The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-05-26
THE CONSPIRACY TRIALS.
THE SUPPRESSED TESTIMONY.
The Assassination Plot Devised by
the Rebels after the Battle
of Gettysburg.
Wilkes Booth in Communication
with Sanders, Thompson,
Clay, &c.
IMPORTANT DEvELOPMENTs.

The following is the suppressed testimony
in the conspiracy cases. 1t duplicates rebel
officers in the assassination plot, and shows
that the scheme for killing the President was
devised nearly two years ago, soon after the
defeat of the rebels at Gettysburg. 1t will be
difficult to assign good reason why the testi-
mony was taken secretly, and now allowed to
be published:
EVIDENCE OF HENRY Won STEINACKER.
The first witness whose evidence bore d.
rectly upon these points was Henry Won
Steinacker, an ex-rebel officer. The substance
of his testimony is as follows:
This witness was in the rebel military SER
vice for three years, employed in the poto-
graphical department, and ranking and draw
ing pay as an engineer officer on the staff of
General Edward johnson. In the summer of
1868, after the retreat of the rebel army from
Gettysburg battle field, the witness was over
taken by three civilians while on his return to
the rebel camp, near Harrisburg, in the Shenan-
doah Valley; he found that these men were
from Maryland; he rode awhile with them and
got acquainted one was Wilkes Booth, and
another was called Shepherd. Witness here
recognized photograph of Booth shown to
him in Court Witness remained in the COM
pany of these men for eighteen or twenty hours.
Free conversations occurred during this time,
In which an attack upon Mr.. Lincoln was
openly discussed.
BOOTH IN THE REBEL CAMP.
The same witness continued:
O. Will you state what Booth said to you
in regard to any contemplated purpose of at
tack upon the President of the United States
State all that he said. A. / was asked by
Booth and those others, too, what l thought
of the probable success of the Confederacy; !;
and told them that after such chase as We
had then got from Gettysburg believed it
looked rather gloomy; and then Booth told
me, "That Is nonsense; if we only act our
part right the Confederacy will gain their inde-
pendence; old Abe Lincoln must 90 up the
spout, and the Confederacy will gain their in.
dependence anyhow" That was tie express
sion at the time.g
O. What did you understand by the express
sion he 1" must 60 up the spout" from all that
Booth said A. 1t was common expression,
always.
O. Did he state under what circumstances
that would become necessary? A. He said as
soon as the Confederacy was near giving out
so soon as they were nearly whipped, that must
be done; that would be the final resource to
gain the independence of the COnfederacy.
@. Did the citizens who were with him en-
gage in the conversation? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did they seem to assent to his senti-
ments? A. Certainly.
@. Did not Booth know that you were
Confederate soldier3 A. Yes, sir. They asked,
when they overlook me on the road. where
was going to; told them belonged to Gen.
Edward JohnsOn's staff, and was going to the
army, coming from Staunton.
q. At what point did you arrive together?
A. do not know the name of the place; it is
near the foot of the Swift Run Gap
q. Did you meet there a number of Confed-
crate otficers-I speak of the end of your ride
~, hu. Io1
that was about three or four days afterward
they went from me the next day; my horse
could not keep up with the other horses they
were splendidly mounted, and my horse was
nearly broken down; SO they went on; three
or four days afterward l was called to some of
the regimental camps, and told that some
strangers, friends OF mine, wanted to see me
1 did not know who it was when came to
camp, found those three citizens, and was
introduced by Captain Randolph, personally,
formally to Booth and Stephens.
Q. Was that the Stonewall Brigade? A. 1t
was at the camp of the Second Virginia regi-
ment.
@. Do you or do you not know whether
there was O secret meeting of rebel officers on
tha. occasion? A. That evening there was o
secret meeting, where was not amitted
. Did they state to you the purpose of that
meeting, and what conclusion they reached
A. Some officer afterwards, who was about the
AaSStAnS, eEAleO W ut Wuot was tuc purpose
of il.
.. Was Booth in that meeting? 4. I be-
heve SO; they were all in together.
" What did he state to you was the deter.
mination and purpose of that meeting? A.
The purpose OF the meeting was, as was in
formed afterward, tP send certain officers on
detached service to Canada ard the borders,
and to deliver prisoners, to lay Northern cities
In ashes; and, finally to get after the mem
bers Of the Cabinet, and kill the President
that was the main purpose; heard that more
than thousand times, but never so much as
at the time when l was informed it was the
purpose Of the meeting; ALWAYS considered
il common braggadocia before.
BxAL IN THE PLOT
O. What was the name of the officer who
gave you this account of the proceedings of
the meeting? A Lieut. Cockerill.
Q. To what portion of the service did he
belong, do you know? A. To the I'd Virginia
Regiment, believe, and to the same company
that Captain Beall belonged to-the Captain
who was executed at Governors Island
Q. Was anything said as to what part Capt
Beall-the one afterward executed-was to play
in these movements at the North? A. Cock
ere II told me Beall was on detached service,
and we WOuld hear of him