The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-05-23

yus"neu ZIG use Ol the stlllettO and aSsasSlna-
tlon as a means of preventing the President
elect from taking his seat in the Executive
chair. He was an enthusiast and a fanatic Z
In the Interview with Fernandina, which
took place at - saloon, in the presence of
some OF the military company which he COM
manded-his lieutenant and others in their
eonfdence-in the course of the conversation
Fe-nandina, believing he was address;no q
thorough secessionist, said:
Lincom snail never, never be President.
NV NE Is OF no consequence. / am willing to
give II ior his. will sell my life for that of
InaI aoolitionist. As Orsini gave his lite for
etaiy, am ready to die for the rights of the
some one present remarked:
Are there no means of saving the South
except by assassination ?v
NO., said he; you might as well try to
plow uown the Washington monument with
your oreatn as TO change our pufpose-dte he
must ana shall; and" he added, turning to
captain =, a co-conspirator, eve will, ii
necessary, all die to gether. Every captain
VIII IN that day prove himself hero Inc
frst shot fired, the head traitor Lincoln dead,
and all Maryland will be with us and the
| South freed. "Mr. H." said he turning to
| Pipkerton ..If alone must do 1t shall not
hesitate. Lincoln shall die i'll this city!'
| The next day Pinkerton met the same
| CAPTAIN T, one OF FernaLdin associ-
L
| pered.
'lt is determined that that Cd id Lin
coin shall never pass through here alive!
| The id abolitionist shall never set foot on
| Southern soil but to find a-grave." He added:
IL have seen Colonel Kane, Chief of Police,
and he is all right, and in one week from to-
day the North shall want a new President
for Lincoln will be dead"
| Among the associates of Howard he meets
| Inv tl,a Of
Hill, who proudly exhibits gold Palmetto
badge, ana represent himself as lieutenant
| IN the Palmetto Guards, a secret military Or
| ganization in Baltimore Howard, the ardent
secessionist from New Orleans, Gliding the
slower and more cautious action OF the friends
in Maryland, and Hill, of the Palmetto
| Guards, become bosom friends They drink,
go to concerts, theatres, and other places of
amusement together. Hill, who has social
position in Baltimore, introduces his accom-
plished friend from louisiana, and finally
opens to him, in part, the secrets of the plot
TO assassinate Lincoln. He himself goes into
il with reluctance. What pity" says he to
Howard, ''that this glorious Union must be
destroyed all on account of that monster Lin
colnv
| The plan was to excite and exasperate the
| popular feeling aea,ns Mr.. Lincoln to the ut
most. On the published programme he was
to enter Baltimore from Harrisburg on the
23d of February by the NorGhern Central
Railroad, and would reach Baltimore about
the middle Of the day. A vast crowd would
meet him at the Calvert Street depot. at
which it was expected he would take an open
carriage, and ride, nearly mile and halt, to
| the Washington depot 1t would be very
easytor Discriminate man to shoot him on
his passage. Agents OF the conspirators had
been in the principal Northern cities, watch
ing the movements of the Presidential party.
/ do TO fnla \. Dali
OF route. cipher was agreed upon so that
the conspirators could Communicate with
each other without the facts leaking out
through the telegraph offices. Meanwhile
the idea of assassination preyed upon the
mind of Hill; he grew sad and melancholy
and plungel still deeper into dissipation
/ Howard is his constant companion and con-
| fidential friend, his .shadow," n the Ian
| guaee OF the profession lat times he is thought
full, and then he breaks out into rhapsodies.
He talks to Howard OF dreams and DEATH
| Il an destined to die" said Hill, 'sbrouded
with glory. If man had the nerve he could
immortaze himself by plunging knife into
! Lincoln's heart. Let u" said he, 'have an
| other Brutus. / swear" said he, ri will kill
1 Lincoln before he reaches the Washington
depot, not that love Lincoln less, but my
| country more. | am ready to do the deed.
and then | will proudly announce nv name.
| and say: Gentlemen, arrest me, am the
man !" and then will be called one that gave
gave his country liberty" When our coun-
try draws lois. il the red ballot falls to me, L
will do it willingly. Perhaps" said he, .'Lin-
con may conclude to come by way of Havre
&c Grace; ii so, the ferry-boat across the Sus-
quehana will be the best place to do the
| deed. | will 90 out there and kill him If if
! is so ordered" Notwithstanding his contem-
! plated crime he had some good traits; he was
| warmly attached to- his mother spoke ten
n TO Tod fn al -
airy provision being made for her, if he should
sacrifice his lite in the enterprise.
Webster had gone to PerrymansvilIe, and,
securing the confidence of the secessionists
there, had joined the military company which
was drilling with view of destroying the
railroads, burning the bridges, and the Jerry
boat on the Susquehanna.
The time for Mr.. Lincoln's passage through
baltimore was rapidly approaching, but the
exact plans for operations by the coDspirators
had not been agreed upon. The popular feel
ing against him had, through the press. and
by harangues, and all the means by which
the public mind is operated upon, been in
flamed and exasperated to the highest pitch
Thousands OF the more ignorant had been
wrought upon by the intelligent until they
were ready Tor any act OF violence and atosi-
ty. Tue leaders finally fully deter mined that
the assassination should talks place at
the Calvert Street depot. vast crowd Of
secessionists were to assemble at that place
and await the arrival of the train with Mr..
Lincoln. They were to go early and fill the
narrow streets and passages Immediately sur
rounding it. 1t was known among the lead
ers that George p. Kane, the Marshal of Pc
lice, subsequently arrested by General Banks,
and afterwards an officer in the rebel army,
would detail! but small police force to at
tend the arrival and nominally clear and pro-
tect passage for Mr.. Lincoln and his suite.
and that that small force would be sympathi-
zers with the seccssionists. When the train
should enter the depot, and Mr.. Lincoln
should attempt to pass through the narrow
passage leading to the street, some roughs
were to raise a row on the outside, and ali the
police were to rush away to quell the distur-
ance. At this moment the police being with
drawn, Mr.. Lincoln would find himself in a
dense, excited, and hostile crowd hustled and
jammed, and then the fatal blow was to be
strnck. A swift steamer was to be stationed
in Chesapeake Bay, with boat concealed,
ready to take the assassin on board as soon
as the deed was done, and convey him to a
Southern port, where he wonld have been
received with accamations and h9nored as a
hero. But who should do the bloody deed?
1t was feared by some that Hill lacked tie
nerve and coolness.- 10 determine this cues
ton, meeting OF the conspirators was held
on the night OF the 18th of February. Some
PSASAS
had taken an oath of secrecy, aud also sworn,
If designated, that he would take the lie of
the President elect 1t was arranged that
ballots should be prepared and placed in
hat, and that the person who drew red bal
lot should be the assassin. The drawing was
made in darkened room, so that none could
know who drew the fatal ballot except he
who had it, and no one was to disclose to the
Others the color of the ballot he drew And
now the leaders, to make success more GER
tain, placed eight red ballots in the hat, and
eight red ballots were drawn, each man draw
ing one believing that upon his courage,
strength and skill alone depended what he re-
garded as the cause OF the South, each sup
posing that he alone was charged with the
execution of the deed.
The weapons and the mode of death were
to be left to the person who drew the red
ballot.
A knowledge of all these facts having been
obtained by Pinkerton, he on the night of
February 10th fastened to meet the Presi-
dental party at Philadelphia.
While these plots had been going on, Mr..
Lincoln and his friends, unconscious of dam
ger, were pursuing their journey toward the
Capital. Vast crowds had everywhere as
sembled to welcome and congratulate him,
and pledge to him their support in the main
tenance OF the integrity of the Republic its