The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-04-18
THE STORY OF SANFORD CoKovER

wrong-was no thief, or perjurer, or
murderer. His prayer was rejected,
and he died upon the gallows John
Wilkes Booth, who was a murderer,
who shot an unsuspecting, merry. making
man as it were from an ambush, had
the privilege which was denied to
Andre, and was shot to death, and his
last words of affection to his mother and
devotion to his country were duly chron.
icled and embalmed. But if he was not
hung, or chained, or tortured, Mary &.
.Surratt a0ds. Muffled, and manacled,
and perhaps unconscious, she, the
Maryland mother of broken. hearted
daughter-perished on gibbet, and
her body rests in the unconsecrated
soil of prison. yard. One of the wit
nesscs on whose testimony she was put
to death by Holt, and Stanton, and
Hunter, aud Wallace, was Sanford
Conover, now convict of perjury for
the very testimony gave. We propose
from authentic materials to tell the
story of Stanford Conover, and we beg
for it the attention of our reaGers. 1t
is worth it.
1t is not easy to find Conover's origin
but the first fact we know of him is that
before the Lincoln murder, he says, he
was in Canada, correspondent of the
New Y ork Tribune. g AS soon," says
he. "as the investigation took place, |
came on to Washington and offered
mysclf as q acitness" And he was vel.
coined and taken into pay, and as we
have said examined on the trial of Mrs.
Surratt, and proved everything as to the
completely of the Confederate authorizes
that his employers desired, and was kept
in their pay afterwards. Hanging Mis-.
Surratt was not enough. That was easi'
ly managed. But duplicating thorough
ly the Confederate leaders in the deed Of
blood was more difficult, and SO, in the
summer and autumn of 1862, Conover,
under the auspices of the Bureau of
Military Justice, went to work to cook
up some corroborative testimony, to
enlist some more witnesses.
81 want to ask you," said the Chairman
of the Judiciary Committee, Gin what ca
pacity you were acting when you discov-
cred the other witnesses you have named
to the committee this morning."
Answer. | was acting as AGENT for the
Bureau of Military Justice.
Question. You were employed, then, by
the government for the purpose?
A. Yes.
@. What was the occasion of the en-
; ployment of your services by the govern
ment?
A. The information that 1 gave to
Judge Holt that l knew all these witness
ses.
The. summer OF 1865 was an active
time with Mr. Conover and the Bureau.
He was an energetic agent, and before
the 1st of November he had the witness
ses all ready, drilled, and on the ground.
The principal ones were two men call
ing themselves Campbell and Snevel.
They were taken to Judge Holt, and
on the 9th of November, 1865, Con-
gress then about to meet and an invesri
cation impending, their afidavits were
made, Campbells being taken down by
Judge Holt himself, he-the Judge, so
jealous was he in the cause-actually ae,
companying the witnesses to the magis-
trate, Mr.. Caustin, to see that the work
was properly done-and when the aft.
davit was made, Campbell was taken to
the White House and introduced to the
President and Mr.. Seward and Mr.
Stanton.
"Was this deposition" asked the com,
mittee, written out by Judge Holt pre-
t csely as you gave it to him On the occa-
sion of its being taken?
A. Yes.
Q. Where was it taken? e
, A. In Judge Holts office. ..r...
Q. Did you go with Judge Holt to TIE
President after this deposition was taken
, and was it read over to the President in
your hearing and did you assent to it
A. Yes, Sir.
Q. We're you interrogated by the Presi
6 dent and Mr.. Seward on that occasion +?
A. Yes,
And again he was asked:
How much did you receive after making
this affidavit?
A. Think altogether for expenses S62j
500 from Mr.. Conoycr and the balance
G from Judge Holt.
v Now, this affidavit is a most remark
. able and startling production-the lead
S ing points being that Campbell had
: been in the Confederate service-kneN
. John H. Surratt intimately, was with
e him in Richmond a short time before
y the Lincoln murder, and was present
t when Mr.. Davis and Mr.. Benjamin au,
= thorized ana advised and instigated the
t assassination of the President, Vice
y President, the Cabinet and Genera
0 Grant. As we were about to leave
q (and we can imagine with what deligh
a Holt wrote down the precious words)
e Mr. Davis shook our hands kindly anC
It said he hoped we would act bravely ant
e succeed, adding that there had been 81
r many attempts at this thing which haC
II failed that he had not much confdenc,
:. in them" We wish we had room 70
4, tbis off dov;t n, vuoll oS SnovolI, b,,t n