American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-10-25

some apprehension that Booth would
make fzzle of it--that he was despe-
rate and reckless, and he was afraid that
the whole thing would be failure. /
communicated to the Tribune the inten-
ded raid on st. Albans and the proposed
assassination of the President, but they
refused to publish the letter ! did this
in March last, as to the Presidents as
sassination also in February, | think
certainly before the,,4th of March. Surratt
delivered the dispatches in Thompson 5
room four or five days before the assassi-
nation. The whole conversation showed
that Surre tt was one # the conspirators
to take the Presidents life That was
the substance of the conversation. 1t
was also understood that there was plenty
of money when there was anything to be
done. The conversation indicated that
Surratt had very few days before, left
Richmond-that he was Just from Rich
mond."
While | was 10 Canada | was a cor
respondent for The Tribune, and received
no compensation except from The Tribune.
have not received one cent from our
own Government, nor the promise.
They never supposed | was a cores
pondent for any paper; | only said | was
seeking items; they supposed | was a
Rebel, and | was in their confidence; the
proposed Ogdensburg raid was printed in
The Tribune; did not communicate this
matter directly tothe Government, for the
reason | supposed the communication in
The Tribune would be seen by the Gov
ernment officials, and / did not choose to
have the information go to the Govern
ment directly from me; | requested Mr..
Gray, of The Tribune to give the infor-
nation to the Government, and believe
he did so. | saw Surratt in Canada three
or four days in succession in April last
had conversation with him personally
about Richmond. / was introduced to
him by Sanders | was expected to par.
ticipate with these Rebsls in the raid on
Ogdenbnrg; ! never received any pay
from them for any services. heard the
capture of the President talked of in
February. When MIR. Thompson drst
suggested the assassination to me, ask
ed him if it would meet W tn the appro.
baton of the Government Mt Richmond
he said he thought it would, but he would
know in a few days. This was early in
February.
Thorn pson did not say, in April, when
these dispatches were delivered, that this
was the first approval they had received
of this plot from Richmond, but know
of no others; / only inferred that that
was the first approval, Thompson said, in
his conversation with me, that killing a
tyrant in such case was no murder, and
asked me, if | had read letter called
''Killing, no MURDER" addressed by Ii
tus to Oliver Cromwell; this was in Feb
ruary; Mr.. Hamlin was also named IN
February as one of the victims of this
scheme: in April, the persons before
named were mentioned, but Mr.. llamlin
was omitted aud ice- President johnson
put in his place; | ran the blockade from
Richmond; these commissions were all
blank but the signature; they were to be
given cover, so that in case of detection
the parties employed could claim that they
we're Rebel soldiers, and would, therefore,
claim to be treated as prisoners OF war; ii
was understood that they would be pro
'ected as such; Thompson said it the men
who were engaged in this ent erprise were
detected aud executed, the Confederate
Government would retaliate; that it was
no murder, only killing; | think Booth
was specially commissioned for this pur-
pose; | saw Booth in Canada in the lat
ter part of October, with Sanders, at MIR.
Thompson's, at the ST. Lawrence Hall,
where he was strutting about, dissipating
and playing billiards. | have heard these
men talk of the burning of New York,
aud other enterprises which they have un-
der consideration now. Hk
There was. a proposition before the
agents of these rebels in Canals to de-
stroy the Croton Dam, by which the city
of New York is supplied with water. Il
was suppos ed it would not Only damage
manufactures, but distress the people gen.
orally. Mr.. Thompson remarked that
there was plenty of force, and the city
would be destroyed by general conAa-
grafton, and if they had thought of this
sooner, they might have saved great
many pecks. This was said few weeks
ago. Thompson, Sanders, Gastleman and
General Carroll were present. They had
arms concealed, and a large number OF