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

was omitted, and Vice President johnson
Iput in his place; 1 ran the blockade from
| Richmond; these commissions were all blank
but the signature; they were to be given J
cover, so that in case of detection, the par
ties employed could claim that they were
Rebel soldiers, and would, therefore, claim
to be treated as prisoners Of war; it was I'M
derstood that they would be protected as
such; Thompson said If the men who were
engaged in this enterprise were detected and
executed, the Confederate Government
would retaliate; that it was no murder, only
killing; | think Booth was specially com
missioned for this purpose; [ saw Booth In
Canada in the latter part of October, with
Sanders, at Mr. Thompson ! at the St Law.
renee Hall, where he was strutting about,
dissipating and playing billiards; / have
heard these men talk Of the burning of New
York, and other enterprises which they have
under consideration now.
There was a proposition before the agents
of these rebels IN Canada TO destroy the
Croton Dam, by which the city OF New
York is supplied with water 1t was sup
posed it would not only damage manufac-
lures, but distress the people generally Mr..
Thompson remarked that there was plenty
of force, and the city would be destroyed by
a general cenfagration, if they had thought
of this sooner, they might have saved a great
many necks This was said few weeks
ago. Thompson, Sanders, Castleman and
General Carroll were present They had
arms concealed, and large number Of men
concealed, in Chicago some eight hundred
for the purpose Of releasing the rebel
prisoners there The Dr. Blackburn,
charged at Nassau with importing yellow
fever into this country, is the same person
referred to by me as intimate with Thomp-
son, In Canada !; | saw him in company with
him, G. n Saunders, Louis Sanders, Castle
man, VIM G. Cleary, Porterfeld, Captain
Magruder and number of other Rebels of
less note Blackburn was recognized there as
an agent of the Confederate States, and so
himself in January last DIR.
Blackburn employed person named Came
ron to accompany him, for the purpose of
introducing yellow fever into the Northern
cities, to wit the cities of New York, Phil
adelphia and Washington he went from
TO Bermuda, about a year ago last
fall, for the purpose of getting the clothing
infected with yellow fever | saw him after
his return, in Canada, and heard Jacob
Thompson and VIM. G. Cleary say that they
favored his scheme, and were much inter.
ested in 1t; this was last January.
About the same time it was proposed to
destroy the Croton Dam, DR. Blackburn
to poison the reservoirs, and made
a calculation OF the amount of poisonous
matter it would require to impregnate the
water, SO as to make an ordinary draught
poisonous and deadly. He had the capacity
n 40 II L
generally kept in them. Strychnine. arse
nc, prusslc acid, and number Of other
things do not remember were named. Mr.
Thompson feared it would be impossible to
collect so large a quantity of poisonous mat
ter without suspicion, and leading to detec-
ton. Thompson approved ofthe enterprise
and discussed it freely Mr. Cleary did the
same; it was also spoken of by a Mr.. Mont
rose A. Palen, of Mississippi, and person
who had been medical purveyer In the
rebel army; John Camdron, who lived In
told me that he was offered large
| think Mr.. Thompson was
.he moneyed agent for all the other agents
think they all drew on him for all the
money they required | know some Of them
lid when Thompson said it would be diff
,ult TO collect so much poison without detec-
ion, Bdtlen and others houqjst ii coald be
managed ~ Europe Pallen is physician:
| think [ have heard Harris also mentioned
in connection with the pestilence importa-
ron think he lived in Toronto there
were other parties in Montreal that Black
burn employed, or endeavored to employ.
but | don remember their names.
| saw DR.. Stewart Robinson, a doctor of
divinity, residing in Toronto he edited
paper In Kentucky ; | have seen him with
Thompson and Blackburn, and he was pres
ent when some of these schemes were dis
cussed be approved them he said any
thing that could bedone under heaven would
Justify them under the circumstances he
upon very intimate terms with
Blackburn and Thompson three or four
days after the assassination of the President
| saw John i'll. Surratt in Canada. with
Porterfield, 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 co-called Coufed-
crate States, was called its President. and
had control oflts civil administration. Gen.
Carroll was present when Surratt brought
the dispatches from Richmond, and when
they were read by Thompson. / believe
there 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 IF the damned prick
louise was not killed BY somebody he would
kill him himself he referred to Vice. Presi-
dent johnson his expression was word of
contempt for a tailor; it means a tailor's
louise Booth was known in Canada by the
nickname OF "Het ;" | have heard Thomp-
son so name him, certainly Cleary Kepne-
dy, who fired the city of New York and was
executed, was spoken OF as having performed
that deed by the authority of the Rebel
Government, under the direction of Thomp-
son; this was communicated to me BY
Thompson himself, or In conversation in his
Thompson said Kennedy deserved
to be hanged, and he was devilish glad he
was hanged for he was stupid fellow. and
had managed things very badly.
James u. Merritt testiied-I am ply
sician, 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 Ken
lucky Young said to me, Eve have some
thing OF much more Importance than any
raids he told me it was determined that
old Abe should never be inaugurated
that they had plenty of friends in Washing
ton, and called Mr.. Lincoln a damned old
tyrant;; )" | afterward saw George N. San
ders and Col. Steele together Col. Steele
said, The damned old tyrant never will
serve another term if he is elected !" San
ders said, at the same time, He would keep
himself mighty close if he did serve another
term in Montreal, in February last,
heard Sanders name a number of persons
ready and willing to remove the President.
Vice President The Cahinat and snn,n Of IL !