The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-01-14

nhls ing lcbteif he
poNATIoN TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
] objected 20 taking il and refused TO do SO. /
theu took three Of the trunks and the valise
around 90 the hotel. He was staying Rt the
Halifax Hotel. The trunks had Spanish marks
nnon them. aud he told nc 10 scRpe them of
and that Mr. Hill would 90 with me che next
morning aud make arrangements with some
Captain OF a vessel 30 take them. There were
two vessels there running TO Boston, and was
20 make an arrangement with either Of them
10 smurele the trunks through 10 Boston.
The next morning ] went down with Mr..
Hill 30 the vessels. Mr.. Hill had a private
conversation with Capt McCregor, the Captain
of the first vessel % whom applied 10 take
the goods. and be refused We then went to
see Can't O'Rricn, ol the bark Halifax. Hill
told him that j had some presents IN my
trunks consisting Of silks, satin dresses, etc,
that ] wanted TO take my friends The Cap
tain and MIR. Hill had private conversation,
and when the Captain came out he consented
90 take them. j WAS TO give him $50 gold
piece for smuggling them in. ] put them on
board the vessel that day aud he slowed them
away. The vessel lay five days at Boston be-
fore be could get q chance 10 get them of, but
finally be succeeded in getting them of. aud
expressed them 10 Philadelphia, where ] re-
eeiyed them and brought them TO baltimore.
] then took out the goods, which were very
much mmpled, aud sm0Othed them out and ar
packed them aud brought them to this city
Washington
DIR BLACKBURN, BY WAY OF CAUTION,
asked me. before leaving. IL had ever had the
yellow fever and on my saying no" he said
YOU must have a preventive against taking IT,
You must get some CamphOr and chew IT, and
get some strong cigars the strongest you can
get Hud hc sure TO keep gloves on your hands
Whcu handling the things ie gave me some
I'D IL r.F.v,
Havana, which he said were strong enough for
anything. When j arrived in Washington i
turned over five OF the trunks TO Messrs. w. L.
Wall & Co. commission merchants in that city
and four TO a man by the name Of Myers, from
Boston, SutloT lor Sigels or Weitzel's Division.
l1e said lac had some goods which be was going
90 take 10 Newbnrn, r. c., and j told him that
] bad a lot Of goods that ] wanted TO sell, and,
70 make the best market ] could for them,
j would turn them over TO him on commits
sion. ] also told him i would shortly have
more and mentioned that ] had disposed Of
some to Wall & Co., Of Washington. Dr. Black
burn told me, when ] was making arrange
ments, that ] should LET the parties TO whom
disposed 0f my goods know that j would have
o big lot to SELL as il was in contemplation 10
get together about Sl000.000 worth Of goods
and dispose Of them IN that way. Dr. Black
burn stated that his object in having these
goods
DISPOSED OF IN DIFFERENT CITIES,
was 90 destroy the armies, or anybody that
they came in contact with. All these goods be
told me had been carefully infected with yell
low fever smallpox, aud other contagious dis
eases The goods iu the Valse which were in
tended for President Lincoln, ] understood
him 10 say, had been infected with yellow fever
aud smallpox. This valse j declined taking
charge Of and turned il over 10 him at the
Halifax Hotel, aud ] afterwards heard that it
had been sent TO the President On the five
trunks that j turned over 90 Wall & Co. ] got
an advance OF 500. Among these five trunks
there WAS one that was always spoken Of by
Blackburn 10 me as big No. 2" which he
said must be sure 10 have sold in Washington
On GisUnsinE OF the trunks, Immediately left
Washington and went straight through until
j got 10 Hamilton, Canada ln the waiting
room There ] met Mr.. lIOlC0mbc and Clement
&. Clay. They both rose sA0Uk hands with me-
and congratulated me upon my safe return,
and upon my making fortune. They told me
j should be q gentleman for the future, instead
Oi working man aud a mechanic. They
seemed perfectly TO understand the business in
which ] had been engaged. Mr. Holcombe
told me that Dr. Black burn was at the Done
gan Hotel iu Montreal aud that ] had better
Telegraph 10 him stating that ] had returned.
As DR. Blackburn had requested me 10 tele-
graph tO him as soou rs got into CBnada did
50, and the next night, between IL and -
O'Clock, DR. Blackburn came up and knocked
at the door Of my house
WAS IN BED AT THE TIME
looked out OF the window and saw DR. Black
burn there. Said he. " Come down Hyams,
aud open the door You are like ali -
Tascals who have been doing something wrong.
You're afraid that the devil il after you" He
was iB company with Bennett II. Young. I
came down aud let him IN. He asked me how
j bad disposed Of the goods aud j told him.
swell" said he, that rs all right, as long as
big No. went into Washington; IL will kill
them nj 60 yards distance
j then told the Doctor that everything had
gone wrong at my home IN my absence that
j needed some funds; that my family needed
money. lie said he would 60 20 Col. Jacob
Thompson aud make arrangements for nee 10
draw upon him for any amount Of money that
] required. lie then said that the British au.
th0TitieE had solicited bis services in attending
the yrllow fever at Bermuda; that he was go
lng On there, and that as soon "a he returned
be- would see me. ] went mp 10 Jacob Thomp-
son tire next morning and told him what DIR.
Blackburn bad said. BE said yes, Dr
Blackburn had been there and had made ar.
Engagements for me TO draw 500 whenever Il
was shown that had made disposition Of the
goods according 70 his directions ] told him
needed money: that had been 20 long away
from home that everything ] had was gone
nnl wanted money 70 pay my rent etc. He
said, ] will give you $50 now, but il is against
Dr. Backburn's TequoN When you show me
that you have sold the goods ] will give you
the balance. he asked me TO give him a re
ceipt whirh did Received Of Jac0p Thomp
sou the sum Of ffty dollars on account Of DIR
Blackburn"
That was about the nth or 10Th Of August
last. The next day ] wrote 10 Messrs Wall a
Co, Washington, desiring them TO send me a.
account oi the sales and the balance due me
When ] received their answer
TOOK 1T TO col. THOMPSON
ae then said he was perfectly satisfied hat
done my part. and gave me a check for $50 OF
The Ontario Bank Of Montreal. gave him
receipt: Received Of Jacob Thompson $40
AZ iull, on account Of DIR. Luke j. Blackburn
told Thompson the large sum which Dr
Blackburn had promised me for my services
and that be aud Mr. H0lcombe had both Toll
me that the Confederate Government had 40
propriated S2000,O00 for the purpose Of carry
lnP il out, lot he would not ray mo any more
When Dr Blackburn returned from Bermuda
wrote 10 him at Montreal aud told him
wanted some money, and that he ought to sen,
me some but he made no reply 20 my letter
was then sent down 10 Montreal will a com
mission for Bennett III. Young 10 be used h
his defense in the st. Albans raid case.
therc met Dr. Blackburn. lie said I ha
written some hard letters 10 him, abusin
him, and that he had no money 10 give fn,
he then got into his carriage at the doc
ana rode on % some races j think an
never gave me any more satisfaction As
wanted money before leaving for the Gfatoe