The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-09-13

standing was, to take care OF Governor
Morton
Q. Did you learn what they were?
A. l did not
O. What do you mean by taking care
of Governor Morton?
A. To hold him as hostage; or in
case he could not be held, he was to be
put out of the way by some means
@ They were to dispose of him. and
get him out of the way; how?
A. l can not say; but they were to
get rid of him if he was not held as a
hostage
On page 129 he says.
@ Did you learn the names of the
men comprising this Committee of Ten,
who were to take care of Governor Nor
ton?
A. No, sir, never did; they were to
be selected by the Committee of Thir
teen, and were only known to the Grand
/ Council and to the members of this
| Committee of Thirteen. Mr.. Harris told
me he knew more about the Order than
did.
@ DID I understand you to say that
the Committee of Thirteen selected the
| Committee of Ten?
A. Yes, sir; they were to hold Gov
i ernor Morton as hostage for those that
were taken prisoners, or to make away
with him some way, but they never told
me how.
Page 135 he further says:
Q. This committee, you say, had
| power to appoint ten murdcrers, or men
who had the dark work of taking care
1 of Gov Morton?
A. do not say they appointed ten
| to select ten men to take care of Cover
nor Morton, and hold him as hostage;
or failing in that, to take care of him.
Q What do you understand the words
take care of him. to mean?
A. just what any sensible man would;
that if they could not use him for their
own purpose, they might take him out
and kill him.
1
that?
| A. I think it must have been about
June, 1864; and packed up my carpet
sack to 90 and tell Governor Morton in
regard to it, but my wife was taken sick
and l did not 60. l tried to communi-
cate with him when I was in prison, but
could not do it.
@ When did Wilson tell you this?
A. think he must have been to Chi
cago or New York, or French Lick
Springs. am not certain he told me
when he came from one of these places.
knew that there was a grand council
somewhere about June that l did not
attend; and there was a supreme grand
council held in Chicago, to which 1 gave
Green my proxy.
Q. Were you told this before or af
ter you gave Green your proxy to go to
| Chicago:
A. l can not say for certain, bnt
presume it would be after.
q. Then you had heard this statement
of Wilson, in regard to the appointment
of ten men to do this dirty work?
A. My impression is that had, but
l am not positive.
O. Could you not have let Governor
Morton know that it would be best for
him to be careful?
A. l suppose l could, sir.
Q. Did you believe these ten men
would do this to Governor Morton?
A did, sir; had good reason for
| believing.
j. j. Bingham testimony, page 101 2;
on the night of the 4th of August, 1862:
/ As / walked down Washington street
1 saw gentleman coming up rapidly.
and stopped him. Hello. Kerr, what
has brought you here?" l said. He
seemed very much excited. '.Do You
know anything?" Yes, he replied.
What is it?' said /. He then said,
The Devils to pay in our section of the
State; the people of Washington, Harri-
son and Floyd countie; and that neigh
borhood, had got the idea that a reyolu-
tion was impending; the farmers were
frightened, and were selling their hay in
the field and their wheat in the stacks,
and all the property that could be was
being converted into greenbacks.''
| Q What Kerr was that?
A. Michael Kerr as that all you
know?' / said NO" said he Til en-
he went on and represented 10 me just
what Dodd had before told me. Ee
went over the whole scheme just as
| Dodd had related it. AS we walked
along he turned around twice to see if
any detectives were following US l
didn't let him know that knew anything g
about the matter. l said ''That is most
important matter, and insist that you
go up to Mr.. McDonald's with me and
tell him what you have told me- We