Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-12-02
ADDITIONAL IMPEACHMENT TEsrI.
M0NR

ment IN vesugauon, which, with the printed
copies Of the reports OF the Judiciary Commit
tee, viii probably be LAID before the House Of
Representatives today, incIodes the tesuro-
ny of Colonel Wtllism q. Moore. Morrs Al.
berger, William q Murtagh. John y. COVE,
Thomas Is. Florence. J. T. Gilman. l. a. Ra-
tsr, ana Hon. James NJ. Ashley Colonel
Moore, J. r Gilman. ana Morris Alberger,
d-serters IN West virginia
Whhsn Murtagh, proprietor OF the Pc
lHo.een, OF this city, was examined "a regard
ID the p1 blicaffon OF oficfal Ad dvertissmenfs IN
toai paper. Witness testified thai af5sr The
passage OF the act % May, ls66, he received no
adverus' ments ofhcially from he department:
De, nowsNer, oo,aihed The Advertisements
from otner newspapers. and they were pub
lished usoer the order OF the President The
paper had received no 'pay for work done
slnee ne passage OF the act of March =. Is6s.
John Coyle, proprieoor OF tue TafeTff0sarer,
examined: Wt'aess tssuned that wesu Nav
1866, and March, 1867, the TutelliOsaoer had re-
ctiyed s.4St29 lor osyernment advsrtise-
or in writing. direct the payment of any OF
tnis money. During Mr.. Stanton's admins
iTaiion OF the Affairs Of the War Department
the intelheeHoors bills were not setTled, out
when be went out OF Office the publisher hAd
rendered The accounts again. ana a the Pres-
dent, under the law, had ordered them 20 pub-
lsn the advertisements. they appealed 20 nm
20 have their accounts examined and adjusted.
Ipoer his direction they were exam ined at the
War Department. {. found 20 oe correct. and were
{ n
usenents OF public Interest for the benefit Of
their subscribers, kept a Regular account OF
them. and entered them as n hey were 20 be
paid, ihst they might eventually appeal to the
Court OF Claims for their payment
Hon. j. NJ. Ashley testlfec mat ne preferred
4 the charges IN the House OF h>pr-sen tsuves
against The President for Impeachment; had
produced all the testimony 70 The Committee
OF which he had any knowledge 20 sustain ths
eharees. and substantially all upon which NJ
made the charges; witness frst became sc-
I
through parties who called on him 10 sign a
petition for his (Dunham's - rsprieve or par
dom witness had fve OF six interviews win
Conover. IN which he promised 20 give infor-
nation that would lead 10 the obtaining OF
TWO or three letters purporting 10 have cone
from President johnson and from jefferson
Davis; on the 18th OF April 1867, witness
wrote a note TO Conovor. an which ne en-
closed an envelope for the statement which
was 10 be furnished. and in which CON-
over owe sos Ss 70 give 'ne contents OF me let.
residences OF the parties having them IN
possession, that they might be obtsIned.
In reply TO question by member OF the
ommitree, Mr.. Ashley stated that he was not
acquainted With any parties named Allen or
Dawson, nor did he suggest 70 have In q state
ment that was furnished by Oonover, blanks
left for the names OF Dawson and Allen TO be
filled by such persons Were represented
witness never met Conover, except in the re-
ception reom Of the jail. In q note TO Oonover,
dated April D, Mr.. Ashley acknowledged the
receipt of the promised statement and testified
that ne believed that that statement was now
In possession Of w. Il. Matchett In reply 70
a question "Did that relate 20 a charge against
the President of having had % DO with the as
sassination OF President Lin coin Z" the witness
saic, al think there 10 a declaration in that
sss'smen. ,hs n, tnat ne tpnnnsml Is coenizant OF
cate the President IN q guilty knowledge OF
the assassination. He made that statement in
his letter TO me. But the greater part OF the
paper referred TO knowledge which be pro-
fetsed 10 have OF other matters. There WAS
nothing m the paper which was OF any value
70 me, and did not bring u 20 the notice, L
think, OF single member OF the committee -
Witness paid but little attention 70 Conover's
statements, as they appeared TO be highly ex-
aggerated. but finally said 10 him, III Won ret
me the letters, then whatever aid can ri We you
i will" The statement referred te was in
Dunham's hand~ritiDg; witness thought from
numerous other statements that bad BEEN made
10 him that there might he such letters an ex-
isience, bat Conover's statement was so indsh-
mite that ne never sent man 70 look into IL;
witness never had in his possessioa legal evi-
dence which he believed would implicate Mr..
johnson in the assassination OF Mr.. Lincoln;
he had received statements ef parties here and
there, but did not deem them sufficiently
strong 10 warrant HIM in presenting it before
tne committee, as ne did not regard them
as SUFFICIENT for conviction of the criminal
before q Jury: he had received evidence
which satisfied him from his STAN dpoint In be-
leving that Mr.. johnson was implicated. but
II was not of satisfactory legal character
In reply 20 the question, "Then what do you
mean by saying that you had no evidence in
Mr. Ashley saId It was not that kind OF e,,-
dence which would satisfy tue grea, mass OF
men. especially the men who DO not concur
with me in my theory about this matter. 4
have had a theory about a. Itave always
believed that President Harrison and President
Taylor and President Buchanan Were poisoned.
and poisoned for the express purpose OF putting
the Vice Presidents IN the presidential ONCE
In the first two instances u was successful
Ii was attempted with Mr.. Buchanan. and
failed Ii succeeded with Mr.. Taylor ana
Mr.. Harrison. Then Mr.. LincoIp was assas-
sinated, and from my standpoint weuld come
10 conclusion which impartial men. holding
nor amount ~ ,.SsI Su sr,doncs dor come ~ would
menced investigating this matter, ana
holding consultations with Conoyer, before
General Buffers committee was formed. L
was led 10 believe by the statements of
Baker and other men that there were In exist
ence letters tending 10 show Jonnson's
guilty knowledee There seemed TO be
uniformity OF statement in reference 20 the
existence Of certain letters coming from
parties wso. so faI as I knew, were not in
collusion with each other; and was impressed
win the fact tnat such letters did exist, aud
certainly expected 10 get them il they did ex-
list. So far as this committee was concerned
as 1 made no specific charges against the Pres
ldent on that head, did not care 10 say any,
thing 70 the committee about it, because the
more publicity given TO such thing the greater
difhculty there would be in obtaining the evf-
oence." witness was first led to have an in :
teryiew with .Conover by Mrs Conover. In
answer to the question, {" Under what cireum
stances did you first have an Interview with
him, and what LED 10 itf" witness SAID. His
wife presented me petition TO sign for mis-
pardon. L declined to sign IL. Mr. Matchstt
and she finally came TO me and told me rhat
her husband knew OF matters OF great i'm
portance 10 me and 70 the country, and N AZ
n would aid him In being released, he would
! put me in possession Of them. After listen
| ing TO bis statement, 1 think / asked her
20 bring me statement from him in wrf-
| ting. which she did, which somebody
did; L think she did. That statement
/ led 10 an interview. i thought 1 would
/ so and see Conover. as be requested H.
I In reply 70 the question whether witness mad
/ furnished the memorandum TO Conoyer (pub-
! fisheo In August last in which q plan was
proposed for suborning testimony and desig-
4 mating the character of the testimony desire a.
/ witness stated that he did not know OF any
such memorandum having been furnished 70
I any one; had not seen n in writing, and had
never seen IL except in the newspapers: no
| persons were ever brought tosthis city under
the direction or suggestion Of Conoyer, 20 be
examined in reference TO the matter: several
parties had been brought before Witness or
come before him voluntarily. who thought
they knew important matters, and whose state
ments proved 10 be worthless; Mrs. COroyer
had on one or two occasions gone 10 procure
| testimony. witness furnishing her on one oc-
casion with $50, and on another IS. 10 defray
her expenses. When asked whether in any
conversations Dunnam had stated that ne
could get witnesses to prove the fa,.s
| in shat