Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-05-18
SECOND EDITION.
THE CONSPIRACY.
New Revelations.
BOOTHS TELEGRAM.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE lCONSPIR
$50 ATORS. 4 s. 8.
AN EXCITED INTERVIEW.

The first witness placed on the stand>Was-
A. r. REBvR.-Witness resides in Brooklyn,
N. Y. Is in the telegraph business. On the
ODD Of March, last, witness received from j.
Wilkes Booth, at the st. Nicholas Hotel, q
dispatch to be forwarded to Washington, as
follows:
WBIoHMAN, Esq sal St, Washington -
Tell John to telegraph number and street at
"Sent March %, 1865"
BY Mr.. Aiken Witness identifies the dis .
patch by the fact, which struck him at the
time, that ]. Wilkes Booth, who he knew, had
in the dispatch signed his name as ]. Booth.
1t is the practice to keep all dispatches on
file. This is the original dispatch Witness
was here shown picture Of J. Wilkes Booth g,
and identified it as the person who gave him
the Dispatch
LEWIS J. WKICHMAN recalled Witness
received the telegram testified to by the pre-.
ceeding witness. The John referred to was
John Surratt, and he delivered the message
and asked Surratt what it meant, when he told
witness ''not to be so id inquisitive." Wit
ness subsequent to the 4th Of March went
home one afternoon and was told by the SER
want that John (meaning Surratt) had rode
out with six others. Witness saw Mrs
Surratt who was grieving, and asked her what
was the matter, when she said "John is
gone away" and told him to 60 down
to dinner, that she had no heart to eat
John came back to his (witness') room abou ut
half-past six with revolver in his hand and
was very much excited. Witness asked what
was the matter, when he replied GIL shoot any
man that comes in this room; my prospects are
blighted, can you get me a clerkship?" About
ten minutes after Payne came in, looking also
very much excited, and subsequently Booth
came in and walked around the room hastily,
two or three times, in such excitement that he
did not at first notice the presence of witness,
then he said to witness 81 did not see
you" Surratt, Payne, and Booth then
went up stairs and remained some time
Previously to Booth and Payne coming in,
Surratt said that Payne had gone to Baltimore
and Booth to New York. A few days after
wards witness went to the Post Office with
John, when the latter asked for and received a
letter in the false name of John Hardy,
which was signed by one Wood. The writer
stated simply that he was in New York
looking tor something to do and he would go
to boarding house on West Grand street.
Witness knew. Booths handwriting, but could
u. Watson, as being his ndwriting. After
the three came in on the evening of the ride,
none OF them made any remarks except Sur
raft The servant when he told witness who
had gone out riding, said that Massa John,
Booth, MI Port Tobacco and the man who
was stopping at the house (Payne), were OF
BY Mr.. Aiken When the conversation took
place between Mrs. Surratt and Lloyd, in
Uniontown, it was conducted in whisper,
and witness does not know what was said
does not know the contents of the packages
left by MIS- Surratt with Lloyd. They APP
peared to be something in the shape Of saucers
BY Mr.. Ewing :-Witness conld not say il
the ride was the day previous or the day after
the appearance OF Booth In the Apostolic; but
knows that it was after the fourth of March,
for it was during Payne's second visit PAYNE
VIZ no 90 hat o
would like to have got here before the fourth
OF March, but could not.
by Mr. Doster This ride was taken during
the visit of Payne, who represented himself as
BY Mr. Aiken Witness learned from Mrs.
Surratt that Mrs. Slater was from North Car
DINA, q blockade runner, and bearer of dis
patches, and spoke French, and also that if she
got into trouble she could easily get out by
applying to the French consul, as she spoke
drove up to the door in a buggy with young
man, and Mrs. Surratt asked witness to help
to take her trunk off. 1t was some time in
February when he saw her. Mrs. Slater,
when she came to Mrs. Surratt's, wore what
the ladies call mask, short veil that comes
down to the chin. Witness heard nothing
about Mrs Slater after that visit.
BY Mr. Clampitt :-Surratt on his return
from the ride, used the words, "my prospects
are gone, my hopes blighted. Can you get me
being so excited The words used by Mrs.
Surratt were, ego down and make the best of
dinner you can; John has gone away" She
seemed very much distressed. John said he
wore three pair of drawers when he rode away,
and witness concluded he had intended going
on long ride.
BY Mr.. Aiken:-Witness was first called
upon to give evidence in the case by the War
Department by Judge Burnett. Witness sur.
rendered himself at o'clock Saturday morn
ing, to Superintende Mt Richards, of the Metro
politan Police, telling him what he knew.
The object OF witness in doing this was to
assist the Government, and he had no
other inducement When he read that the
assassin who visited the house of Secretary
Seward was described as wearing a long
gray coat, he suspected that 1t was
Atzerodt. as he wore such coat; and he
Witness told of1cer McDevitt what he knew
about Atzerodt, Payne, and Hereld, and that
Herold was in the habit of riding into Mary.
was likely to go that way. Witness had great
deal to fear being in the house where these peo-
pie were. He knew that he would be brought
being cognizant of their plans. He felt it his
duty to give this information to Government
1t was hard to do this. related as he was to
Mrs. Surratt and John Surratt but he felt it to
he his duty. Witness in 1863 boarded at the
Reynolds house where he met man known
st. Marie to whom he had been pre- viousiy in
nameS WiI IN MaSooeV' He stated hat he
had come from Montreal and mad been UNI Or
tunate In this country. st. Marie afterwards
came to WASHINGTON and witness procured
him employment.
Mr.. Aiken proceeded to question the witness
as to his relations with st. Marie.
Objected to by Advocate Bingham, who
wished to know the object Of the questioning
Mr.. Aiken said that 1t was to show that the
witness sympathZed with the South, and had
given aid to st. Marie In connection with trea-
sonable practices.
The objection was sustained by the Court.
Witness is a clerk in the War Department.
Has never communicated any Of the secrets of
the War Department Witness knows Angus.
tus Howell, who has been a clerk in the War
department Howell once visited Surratts,
and there gave the name Of Spencer. Witness
told Capt. Gleason q. the War Department OF
the movements at Mrs. Surratt's, and asked
him what they could mean, whether they
were blockade running operations or not
Witness also spoke to Gleason, OF the talk
afioat about Contemplated capture of the
President by the rebels, and Capt. Gleason
secuted the idea as impossible. Howell
never offered to give witness place in Rich.
mond Howell showed witness secret cipher
but made no arrangement for correspondence.