The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-15

but that was because the United States
Government rec tcived Information of
it. He said he wonld have TO drop it
for the time, but added, "Well catch
them asleep yet" and 10 me he said,
There is better opportunity to i'm
mortalize yourself, and save your coun-
try" meaning the confederacy. !
told them l was ready to do anything
to save tho country, and asked them
what was to be done. lie said "somo
of our boys are going to play u grand
old joke on Abe and Andy" which he
said was 10 kill him; his wrods were
"rcmove them from Office" and he
said that tho killing of q tyrant was
not murder; that he had commissions
for this Work from the rebel authorities,
and conferred ono on Booth, or would
confer one; that everybody engaged
in this enterprise would be commits
stoned, and if they escaped to Canada
they could not be successfully claimed
under the Extradition Treaty l know
that Thompson and the others held
these commissions 10 blank. They
commissioned Bennett Young, the ST.
Albans raider. 1t was q blank com
mission filled up and conferred by
Mr.. Clay. AS it camc to them from
Richmond it was only signed james
A. Seddon, Secretary OF War" Mr.,
Thompson called me to examine these
blanks so that | might testify TO the
genuinencss of Scddon in the case Of
Bennett Young, before Judge Smith
The signature was genuine. In q
subsequent conversation, after the first
referred to in February, Thompson
told me that Booth had been commits
stoned, and every man who would cn.
gage in ii wonld be. I had conver
sation with Wm. G. Clcary on the day
before, or the day Of the assassination
at st. Lawrence Hall. We wor,
; speaking Of the rejoicing in the States
over the surrender of Lee and the cap
ture of Richmond. Cleary said they
would have the laugh on the othel
side of the mouth in day or two
think this was the day before
the. assassination. He knew l was il
the secret of the conspiracy. 1t wa
to that he referred The 0SSaSSmdtic1
! rdS spoken Of as commonly as tn
1cedther. 'N.' .
Before that, Sanders asked meifI knew
Booth very well and expressed some dp
prehensioa that Booth u0uId male q fs-L
. ofH; that he was desperate and recll
Iless, and he was afraid that the who'll
thing would be a failure commu
nicat1d 10 the Tribune the intended
raid on st. Albans, and tho proposeC
assassination of the President; but the,
refused to publish the letter. 1 die
this in March last as TO the President
assassination; also, in February,
think; certainly the 4th of March
Surratt delivered the dispatches il
Thompson's room four or five days be
tore the assassination. The Who'll
conversation showed that Suratt wa
one of the conspirators to take TIL
!. Presidents life. That was the sub
stance of tho conversation. 1t wa
also understood that there was plcnt
g of money, when there was anythin
to do. The conversation Indicate
that Surratt had, a very few days DC
= fore, left Richmond; that he was 'ju:
from RChmond."' H tlW ...i.tj
While / was in Canada I was col
:; respondent for the Tribune, and +,
:, cciyed no compensation except fror
= the Tribune | have not received on
:, cent from our own Government, nc
:, the promise. o.'H ".'.
4, They never supposed I was a col
a respondent for any paper; | only sal
I | was seeking items They suppose
:. | was a rebel, and l was in their col
n fiGence. The proposed Ogdcnsbur
4 raid was printed in the Tribune.
20 did not communicate this matter
p. the Government, for the reason that
,. supposed the communication in I'll
ID Tribune would be seen by tho'Gov
=. crnmcnt officials, and did not choo'
ST to have the information go to tho Gov
n, .crnment directly from me. | roqucstc
n. Mr.. Gay, of the Tribune, to give II
information TO the Government and
N believe he did so. | saw Surratt thrt
IN or four days in succession in Apr
10 last. Ihad u conversation with hir
n personally, about Richmond. / WI
40 introduced to him by Sanders. ] w;
in expected to participate with the
h. rebels in the raid on Ogdensburg.
in never received any pay from them fl
or any services. heard the capture oftl
.r Presidenttalked ofin February.WhC
ho Mr.. Thompson first suggested the a
is sassination to me, asked him it
Ir would meet the appreciation of Il
,nt government at Richmond; he said
thought it would, but he would kno
m, in q few days. This was carly in Fc
or ruary.
en- Thompson did not say in April VIII,
ci- these dispatches were delivered, th
lr- this was the first approval of this pl
I'M from Richmond, but | know ofno OF
on ers. / only inferred that that was t
he first approval. Thompson said in |
he conversation with me that the llillil
hc off tyrant in such case was nomu
ke der, and asked me if 1 had read n Il
lr. tor called killing, no Murder" a
of dressed by Titus to Oliver Cromwe
lge This was in February. Mr.. HamI
lp. was also named in February as one
ay the victims Of this scheme. In Ap
as the persons before named were me
he toned, but Mr.. Hamlin was omittC
- II W. DIN. Tol .,c,, ,,,t 80,