Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-08-07
UNMITIGATED RASCAL1TY--A sCOUN-
DREL UNMAsKED..

The minority report of the Judiciary Com.
mittee of the House of Representatives,
submitted by Mr.. Rogers of New Jersey, on
the charge of completely made against Presi-
dent Davis, proves conclusively the absurdity
of that charge, as well as exhibits the
rascality practiced by the radicals to sustain
it. The nature of the testimony upon which
it was expected to-prove this completely, may
be inferred lrom the following extract:-
MAY 8, tS66.-l ampbell's testimony.
The testimony of this witness. taken BY Judge
Holt, was read to him in the COMMITTEE no IN,
aud he was asked lift was true, aud he repIied:
No; 1t is all false.
Why did you make it?
was informed by .Mr. Conover that Judge
Holt had offered u reward of S1UQ,UOU for
the capture of JEFF Davis; that he had no
authority really to do it; that Jefferson
Davis was taken they had not enough against
HIM to justify them i'll what they had done;
that Judge Holt wanted to get witnesses to
prove that Davis was interested in the ;ssas.
sinatiOn of President Lincoln so as to Justify
MN III paying the SlU0,UUU
Speaking of the women that had testified
in uOlts office to corruhorate Conover, Camp
bell says at this examination:
Sarah Douglass is not her real name.
Her name was Durham. There was an.
other woman sworn. Her name given was
assumed. One was Conover's wife, and the
other his sister law The one that called
herself Mrs. nunham is Conoyer's wife.
Copover's name is Charles Durham. Conover
told me if engaged in it, it was not going
to hurt anybody; that jeff Davis would
never be brought to trial; and that if this
evidence got to him he would leave the
country. ConOVer directed me to assume the
name of Campbell. There was a person
described by that name who was supposed to
be implicated in that affair, and was repre-
senting this party. He met Conover, in the
frst place, by the appointment of Snevel.
Snevel said could make money out of it,
Money was my motive. received six hun
dred and twenty. five dollars l received one
hundred dollars from Conover and five hun
drcd dollars from Judge Holt. l got one
hundred and fifty dollars at Boston and one
hundred at st. Adams. 1 went 10 Canada
to hunt up witness to swear false, who was
to represent Lamar. Snevel saw the written
evidence was to swear to after Conover wrote
it.
The name of Charles Durham is not un-
familiar to many of our readers. In the spring
of'63, an individual brought his family to this
town. where they passed under the assumed
name of Bishop. Their real name was Dun
ham, and the head of that family was Charles
Durham. He remained here day or two,
and although the town was in the occupancy
of Federal troops, he cluded the vigilance of
their pickets, and made his way to Richmond,
where his professions of intense Southernism
won for him many friends He represented
that he had been practising lawyer. in the
city of New York up to the inauguration of
fthe war, that at that time he was colonel of a
militia regiment, aud because of his refusal to
lead his regiment to the front he was cast in
to prison, where he spent many weary months
OF incarceration. His story ran, that after
his release from prison, he made his way to
Baltimore, and being joined by his family,
they took the name OF Bishop. Finding in
Baltimore large number of young men who
ardently desired to attach their fortunes to
the cause of the South in her struggle, he
had. at great personal risk. concluded to visit
Richmond, with view to arranging with the
Confederate authorities some scheme by W ch
the services of these gallant young BaIti
moreans could be secured. He secuted around
Richmond for some time. visited the war Office
lived we'll at the hotels, and altogether made
quite dash. The vigiant authorities, how
ever, had an eye upon his movements, and
before he was aware that suspicion rested up.
On HIM, he was arrested and had lodgings
provided him in Castle Thunder. For want
OF direct evidence against him, he was re.
leased in few months and sent North. A
short time after the Baltimore american con-
tanned an article on the condition of affairs in
Richmond, based upon information furnished
by Mr.. Durham, returned prisoner from
Castle Thunder
In the meantime, the family of this uncir-
cumclsed scamp, Consisting of wife, three
children and nurse, } were comfortably quar-
tered at the g Sappington Hotel" in this
town. where they remained for about FIVE
months waiting for Mr.. Bishop to turn up"
which he never did in person. Some chart
table gentlemen Of the town, sympathising
with the situation of Mrs. Bishop, who had
not one cent to pay her hotel bill or for anv
other purpose, raised sufficient amount Of
money to enable her with her children to re.
turn to Baltimore. Here they were Joined
by Durham, whose subsequent conductproved
him to be a vile impostor, and anything else
than Southern man. AS he seems now 70
be ffush,' and to have plenty Of funds for
suborning witness es against Jefferson Davis
and others, we suggest that he send the amount
of his hotel bill to the landlady who supports
cd his family during the su mmer Of 1868.
WE learn that Robert N Duta IT,.