The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-05-10
BEL AIR. MD. FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 49, 1867

that this is what his witnesses swear to.
Conover told it, aud Campbell and Snevel
believed it.
1t was in November, 1865, that Camp.
bell and Snevel made their afidavits be.
fore Holland, as we have seen, it was
in May, 1866, that they appeared before
tho Judiciary Committee. In the inter.
val they seem to have had, batting qualms
of conscience, rather pleasant, easy time
Snevel thus testified on the Conover trial
in court:
Q. How did you get your living during
that time?
A. l received it from the Govern.
ment.
Q. Who furnished you with most of
it?
A. Judge Holt.
Q. How much did you get from Judge
Holt?
A. l do not know exactly not exceed
ing four hundred dollars.
@. What service did you render to the
government during that time for which
you received this money?
Nothing, only giving this false testi-
mony?
If committing perjury in November and
being kept comfortably on government
pay at the rate of sixteen dollars week
all winter was so easy and pleasant, the
question naturally arises why did they
not persevere like Conover, and how
comes it that they suddenly awoke to a
sense Of shame in May. The facts are
these. They have quite dramatic eff.
feet.
In April, 1866, the House of Repre-
sentatives instructed by resolution the Ju-
dietary Committee to inquire into the al.
legged completely of Jefferson Davis in the
Lincoln murder. The Bureau of Military
Justice had therefore to drum up its wit
nesses. Conover was always at hand
He had been travelling as government
agent all over the South during the win
ter. Major Levi G. Turner, the Deputy,
Judge Advocate, who seems to be rela-
tivoly conscientious man, was at once sent
to New York to marshal the forces. No
one doubted for an instant that Campbell
and Snevel would, as they had before,
swear up to the mark. But alas there
was to be fearful disappointment, thus
described by Campbell himself on the
trial in court
q. Did you, asked the District Attor-
ney, make statement to Judge Turner
at the Aston House with reference to the
falsity of the statements before Judge
Holt 7
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Without any questioning on his
part ?
A. Yes, sir. He said to me, "Why
don't these men" (Conover's wituesses)
"come to see me ?" I said to him, 81
don't know why they don't come" Fl.
nally, said to him "Judge, you won't
have one of them here unless you force
them" Why?" "Well,' says I, "the
thing is false throughout" Then he
paused for moment, looked at me for a
minute or SO, and then said "Campbell,
what do you want? These were his
words when | told him the thing was
false.
Q. What did you reply?
A. l told him l wanted nothing but
true justice.
@. Then what did he say?
A. | do not know what he said Just
then. He stood silent for moment, and
then said l.: "You don't mean to tell me
that this thing was all false" l said,
eyes, sir; l do pretend to tell you so.'
Then he hesitated, as if considering what
to do-whether to doubt me or not FL
nally we talked over the matter awhile, l
explained the whole thing to him. He
then asked me to 60 and endeavor to per-
suade the others to come and talk over the
matter with him. did 80, and finally
Conover called on Turner and so did Sne-
vel.
Major Turner returned to Washington
q sadder and wiser man. The Bureau
of Military Justice had not the same jo-
cund air as in November, when Holt, with
eager pen, was writing down the defama-
tory perjuries of these men, and running
across the street to have them completed.
1t was impossible to conceal what had
happened. Major Turner, in New York,
had put an end to that by directing the
retracting witnesses to come to Washing
ton, and the whole party-this precious
triumvirate, was sent to the Judiciary
Com nittee, Holt, nothing daunted, send
ing with them an elaborate argument
(Which never yet has seen the Light,
"redolent," said one of the committee af-
forwards, "with the logic of prosecution"
to show that Conover told the truth and
that his own November witnesses were
liars. Here in the presence of MIR. Holt
himself, these men were confronted. The
same dark tale which had been told to
Major Turner was repeated. The witness
es we're cross-examined with great severi-
ty. Campbell told his tale in the presence
of Conover, and when 1t was done and
Conover was recalled, this question was
put and this answer given, with which for
to-day we close this chapter of iDquity:
Question by the Chairman-You have
heard this statement of the witness Gamn-