Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-06-05
DODGEVIILE, WISCONSIN,, FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1868

disturbance. At this moment, the ponce
being withdrawn, Mr.. Lincoln would nno
himself in a dense, excited, and hostlle
crowd. hustled and jammed, and then tne
fatal blow was to be struck. A sWl1t
steamer was to be stationed in Chesapeake
Raw. with a boat concealed, ready 10 take
the assassin on board as soon as the deeo
was done, and convey him to southern
mart. where he would have been received
With acclamations, and honored as nero.
Rut who should do the bloody deed! IL
was feared by some that Hill lacked the
nerve and GOODNESS. To determine thls
question meeting OF the consplrators
was held on the 18th of February. Some
twenty persons were collected, eacn o!
whom had taken an oath OF secresy, ana
also sworn, if designated, that he would
take the life of the President elect. 1t was
arranged that ballots should be prepared
and placed in hat, and that the person
who drew red ballot should be the assas-
sim"
Mr.. Pinkerton found it hard to persuade
Mr.. Lincoln of the existence of the con-
spiracy. The writer says:
"WhiIe Mr.. Judd detailed the clrcum-
stance of the conspiracy, Mr.. Lincoln list
ened very attentively, but did not say
III.
closely watched, show any emotion. lie
was thoughtful, serious, but decidedly
firm.
"Pinkerton then, himself, went over
the ground, detailing to Mr.. Lincoln all
the facts connected with Fernandina, Hill,
and others, the condition of popular feel
ing, and the plans Of the assassins; also
the fact that Kane, Chief of Police, de-
clared that he would give him no police
escort He told him there were perhaps
ten or fifteen desperadoes-wild, enthusi-
astic Young men--who had been wrought
UP to pitch of fanaticism in which they
really believed they would be patriots and
MARTYRS in taking his life, even at the cost
of their own; that they had bound them
selves by oaths to assassinate him; that a
vast, excited crowd would meet him at the
depot of the Northern Central Railroad, a
fight would be got up in the crowd, and
this would be the signal for the attack
on his person, and in the melee, dozen
desperate men, armed with revolvers and
dirks, each sworn to take his life, would
be upon his path, and that he, Mr.. Pinker-
ton, felt moral conviction that he could
not pass from the Calvert street depot to
the Washington depot, mile and hall,
in an open carriage, alive Both JUDD
and Pinkerton pressed these and other
corroborating facts upon him with all the
power which they possessed. He remained
silent few moments, and it was suggested
that he should change the programme,
and take the night train for Washington
that very night Mr. Judd said to him !:
These proofs can not be now made pub
lie, as the publication of the facts would
involve the lives of several of Mr.. Pink
erton's force, and, among others, the life
of Webster, serving in rebel company
under drill, at Perryman's, in Maryland
some other conversation was held between
him and Mr.. Judd, in regard to the con-
struction which would be placed upon his
conduct if be changed the programme and
went directly to Washington. Mr.. Judd
then asked, will you, upon any statement
which can be made, consent to leave for
Washington on to-nights trainY Mr..
Lincoln promptly replied: No, l cannot
consent to do this. / shall hoist the flag
on Independence Hall tomorrow morning
(Washington's birthday, and go to Harris
burg tomorrow, and meet the Legislature
of Pennsylvania: and then shall have
fulfilled all my engagements. After this,
if YOU (Judd), and you, Allen (Pinkcrton),
think there is positive danger in my at
ttIupIiuS W ~ tllOuSu 4ciUiiitoAO V OPSAiyt :
according to the published programme, if
you can arrange any way to carry out
your purposes, will place myself in your
hands 'Mr. Lincoln says Pinkerton,
said this with tone and manner SO de-
cisive, we saw that no more was to be
said
1t was finally arranged between Judd,
Pinkerton, and the officers of the Penn
sylvania Railroad, that a special train
should leave Harrisburg at o'clock the
next evening, and bring Mr.. Lincoln to
Philadelphia in time to take the II o'clock
train going through Baltimore to Wash
ington, on the night of the 22d This
train was to be detained until Mr.. Lincoln
arrived; every contingency, in regard to
the connection of the trains and possible
delays was most skillfully planned, SO as
to secure connections and the certainty Of
going through on time.
Meanwhile, to prevent this change be-
ing telegraphed to Baltimore by confed-
crate, or information of this change of
route being known and leaking out in any
way, the Superintendent of the telegraph
company, at the instance of Mr.. Pinker-
ton, sent practical telegraph climber to
isolate Harrisburg from telegraphic COM
munication with all the world until Mr..
Lincoln should reach washington"