The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-08-23

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 between them in the matter.
The statements they were desired to
make were revised and Mr.. Ashley
and they were assured by him that in
case it should be determined to eX-
anime them before the committee they
should be splendidly rewarded.
Mr.. Ashley also discoursed to them
on the propriety and justice of the
course 1t was proposed to pursue to
make certain of the impeachment of
the President. He declared that you
were traitor to your party and cOun-
try, &c. That there was no doubt of
your completely in the assassination
conspiracy, but that the evidence was
in the hands your friends and could
not all be got at. That enough, how
ever, had been secured to satisfy most
reasonable men of your guilt; but that
in order to satisfy the most eXa9ting,
the statement of these persons before
the committee would be requisite
That the end fully justified the means,
and that every man who contributed
in this way to the impeachment of the
President would deserve well of the
country, and that he. (Mr. Ashley
would see them rewarded tenfold when
your successor should come into power.
subsequently the parties were pre-
sented to Mr.. Butler, and after being
inspected and passed by him, were
int oduced by him and Ashley to the
several Radical members ofthe House,
who, it was understood, had hitherto
doubted the existence of evidence JIM
plicating you i'll the assassination con-
spiracy, and who informally interrO-
gated them as to the matters upon
which they had been instructed. \.
Mr.. Butler desired to have taken the
dispositions of these men at the time, but
| would not consent to its being done
until should be released, as at first
agreed.
These facts can be proved by these
persons, and also by my wife, whose
character for truth and veracity is not
inferior to Mr.. Ashley's s,and shall take
pleasure, if at liberty, in producing
them before any committee or tribunal
for the impeachment of the impeach
erS.
But the evidence of this conspiracy
does not depend entirely upon oral
proof. The letters from Ashley, here
with enclosed, in themselves speak vo-
lumes. What statment OBJ from me
could he have wanted, and for what
purpose? Anything it was in my pow
er to state to him could have been stat
ed to him orally dozen times during
his DreViOuS visits to me-
The statment he wanted was this,
and for this purpose. There were
many prominent Radicals, and espec-
tally among his own constituents, who
were lukeWarm on the subject of i'm
peachment, who were not prepared to
believe that you were privy to the
murder of Lincoln, and whose cooper
alton was greatly needed. Ashley
therefore desired to be able to place
before them assurances that the most
unQuestiOnable evidence of your guilt
could be produced. He therefore re-
quested me to prepare an elaborate
paper, setting forth that such al d such
pers Dns could be produced who knew
and would testify to this, tn and the
other thing, including the pretenSionS
that Booth had been seen in your room
several times that you had correspond
ed with hin and with parties in Rich
mond; and that the persons who could
testify to these facts were Of the most
respectable standing, and would come
forward and tell all they knew, if pro-
tected by the government. He wished
me to put it in Il style and tone that
would be sure to carry conviction with
it. He desired that in addition to the
points of evidence we had conferred a
bout, my statement should contain
others, and he gave me memorandum
of other points, which he requested me
to incorporate in my statement b.
This memorandum | inclOSed, and |
believe it is in Matchett's handwriting
(A). After preparing the statement L
sent it to him at Toledo, where he wish
ed to make Use of it (C).
There is another note from Ashley
inclOsed worthy of attention. 1t Is in
pencil, and was written at the office of
Judge Cartier, f f. after the failure,
through the blundering of Matcb bett,
to secure my release at the time pro-
missed, because angry, and used pretty
severe language to Matchett. He went
to Ashley and Butler in alarm, and
reported that | was going to expose the
entire scheme to you.
After the persons hal sent for toNeW
York as witnesses, had returned, Match
EFT endeavOred without my knOWl-
edge to persuade them to come here "a
gain, and in his letters to two of them
he thOughtlesSly y suggested some adj
ditions that it was desired they should
make to their statements. He made
these suggestions by letter, as his let
ters explained, because he was not GER
tain that he should be here when thy
arrived, or they might meet Judge
Bingham, or some other person they
had been introduced to when previous
ly here, before he could see them and
give them points, and he therefore
wanted them "pOsted."
After my talking to him so severly
on account of the failure to have me
released at the time promised, Mr..
Matchett became frightened, and SEEM
ed to get the idea that | had letters to
those parties, and had sent them, or
copies Of them, to you. Possibly, in
my anger, | thus uttered as much
He, therefore, made known his fears
to Ashley and Butler, and Ashley en-
deavored by this note to obtain the let
terS.
| have just been ordered to get ready
for the penitentiary.
CHARLES a. DUNHAM.
The following are the several papers
which accompany the above. The
letters of reference inserted in the
foregoing and annexed to the succeed
ing are not upon the original, but are
introduced solely for your convenience
in perusing the report.
The subjoined paper, headed memor-