Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-04
STERLING KING.

From the Maysyille Eagle.l
This notorious character has been in Mays
vile frequently during the war, pretending
to be employed as a spy in the service of the
rebels, and wearing under an overcoat full
set of uniform as a rebel officer. He was
suspected here of being a spy in the Federal
service, and whether or not the sympathizers
with the rebel cause had any thing of any
importance to communicate, they were very
chary of diyulging any of their secrets to
him. The great probability is that he would
betray either side for money, and acted as
spy and informer for both armies.
Learning that he had forged an order on
X. w. Clark & Co., of Cincinnati, in the
name of G. i. & H. T. Stanton, for about
three hundred dollars in books, we called on
those gentlemen, saw the order, and COM
pared it with the characters on an envelope
of letter, addressed by King to lady in
this city, and found them TO be the same
Mr.. Henry I. Stanton informed us that
King had been arrested in Abingdon by
John II. Morgan, and the papers found on
his person were of a character which would
have justified his execution as a Federal spy
by the rebel authorities, and many of the
officers were in favor of dealing with him
most summarily. When Morgan was super
seeded by Echols, upon whose staff Mr..
Stanton acted as Assistant Adjutant General,
King addressed letter to the latter, asking
an interview, and stating that he had been
Entrusted with message to him by his
father, Hon. r. II. Stanton, of Maysyille.
Mr.. Stanton called upon him in prison, but
King had no other message to deliver than
one Of parental regard, and the real object
he desired in the interview seemed to be to
impress his visitor with his devotion to the
rebel cause, and with the injustice of his ar
rest. The interview closed without King
having accomplished his purpose. During
his Imprisonment he wrote frequent letters
TO the rebel authorities, protesting that he
was friend to the rebel cause, and offering,
in case he was released, to prove it by dSsds-
siadtiag President Lincoln
No attention was paid to his protests or
promises, as no one placed any confidence in
him, and il was rather by an oversight than
any thing else that he escaped execution.
de endured long imprisonment, and was
released near the close of the war.
About three monts ago he called on Mr..
Stanton in this city, and reiterated his state
ments that he was good rebel and had suf-
tered much injustice from therebel authori.
ties. During the conversation he remarked
that he had been in Washington when Lin
coin was killed, and laughed at the idea that
it was Booths hand that had taken the
Presidents life. He said that Booth was
not the assassin, Though one of the conspira-
tors; that Booth was alive in Cuba, and that
he had seen a letter from him to his brother
Edwin, inwhich he said that he was the first |
man that had ever gone to Heaven by proxy. |
He significantly remarked that the future |
might develop the mystery yet unraveled as
to who the assassin really was. Mr.. STAN |
regarded the whole thing either as a sham
by spy or the rawlings of crazy man, and |
paid no further attention to him. The next |
thing he heard of the man was by the fors-
ing Of his name, and the next bis arrest as
thief