The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-16
The Recent Exposure of False Swear
ing and Dirt Throwing.

The Recent Exposure of False Swear
ing and Dirt Throwing.
For week past the Democratic papers have
been in eostacies over the pretended revela-
Hons of Charles A. Dunham, alias Sanford
Conover, setting forth an attempt ON the part
of Messrs. Ashley and Butler to induce him to
manufacture false testimony as to the COM
plicity of President Johnson with the assassi-
nation of Abraham Lincoln. The documents"
having been properly cooked up by one Brinck-
ley, who signs himself as an Assistant Attor-
ney-General, were duly heralded forth to the
world, Mr.. Brinckley rhetorically holding up
his hands in horror at the depravity mani
tested. The revelations" were greedily
seized upon by the poverty-stricken organs of
the Democracy, and for several days they have
been indulging in luxury of display heads,
small-oaps, and other typographical stimulants
Oftheimagination of their readers. We are sorry
to say that their exultation has proved short
lived. The truth, as it comes out, shows that
the documents in regard to the application for
ConOver's pardon had been garbled, and that
they really contained applications from several
bright and shining lights Of the Democracy,
such as our old New Jersey friend, A. j.
Rogers, congressman Eldridge, of Wisconsin,
Niblaok, LIE Blond, and William Radford.
II also turns out that Conover's statement
was furnished to Mr.. Johnson by criminal
named Rabe, as the price of pardon, which
he got, and also that pardon had been
offered to Conover if he would put in the form
of an affidavit the charges which he had made
against Judge Holt and the Bureau Of Military
Justice. Indeed, the main effort of all these
oonspirators seems to have been to break
down Judge Holt. But the Judge carries
altogether too many guns for them. He now
gives them taste of some facts on file in his
Bureau, which serve to show this whole affair
in its true light, and which, perhaps, may
explain why possession Of the War Depart
ment, including its archives, has suddenly
become of so much Importance to President
Johnson.
1t seems that about one year ago, conspi-
racy was entered into by Benjamin Wood of
the New York Daily Ne,0s, Roger A. Pryor, of
Rebel fame, Charles A. Dunham, alias Sanford
Conover, and probably others, for the purpose
of defaming Judge Holt, and bringing the
Bureau of Military Justice into discredit.
Four afidavits are produced by parties who
were approached by Conover, Wood and
Pryor, and solicited to make dispositions to
the effect that Judge Holt endeavored to get
them to falsely swear that Jefferson Davis was
Implicated in the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln. One of the parties proved impracti-
cal, and told the conspirators, Wood, Pryor,
and COnover, after they had read the professed
deposition to him, that Che would see jeff Davis
In hi before he would swear to such id
lies." Pryor then told him that he hoped he
was a gentleman, and would consider what
had passed as confidential.
Two of the parties made afidavits as de-
sired, and were paid then and there for doing
80, with the promise of additional pay, if it
should become necessary to use the af6davits
further, or bring the parties into court. The
fourth person received $50 in hand, but as the
preparing of the afidavits in his case was
postponed from time to time by Pryor, he be-
came afraid of the affair and backed out,
offering to return the money.
We see no cause to doubt the truthfulness
of these afidavits. They correspond exactly
with the character of Conover and COmpany's
last attempt. In the first case, Judge Holt
was to be charged with endeavOring to sum.
mon witnesses to prove JEFF. Davis completely
with the assassination conspiracy; and in the
latter one, Representatives Ashley and Butler
are charged with doing the same to prove Pre-
sident JOhnson's completely in it. There are
said to be other interesting documents ON file
in the Bureau of Military Justice.
We think, on the whole, that the Sanford
COnover investment is proving to be rather a
poor one for our Democratic friends, and that
they had better try some other tack at once.