The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-05-23

"a uAtl U
Jake Thsnpsoas
A. c,rious specimen Of rebel iE,pudcnee
and special pleadisg, We publLA to-day the
letter OF Jacob Thompson, hat fhmous Cana
dian anancler OF re',edom, In answer 10 Ger
tain charges made r.a'nst lin Is a confeae-
rate 81 rebel sp es bank robbers, pirates, incor-
diaries and sssassins. Thompson, like his
vagabond associates, Sanders and Tucker, puts
ON brazeu face, snd claims 10 be an injured
Innocent; and o. that most malignant old rebel
emisssry IA England, J. N. Mason, limited
against Secretary s.ar,on, Thompson thinks
the evidence OF completely with the murderer
Booth stronger against President Johrson than
against the high and mighty Southern rebel
chivalry involved In tho devilish plot. This,
however, 10 the old desperate dodge OF tho
thief Of joining In the cry Of stop thief when
pushed to the extremity Of dropping his
plumber.
Thorn pson begins bis defence with an ex-
PLANTATION concerning those Indian bonds en-
bezzled from the Department Of the Interior
while he was Secretary thereof, under Blu
chanau's wretched administration. Thompson
did not steal those bonds-it was one Of bis
clerks who stole them; and, OF course, II ID not
for Thompson to say whether or how the clerk
and the Secretary divided the spells. Next We
have cock .and-bull story from Thompson Of
his innocence Of eny villainous design In his
associations with those rebel phosphorus incen-
diaries detailed on the chivalric enterprise Of
burning down the city of New York and other
cities in the loyal States. We have informa-
ton, however, of a very positive character,
coming through member Of that conspiracy,
that Jacob Thompson "was the paymaster Of
those incendiaries," and that with oil the rebel
government money in his hands, he failed In
some cases to meet his engagements, thus first
cheating his agents and then denying them.
Next, this innocent Thompson uses the card
from the assassin Booth, found in President
Johnson's room, as o bit Of strong circumstan-
tial evidence against the latter. In this Thomp-
son Jumps at the object of Booth a. If he had
been made conversant with the whole scheme
beforehand, which was probably tho case.
Then follows from Thompson stupid rigma-
role on those pernicious, senseless, party clap
trap State rights and State sovereignty Ken
lucky and Virginia resolutions Of '98 and '99
in justification of secession, treason and the re-
bellion, and all its horrible enOrmities The
arch-traitor, JEFF. Davis, is thus made to appear
perfect model of patriotism, piety and purity.
Finally, Thompson says there was no need Of
offering twenty-five thousand dollars reward
for his arrest; because, like Sanders, If he felt
sure of trial according to law, he would de-
liver himself up, but inasmuch as he has doubts
upon this matter, he twill keep out Of the
way" Accordingly he has left Canada for
parts unknown, denying us even clue to the
route he has taken, in emitting the place gene
rally given in the dating of o letter.
This is Thompson's case as made out by him
self. But his Canadian financial operations
remain wholly unexplained. Before the court
at Washington Mr.. Campbell, the first teller Of
the Montreal Ontario Bank, has testified that
this Jacob Thompson's account with that bank
commenced May 80, 1864 (when he made his
appearance in Canada with G. G. Clay, Hol-
combe and Sanders, as an associate rebel
peacemaker), and closed April IL, 1865, three
days before the murder Of President Lincoln;
that the aggregate amount Of his credits in said
bank was $649,S72 70, and that he has drawn
it all out, except small balance of $176 80;
chat he had transactions with other Canadian
banks, including one Of $4,000 with the
Niagara District Bank, at ST. Catharine's, "a
check to the order of G. G. Clay); that the
Ontario Bank had one or two transactions with
Booth, including the bills Of exchange found
30 hoJv tbok ale
tons in sterling exchange, bought from the
Ontario Bank, in July last, over $4,000 in
greenbacks, and on the 18th of March last
another thousand, paying gold for them.
These Canadian deposits of Thompson were
in gold. Where did the money come from
Was 1t derived from those Indian bonds, or
from the rebel Treasury at Richmond? Most
likely from the rebel Treasury, and to meet
the expenses of the detached service" of the
Canadian spies, political cmissaries, pirates,
highwaymen, ineendiaries and assassins Of JeG.
Davis. How WIS this money expended? San
ders, Tucker and a whole lot of such desperate
rebel adventurous had to be supported, for the
a deficiency on their account, if we give them
all those proceede Thompson, there is strong
reason to suspect, was the "oil well" Of Booth
and his gang of Confederate outthroats. Then,
we dare say, Thompson paid out considerable
sums for political purposes. We should
like to know If Colorado Jewett, az q
volunteer pcacemaker, can account for
any such expenditures We should like to
know whether Thompson's money had any
thing to 90 with the Chicago democratic plat
form. Can Messrs. Belmont and Barlow or the
Hon. Ben Wood, with his Canadian draft of