year; in October and November last
was in Toronto; met George Young there;
a Rebel from Kentucky, also, Col. Steele,
from Kentucky; Young said to me, owe
have something of much more importance
than any raids )" he told me it was deter
mined that "Old Abe" should never be
inaugurated, that they had plenty of
friends in Washington, and called Mr..
Lincoln ga damned old tyrant;" / after
ward saw George N. Sanders and Col.
Steele together; Col. Steele said, 'The
damned old tyrant never will serve anoth-
er term, if he is elected )" sanders said at
the same time, "He would keep himself
mighty close if he did serve another term;"
in Montreal, in February last, I heard
Sanders name number of persons ready
and willing to remove the President,
Vice President, the Cabinet, and some OF
the leading Generals of the United States;
and he added that there was any amount
Of money to accomplish this purpose,
meaning the assassination of these per-
sons he then read letter, which he said
he had received from the President of our
Confederacy, meaning Jefferson Davis,
and which letter justified him in making
any arrangements that he could, to accom-
plish such object; there was meeting
at that time of these Rebels, and letter
was read to them, the substance of which
was, that if the Southerners in the Cana
das and the States were willing to be gov
erned by such a tyrant as Lincoln, he
Davis did not wish to recognize them
as friends, and that he approved of the
proposition to assassinate him Col. Steele
read the letter, also Capt. Scott, George
Young and Hill, all Rebels this meeting
was about the middle of last February; at
the meeting Sanders named some of the
persons who were to accomplish the as
sassination, and among them he named
j. w Booth, whom l had seen in Mon
treal in October he also named George
Harper, Charles Caldwell, Randall and
Harrison Harold went by the name OF