The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-08-16

which should be shown by one or more
PERSONS who had taken notes from Booth
and your replies Contents not known
thereto to Booth. The witnesses should
be persons who would confess to have
been intimate with Booth, and to have
been enlisted by him to take part in the
assassination.
I'd. That the placing of Atzerodt with
weapons at the Kirkwood House, was only
a sham-although Atzerodt was not aware
of ito make it appear that you were in
tended as a victim, and thus distract all sus.
picion from you of conniving at Lincoln's
murder. This, also, it was suggested,
could be proved by persons who could ties.
tify that they had been induced to enter
into the conspiracy with Booth, and had
performed part of organizing it, &C.,
which persons, it was to be understood
were induced to testify under an assurance
from the government that they should not
be prosecuted for any part they had taken.
The resolution under which Buffers
committee was appointed, it will be OBJ
served, provides for the protection of such
persons, who are furnished with a good
excuse for not coming forward before, by
Offering immunity to all who were con.
nected with the conspiracy who will come
forward and disclose their knowledge on
the subject.
4th. That Booth, just after the 4th of
March, stated to intimate friends in New
York, whom he endeavored to enlist in
the conspiracy, that he was acting with
the knowledge of the Vice President
and that it had been arranged to kill Lin
coin on the day of the Inauguration, which
would account for Mr.. Johnson's strange
conduct on that occasion, which had pro.
voked so much comment by the press
that you expected the tragedy to be en-
acted then and had taken several pota-
tions to compose and nerve you for the
event, and that you were not SO much in.
toxicated as nervous and excited. s. M
[ feel much dclieacy in referring to
such topics, but cannot inform you of
your enemies plans and projects without
being plain, and am obliged to write in
too great haste to be choice in my Ian
guage.
| assured Ashley that I should have no
difficulty in finding persons of good stand.
ing and moral character to prove these
matters, and it was agreed that I would do
SO as soon as released IA. f. G.1
AS an earnest that l possessed the abil-
ty to do what 1 engaged, and in
order to satisfy soma of their party who
Honh fal tho vipfa sc nx,1,-oa a.,
connect you with the assassination con.
spiracy, Ashley and Butler desired and
pressed me to send for two or three per-
sons, of whose intelligence and qualifca-
tions they could satisfy themselves, and
whom they could parade before their in
credulous friends.
consented, and Ashley supplied the
facts it was desired they should know and
repeat, and 1 forwarded them to a trusty
friend, with secret explanations as to my
own purpose, and instructions for him to
procure two other friends to commit to
memory the statements enclosed to him,
and when sent for to come here and re-
peat them (but not under oath) to such
persons as l should indicate.
After allowing my friends sufficient
time to learn their parts, the Rev. Mr..
Matchett OBJ was sent for them in order
that it might be said that he, agent for
the impeachers, had found the witnesses,
and that their character for veracity was
above suspicion.
On arriving here, these persons were in.
spected by Ashley aud Butler, and were
found to possess the requisite qualifca.
tions as to intelligence and personal ap.
pearance; but, unfortunately for the i'm
peachers, it was deemed necessary to
make some changes, notifications in
some, and additions to other portions of
their statements before presenting them to
the luke-warm radicals it was their inten-
ton to infame.
1t being impractieable for men to see
me at the Jail on such business, and
equally SO for me to communicate to them
the desired changes and necessary expla-
nations in writing to enable them to iu.
corporate those changes in their original
statements without leading to confusion
or contradiction, 1t was found necessary
for somebody else to take my Office of
preceptor, &c. This, with slight hesita.
ton, was done by Mr.. Ashley, on my as
surance that the parties were radicals,
died in the wool, and men of honor in
whom he could safely repose confidence.
| have learned both from Ashley and
the parties themselves what was said and
done by and between them in the matter.
The statements they were desired to make
were revised and corrected by Mr.. Ash
ley, and they were assured by him that in
case it should be determined to examine
them before the committee they should
be splendidly rewarded.
Ashley also discoursed to them on the
propriety and business of the course it
was proposed to pursue, to make certain
of the impeachment of the President
He declared that you were traitor to
your country and party, &c, &c. That
there was no doubt Of your completely in
tho assassination conspiracy but that the