The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-05-05
1.-THE GREAT CONSPIRACY" FOR
MURDER OF LINCOLN WAS MYTH

War Department because of expert
ence gained In q treason trial At In
diAnApolls. that had been held TO prove
The existence OF a conspiracy 10 sstab-
hsh a Northwestern Confederscy.
The scope OF the governments case
as Indicated by the charge on which
The prisoners were arraigned
For mSllciously. unlawfully and
traitorously. and IN aid Of the exist
lns armed rebellion against the United
states OF America combin-
Ing. confecersting and conspirlng to-
getner with one John "a. Surratt. John
wilkes Booth. Jefferson Davis. George
y Sanders; Beverly Tucker. jacob
Thompson. William &. Cieary. Glenn
ent G. Clay. George Harper. George
Young and others unknown. to kill and
murder" Abraham Llucoln.
President. Andrew johnson. Vice
President. William n. Seward. Secre-
tary OF State. and General 4. 3. Grant
The persons named after Jefferson
Davis were Confederate agents in
Canada. or their employees. They and
Mr.. Davis were further charged with
Booth and Surratt. with "maliciously.
unlavfully and traitorously murder
ing Lincoln. assaulting Secretary
Seward. with intent TO kill. and "ly-
ing In wait with intent TO kill and
murder" Vice President Johnson and
Washington seven hours before Lin
coin was shotD
The charge specified that these acts
took place within the fortified and
intrenched lines OF Washington. the
trial OF the case before a military trt-
-bunal being thus justified.
Testimony OF a PerJurer.
The opening days OF the Commits
sIon's sittinzs we're devoted TO testi-
IN In
assassinate Lincoln was entered into
in Canada between Jacob Thompson
and his associates, on the one part.
and Booth and Surratt on the other.
There was reliable evidence that
Booth and Surratt had been In Can
ada. and had talked with Confederate
agents there. To prove that their
talk related to a conspiracy TO kill
Lincoln. the Government relied upon
the evidence OF one Sanford Conover.
a detective and spy. who had served
both sides in the war. He swore that
he had been invited by Jacob Thomp-
son TO participate in a plot TO assas-
sinate Lincoln and his cabinet: that
he had seen Booth and Surratt
with Thompson and that a few days
before the assassination the latter
had delivered dispatches to Thomp-
son. who said. This makes IL all
right; that Mr.. Cleary expressed TO
the witness a fear that Booth might
make a hzzle OF IT," as he was dis
sipated and reckless.
The fact that both Rnoth and Sur
raft had been in Canada gave color
to this testimony. Booth was there
in October, to deposit money for
flight In case of failure in the plan he
was then nursing TO kidnap Lincoln.
Surratt was there the first week in
April with Confederate dispatches.
faQ tVNas. l.
corroborated in it's essential part by
two witnesses. and was accepted by
the commission as true. II was taken
In secret session. and no reference to
II was printed. for the stated fear OF
embarrassment to the Government"
Two years after the trial Conover
was convicted in the District of Col
umbia OF perjury in this case. and
sentenced to 10 years in the peniten-
tiary at Albany. II was then shown
that he had produced both the wit
nesses who corroborated him. and
that one OF them received $4,000 for
his testimony. Various persons had
testified that they could not believe
this witness under oath.
Irregular War Acts Reviewed.
To prove the existence OF the Great
Conspiracy" the commission heard
testimony relating to the chief known
acts against the government OF the
Conferedate agents in Canada during
the war, most OF which acts were not
countenanced by the rules OF war.
These included a plot to destroy
vessels In northern ports by incen-
diarism, an attempt to burn New York
city. which failed only because OF the
use OF defective chemicals for caus-
ing combustion; and the raid OF Lieu
tenant Bennett II. Young on ST. Al
bans. VT.
Testimony was also taken on the
treatment OF Union prisoners in the
South, the blowing up of an ammuni-
OF Libby prison. Richmond. at the time
OF Dahlgren's cavalry raid. and tho
alleged introduction of yellow fever