Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-20
TRIAL OF THE ASSASSNS,
ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS.

titled that he had CONVERSATION Win O"N'-
in November last, and was urged to join In
n s.big speculation" Chester plead power
tv-Booth offered to leave a thousand dol
lars for the benefit of Chester's family, and
finally told Chester what the speculation
was, as related by the witness in the follow
ing words;
ale asked me to walk up Fourth street
because Broadway was crowded; he said
Fourth street was not so full OF people as
Broadway, and no wanted 20 tell me about
that speculation. walked up shere with
him, and when We got into an untrequented
portion of the street, he stopped and told
me then that he was in large conspiracy
to capture the heads of the Government, In
GLIDING the President, and take them to
Richmond. asked him If that was what he
wished rae TO 90 in. He said il was. told him
could not do it; that it was an impossibility
only 10 think of my family. He said he had
two or three thousand dollars that he could
leave them. still said 1 could not do it.
He urged it, and talked with me for, sup
nose twenty minutes or half an hour, and l
still refused. He then told me that at least
| would not betray him, and said l dare not.
lie SAIL hG COulu lAAhAANatN liz ~ WIN N-AA-A-
ANYHOW, He said that the party was sworn
together, and that ii attempted to betray
them. | would be hunted down through life,
and talked some more about the affair; can
not remember it now; but still urging me,
saving l had better 60 in. told him no,
and babe him good night, and went home.
Booth told Chester all he would have 10
do was to open the back door OF the theatre
at a signal, and mentioned Ford's Theatre,
in washington, and urged the witness to
assist. as he would have very little to do
Rootb told Chester that everything was pre-
pared, and that from fifty to one hundred
nersons were engaged in the conspiracy
Booth wrote letters to Chester, which Ches-
ter says he always burned up on unday
mornings when no answered them. One let
ter from Booth contained $50, and urged
Chester to come on to Washington. Chester
did not 90. Afer this Chester had another
conversation with Booth in New York last
February. This interview is thus related by
Chester
s,When he came to New York he called
on me again, aud asked me TO take walk
with him, and did so. lie told me that he
had been trying 10 get another party 10 join
hun named John Matthews, and when he
told him what he wanted MIN to do, the man
was very much frightened indeed, and would
not ,oin him, and be said he would not have
cared if he had sacrificed him. told him
| did not think it was right to speak IN that
manner. He said, no; he was coward, and
was not &c &c live. He then asked me again
IN ION him: no told me l must do so. He
said that there was plenty of money in the
affair: that If would do it would never
want again as long as l lved-that would
never want for money. lie said that the
Presiden. and some OF the heads Of the Gov
eminent came to the theatre very frequently
during lr. Forests engagements. l still
urged him uot % mention the affair to me !;
to think Of my poOs family. He said he
would provide for my going with MIN. l
still refused. He said he would ruin me in
the profession if did not go. told him
could not help that, and begged Of him not
10 mention the affair to me. When he found
| would not 60, he said he honored my
mother and respected my wife, and he was
sorry he had mentioned the affair TO me, and
told me to make my mind easy, ne would
trouble me about IL no more. then re-
turned him the money he sent me. he said
he would not allow NE to do so, but that he
was very short of fundg--so very short that
either himself or some of the party must go
10 Richmond to obtain means to carry out
their designs"
Chester says that he saw Booth again in
New York on Friday, week before the muir
der. When Booth said, "What an excellent
chance had, if l wished, to kill the PreSi-
dent Cd Inauguration day. was on the
stand. as Gloss to him nearly, as l am to
YOU" Chester was not told by Booth who
would assist him in capturing the President,
NOE did Booth explain how he would get Mr..
Lincoln Of. but said there were s'parties on
the other side" meaning in the South. At
the last conversation Booth said be had given
no the project and sold his horses in short,
abandoned the idea OF kidnapping "the heads
oF the government, including the President"
Rooth simply said ''that affair had fallen
through" and did not intimate then, april
7tbl mat he intended to assaSsinate the Presi-
dent.
The New York World says:
The only circumstance that ss yet appears
in the testimony connecting parties in Rich
mond or Canada with the crime, is the fact
that. while the conspiracy was on foot, John
Surratt made a visit to Richmond in the
company of a female rebel emisSary or
nlOCkaQe- WIN Aou Juob ACNAAhCA
from Canada. THIS circumstance is a col
orable ground of suspicion, and certainly
iustifes an investigation to ascertain the
nurpose Of that visit but of itself it does
not establish the grave positive charges
made by the government, The Mrs. Slader
whom he attended had expected to meet q
pisn named Howe, who was TO conduct her
through the lines; this woman, according to
the testimony of Weishman, being a bearer
of rebel dispatches. Her disappointment
in not finding Howe, Tho had been captured,
and her want Of An attendant, would be SUI
Gent TO account for John Surratts visit
1t appears from the testimony that Surratt
brought back gold and showed 1t after his
return. But the amount (aboVt two hun
dred dollars) bears no proportion to what
would be paid as the price Of such gigan'
tic crime, while 1t seems fair enough re-
ward for the risk and trouble Of helping the
woman Slader through with her dispatches.
Besides, if the gold had been received ior
the conspiracy it would hardly have been to
Weichman, who had been so carefully
hoodwinked on poi:ts Of inferior impor-
lance.
WEDNESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
A special despatch to the New York TimsS
says:
We have in the testimony Of this after
noon the proof of Booths long preparation
for the assassination, amongst other things
his purchase Of horse upon which one OF
his party rode on the night Of the assaSsina-
tion, and the fact that this horse was pur-
chased upon the accommodation of DR..
Mudd, who accompanied Booth in November
last TO 4 neighbours house, and was present
at the sale. When this proof came ont, the
prisoner Mudd was visibly affected, his face
becoming very red, his eyes discovering
great uneasineSS, and his general expression