The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-09-08

attempt ut secrecy, these unusnai means
to prevent any searching examination
into the reliability of the testimony,
should lead me TO suspect that these
charges were hastily and lightly made,
and that the President had been msin-
formed and wilfully or recklessly misled
when he Illuminated charge 50 dire
against men so prominent, and just then
the observed OF the nation. This seerecy1
on the part of the court, this avoidance
Of Legitimate scrutiny, led me to conclude
that my first duty was to sscertaia the
character Of the witnesses, TO sift il thor
ougllly, and to ascertain by what, il any,
motives they were actuated in the deliv-
cry of their oral evidence and written
afidavits.
Sanford Conovor, the principal witness
and originator Of all the oral testimony
relevant procured by the Bureau of Mil
itary Justice TO establish the guilt Of
Davis, was examined by the Comlittee
of the Judiciary The method of his ex,.
animation was this: The testimony Ire.
had given at the mock trial on the 20th
day of May, 1865, was read to him. and
Ire said it was all true. In that testimo-
ny he was asked, being duly sworn:
Q--State your full name aud present
place Of residence.
A.-Sanford Conover, Montreal, Can
| da
On the Sth Of June I find re swore
"upon the Holy Eyangclists" hat his
name was not Sanford Conoycr, but James
Watson Wallace, aud in the same positive
manner he denies under oath in Canada
NIL he sworc to in Washington, aud ends
by making the following proposition:
Give hundred dollars reward will be
given for the arrest, so that | can bring
TO punishment in Canada, the infamous
and pcriurcd scoundrcl who recently per.
sonatcd me under the name OF Sanford
Conover, and deposed TO n tissue Of false
hoods before the Military Commission at
| Washington. JAMES W. WALLACE"
Conover having finally admitted that
he aud Wallace were one man with two
names, and Wallace swearing that Como
ver is scOundrel, whose testimony be.
fore the Military Commission was but a
tissue of falsehoods, might we'll relieve
inc from all analysis Of the testimony Civ
en- by him until such crime as perjury in
two courts, delivered from any motive
becomes a certificate Of truth-iclling in
the other.
Il were needless to detail here wha,
Conoyer alias Wallace dcposed 10 At the
mock trial. and that is tho testimony oi
his which Mr. Holt forwarded to the Ju
dietary Committee 4 garblcd report ot
it by Pitmnn, bearing the unsatisfactory
authorization of Mr.. Holt and Burnett
will be found in Pitman's report, page
%. \ report correct to word, taken By
the reporters Of the Senate corps, and Civ
en- by Holt TO the Associated Press, vii
be found in the Associated Press copy o.
THE Conspiracy Trial published il
Philadelphia by T. b. Peterson & Bros.
page 1877.
4 The testimony of Conovcr, had IL beer
credible, would establish the guilt of JET
ferson Davis. George " Sanders, Jacol
Thompson, Clement c. Clay, DIR. Black
burn, Beverly Tucker, VIM. C. Clcary
r Lewis Castleman, the Rev. NJ Cameron
: Mr. Porterfeld, DR.. VI. 4. Pallin, Capt
Magruder, Gen. Frost, and Gen. Carroll
with whom, he says, he was intimatel,
acquainted in Montreal. Canada, wher'
E he had resided from October. 1864. Ill
c says he saw Surratt on the 7th Of April
1866, describes him, and says he hear
n n conversation between him and Jacol
!, Thompson in the room of the latter
!, whence it appeared that Surratt has
< brought Thompson dispatches from Rich
$ mond, one from Benjamin, and also lei
t ter in cipher from Mr.. Davis. "Previ
d Gus to that" says Conover, II had had
It conversation with Mr.. Thompson relativ
to the plot to assasinate Mr.. Lincoln an'
c his Cabinet, and l had been invited b
j. MIR. Thompson to participate in the en-
c terprisc." Thompson laid his hand o.
t the dispatches brought by Surratt, Con
h over asserts, and said This makes tn
= thing all right" referring to the assen
o of the rebel authorities. Mr. Lincoln
Is Mr.. johnson, the Secretaries of War an
Y of State, Judge Chase and General Gran
J. were to be the victims. Conover assert
is his first interview with Thompson was i
February 1865, and that at that first in
~ terview Thompson said to him, "Some c
a our boys are going to play grand jok
n on Abe and Andy" The joke ThomE
4 son explained to Conover at this first in
,fI terview was to kill them; and at thi
q same interview, Cenover says that ThomI
; son explained to him that the killing Of
,, tyrant was no murder-that it was only
4 removal from office. Thompson told Cor
:; over, too, that he had commissions
10 Booth, and all engaged to do the KILN
=. would receive commissions, and if the
i escaped to Canada, they could not be SUI
!, cessfully claimed under the extraditio
n treaty.
to Conover states further, that the yer
p day of the assassination, or the day b
s. fore, he had a conversation with Cleare,
le at the st. Lawrence hotel, Montreal
ut They spoke of the rejoicings in tt
t, North over the surrender of Lee, an
N Clearey, according to Conover, said the
ne would put the laugh on the other side
IL their mouths in day or two, and adj
so Conover, "The conspiracy was talked
of at that time about as commonly as oil
is would speak of the weather"
IN Conover asserts also, that Sande
IS, spoke to him freely about Booth, ar
feared the latter would make fzzle,
oy being reckless and dissipated.
IT, Conover said he was all this time co
It. respondent of the New York Tribune.
m Conover still further deposed to
he nronosition being made to DESTROY Il