The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-19
} ltIel rrcaan7tion a., sctof bv IJroFssEiou,


being duly sworn, testified as follows:
Early In January, Booth came TO New
York and came TO my house; I then lived
at No. As Grove street.; he asked me 20
tsko walk with him; did so; We went
out and went to saloon known as the
House Ct Lords, on Houston street; we're
NAMED there considerable time-I sup
pose an hour-eatinQ and drinking; he had
often mentioned this afAir-thst is, his
speculation, but would never say what 1t
was; If would ask him what it was, he
would say he would tell me by and-by (; ne
left there and vent TO another saloon IN
der the Revere House, and eat some oys-
ters we then started up Broadway; /
thought it Wss time to go home, and my
way was down Bleecker street-thstis,u up
Broad way from the corner Of Houston
and had to turn down Bleecker street to
get to Grove street; bade him good night;
he asked me to walk piece further up the
street with him, and did SO; walk ked
aqusre-that is, to Fourth street, or next
street he asked me TO walk up there with
him, aud did so; he asked me 10
walk up Fourth street because Broad
way was crowded; he ssid Fourth street
was not 50 full Of people as Broadway, and
ne wanted to tell me about that speculs-
ton I,walEed up there with him, and
when we get into an unfrequented portion
of the street, he stopped and told me he
was in q large conspiracy to capture the
heads of the government, including the
President, and take them to Richmond. 1
asked him if that wss what he wished me
to go in. He said 1t was. told him I
could not do it that it was an impOssibiity;
only to think of my family. He said he
had two or three thousand dollars that he
could leave them. l still said could not
do it He urged, and talked with me for,
I suppose, tw, nty minutes or hAl N hour,
and / still refused. He then told me thar
at least would not betIsy him, and said
dare not. He said he could implicate me
in the affair, anyhow. He said that the
party were sworn together, aud that if
attempted to besrsy them would be hunt
ed down through life, and talked some
more sbout the affair / cannot remember
1t now; but still urging me, saying had
better go in. told him no, and babe him
good night, and went hOtre.
Q. Did he intimate to you what part he
wished you to play in carrying out this
conspiracy. A. Yes, sir; Vas to open
the back door of the theatre at signal.
@. Did he have any conversation with
you st s later period, after the insugurs-
tion, a. to the opportunity which he had
for the assassination of the President Did
he speak of that? ? A. Yes, sir. On Friday,
one week previous TO the assassination, he
was in New York. --.
Q. What did he say then A. We
were in the House of Lords ct the time,
sitting at 8 table, and had not bean there
long before he exclaimed, striking the
table, What an excellent chance l had to
kill the President, if had wished, on in
auguratiOn day" That was all he said
relative to that.
Q. Did he explain what the chance WASP
A. No. He said he was as near the Presi-
dent on thst day as he was to me. That
is all he said. .-.
.. TESTIMONY OF g. ". BUNKER.
This witness clerk at the National
Hotel, testified as tothe times Booth was at
that house during fhe past six months, and
IS to the persons who had most frequently
called on him, among whom he mentioned
the prisoner OLsughlin.
TESTIMONY OF WIN. z. WHEELER.
Mr.. Wheeler, resident of Chicopss,
Mass, testified to having met J. Wilkes
Booth in Montreal last autumn, and to hAv-
ing seen him in conversation with George
n. Sanders.
TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH q. sIdoNDs.
This gentleman, well known oiI-lands
broker in Vensngo county, Pennsylvania,
testified that he was the agent of ]. Wilkes
Booth in the oil business, that Booths total
i1soestment in oiL lands amounted to about
sir thousand dollars, and that 1t ,Oas a dead
loss, and that it was conveyed away to Ju-
MUS Brutus Booth and to the witness, with
out compensation, in September last.
TEsTIMOHY OF SAMUEL P JONES.
This witness, blind man, formerly q
resident of Richmond, testified to general
state Of feeling among rebel officers favor
able to the assassinsti on of the President
and to frequent expressions of that feeling
made in conversation. il,