, 1865-06-05
TIE TRIAL OF TUE ASsASSIxs.
The Completely If JEFF Davis in the
Murder Of President Lincoln.
The Reserved Testimony.

EXTENT OF TIE CONSPIRACY DEVEL0PEl
Tho Reserved Testimony
SANFORD Conorer testified aa follows:
| am patirc OF New York: have reSfded :,
Canada a1cc October last; vas conscr;pte,
in:u ths Confederate army. and detailed 4
seryice In the var department of the Cont d
eracy, al Richmond. under James A, Scddon
Secretary Of War. While In Canada, vas In
t:mately acquainted with G. N, S4upd.Tg
Jacob THOMPSON, Dr.. Blackburn, Tucker
Wm' .. GltarJ. Captain Castlemzn, Mr
Cameron, Poste1aeld, Captain Msgruder AM
orhers. ! Ia'so kn.w Clement G. Clay, AMI
| Gtncral Ca: ru1l. Of Tennessee: knew NJ
| Surratt, also. and j. ". Booth, aud visited
these gentlemen in Canada. Saw Surra.
there on several occasions, last April, in Mr
Jacol. Ihcmpson'a rooM also ii COMPANY
With George n. Saunders, and Other rebels Il
| ten inches b ;eh, = fair eomplex'oned man viii
l'eht hair. saw him abon. the 9th or 7th o
April, with Saunders aud Bue'b. 1t tha:
time be delivered to Thompson In his room
in NY presence, dispatches from Richmond
TO Thompson, IRON Benjamin, and frnm Jef
ferton DAVIS; the latter either cipher dis
patch or q lstter. BENJAMIN was Secretary a
State OF the Eonfedtracy. Previous to this
Ihompson fonvtrsed with NE upon the auljeci
# plot 10 assss,uate President Lincoln and
bis Cabinet. OF which gave notice before the
sstass'natK'n. IN the New York 1+5une, tho pa.
per 'or which correspurded. l had beer
invited BY Mr. Thompson to participate IL
these dispatches from Davis, Thompson laid
bis hand upon the papers and said, referring
10 the assassination and to the assent Of tht
rebel authorities, This makes the thing al
ssgAt-"t
The dispatches spike Of the persons to b.
aesassinated: Mr. Liuco]n. Mr. johnson, the
Sec, etury Of War, the Secretary Of Slate,
son ksid on That oecss:op, or On the day be.
tore >htt interview. thnt the assassination
proposed would 1enve the Government OF tho
United States ent,rvly without head that
there was no provision In ths Constitution o!
the Unit"d States bf which they could elect
named, but Ms. Thompson 81 1t Was not
worth while to Kill HIM he wAs cf no CON
scqucr &C. My frst Interview with Thompson
on this eutjec@ Of assassination was In the
emily part Of last February. In Thompson's
room at st. Lawrence Hall, Montreal. Ha
then spoke OF . raid on ogdensbure, New
York. II was abandoned. ent that WAS be-
cause the United Sra:es Government received
iI1osrnatit Of 1t. H. said he would have to
drop 1t for rime, but added, F" "We'll catch
them aeaeep yet" abd to me he said, !" There
is q betttr opportunity to immor' alize your
stlf, AID save your country" meaning the
cop1I,ds'acy. 1told them ! was ready to do
anything to eave the country, and asked
them what Was t" be done. He said, "Some
Of our boys are going TO play grand joke on
Ate and Andy" Which be raid was to kill
them his words were stTemove them from
Office" snd hc sad th1t the Killing OF a IT,
rant was not nul der that ho had commits
<y.f,sH a n ,ftti
Ties, ard conftrItd one on Booth or y ould
copicr one that everybody engaged In this
enterprise wnu.d bu cpmmisst med. and If
they cscaped to Canada they cculd not be
succees&u'ly clairntd under the EStraait!on
Treaty. ] tnow that Thompson and the
others held tre]r commissions u bank. They
Commissioned Bennett Young, tic st Al:ans
fdtr. It was o blank commission, filed up
ard conferred hy Mr.. Clay. As It camb to
them from Richmond IL Was only signed
.'James A. Seddon, Secretary. Of War" Mr.
Thompson called ME to examine these blanks
sfddon's signature In the case Of Bennett
Ycung, before Judge Smith. The signature
vas genuine. IN 4 subsequfnt conversation,
after the first referred to In February,
Tbompst told methat Booth had been COM
nl1EsfoDed, and every man who would engage
IN 1t would be- I had q conversation with
VIM. c. Cltafy, on the day before. or the day
of the assassination, at st. Lawrence Half.
We were speaking Of The rejoicing in the
States ever The surrender Of Lee and The cap
tErr Of Richmond. Cleary said they would
have the lsuch on the other side OF The
mouth in day or TWO. think this was the
day before the assassination, he knew I WAS
in The secret OF the conspiracy. It was to
that lie referred. The assassination WIS
spoken OF among Us as commonly as the
weather.
Before that, Sanders asked me II I knew
Booth very we'll, and expressed some appse.
htns;on that Booth would make . t1zz1e oft
tint he was desperate and reckless. and be
was afraid that the whole thing would be q
intended raid On st. Atbans, and the proposed
assassination Of the President but they re-
| fused to publish the letter. I did this in
| March las, as to the Presidents assassination;
also, in February, I think certainly before
the 4th Of March. surratt delivered The
dispatches In Thompfon's room four or five
DAYS be'ore the Assassination. The whole
| conversation showed that Surratt WAS one o1
the ecntpIrltors to take the Presidents life,
That was tho subject of the conversation. It
| was also understood that there WIS plenty Of
money, when there WAS anything to be done.
The conversation Indicated that Surratt had,
avery tew days reiore,, left Richmond; that
he was "1nst from R'chmnrd."
While was in Canada, wasa correspond
ent for the 11i5unt, And received no compeu.
zation except iro,n The Tribune. I have not
received one cent from our uWn Government,
DOT the pr om!se- ... ..
They never surprised I MAS . aeo1fespon5e ent
items. They supposed l was rebel, and
WAS In their confidence. The proposed Og-
deptburE raid waa printed ln tho Tribune. I
did not communicate this matter directly
10 the Government, for the reas3n that sup
posed the communication In the Tribune
oGlcials, and 1 die. not choose to have
the Information 60 to the Govern
ment directly frcm me. requested Mr..
Gay. OF Tie 1ri5u.e, to give the information
to The Goycrnrens, and believe he did 80.
/ saw Surratt in Canads three or four days IN
succt ssion in April last. l had conTersation
with him, personally. about Richmond. /
was introduced TO him ly Sanders. WAS
expected to participate with these rebels In
The raid on Ogdensburgh. never received
any psy from them for any services. heard
the Capture OF the President talked Of In Feb
ruaiy. Whtn Mr. Thompson first suggested
The assassination to me. asked him Il 1t
e,nment at Richmond be said he thought It
vi u!d, but he wonld know In few days.
This was early In February.
Thompson 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 I know Of no others. I
only inf r1ed thst that was the frat approval.
Thompson said. in his conversation with me,
that killing tyrant in such 4 case wss no
uu,der, and asked me If had read d let.
ter called "E'llinE, no Murder" addressed
By Titus TO Oliver Cromwell. This wAa Ia
February. Mr.. Hhm1In was also named In
Feblua1y as one Of the victims Of this scheme.
meptinns d, bat 3lr. Hamlin WAS omitted aud
Vice President johnson put In his place. 1
ran the blockade from Richmond. These
commissions were all bunk but the signs
ture; they vern to be given as q cover, 20
that in case Of detection. the parties employ
ID could claim that they we're rebel soldiers,
and would, therefore, claim to be treated az
prieoners Of war. It WAS understood that
they would be projected as such. Thompson
satd If the mem who we're engaged In this en-
terprisc we're detected and executed the cou-
federnte government would retalate; that It
wns no murder, only killing. think Booth
was spsclally commissioned for this purpose.
l saw Booih In Canada in the latter part OF
October, With Sandsss, at Mr. Thompson's
al tie ST. Lawrence Hall, where he was strut
ting abou., dlssipatlng and playing billiards.
have heard ttese men talk Of tho burning Of
New York. and other enterprises which they
have under consideration now.
There was proposition before the agents
of,hcse rcbcls In Canada to destroy the Gro
ton Dam, By which the city of New York Is
supplied with water. It was supposed 1t
would moi only damege manufaetuzes, but dis
tr.ss the people generally. Mr.. Thompson
remarked that there was plenty offorce, and
The city would be destroyed By a general con.
f,tGat:op, and. II they had thought Of this
sooner, they might baye saved q great many
n.eks. This was said few weeks ago.
Thompson, Sanders, Castlen,sn and General
Carroll we're present. They had arms
and large nunber Of men concealed,
T.. fn4St HUM -.Sn
purpose Of releasing the rebel prisoners
there.
B. The Dr., Blackburn charged ut Nassau With
importing ye.1ow fever Into this country, Is
the same pcrscn referred TO By me az intimate
with Thompson in Canada. I saw him in
comrany with him, G. n. Sanders. LonlE San
dtrs. Castlemau. Vim. c. Cieary, P0rterfleld,
c,nto;,, 1tarrpder and n Nrrnher nf nthpr