morrow. The other was going to Newburg, knew your face, no police telegraphic dispatch or Newbern, that night. One of the two was would catch you. The English gentleman, a young man with false whiskers. This I Harcourt, must not act hastily. Remember observed when a jolt of the car pushed his he has ten days. Strike for your home, hat forward and at the same time pushed strike for your country; bide your time, but his whiskers, by which I observed that the strike sure. Get introduced, congratulate front face was darker than it was under the him, listen to his stories-not many more whiskers. Judging by his conversation, he will the brute tell to earthly friends. Do was a young man of education. The other, any thing but fail, and meet us at the ap whose name was Johnson, was not. I no- pointed place within the fortnight. Inclose ticed that the hand of the younger man was this note, together with one of poor Leenea. very beautiful, and showed that he had led I will give the reason for this when we meet. a life of ease, not of labor. They exchanged Return by Johnson. I wish I could go to letters while in the car. When the one who you, but duty calls me to the West; you will had the false whiskers put back the letters probably hear from me in Washington. Sanin his pocket, I saw a pistol in his belt. I ders is doing us no good in Canada. overheard the younger say that he would Believe me, your brother in love, leave for Washington the day after to-morCHARLES SELBY. row; the other was very angry because it ST. LOUIS, October 21, 1864. had not fallen on him to go to Washington. DEAREST HUSBAND: Why do you not come Both left the cars before I did. After home? You left me for ten days only, and they had left, my daughter, who was with you now have been from home more than me, picked up a letter which was lying on two weeks. In that long time, only sent the floor of the car, immediately under where me one short note-a few cold words-and they sat, and gave it to me; and I, thinking it was mine, as I had letters of my own to post at the Nassau Street Post-office, took it without noticing that it was not one of my own. When I got to the broker's, where I was going with some gold, I noticed an envelope with two letters in it. [Exhibiting an envelope with two letters.] These are the letters, and both were contained in one envelope. After I examined the letters and found their character, I took them first to General Scott, who asked me to read them to him. He said he thought they were of great importance, and asked me to take them to General Dix. I did so. [The following letters were then read to the Commission, and offered in evidence:] a check for money, which I did not require. What has come over you? Have you forgotten your wife and child? Baby calls for papa until my heart aches. We are so lonely without you. I have written to you again and again, and, as a last resource, yesterday wrote to Charlie, begging him to see you and tell you to come home. I am so ill, not able to leave my room; if I was, I would go to you wherever you were, if in this world. Mamma says I must not write any more, as I am too weak. Louis, darling, do not stay away any longer from your heart-broken wife. LEENEA. HON. CHARLES A. DANA. DEAR LOUIS: The time has at last come For the Prosecution.―June 9. that we have all so wished for, and upon you The letters found and testified to by Mrs. every thing depends. As it was decided be- Hudspeth, came to me by mail at the War fore you left, we were to cast lots. Accord- Department, inclosed in one from General Dix. ingly we did so, and you are to be the Char- The letter from General Dix bears date Nolotte Corday of the nineteenth century. vember 17th, and I received it, I suppose, the When you remember the fearful, solemn vow next day. On receiving the letters I took them that was taken by us, you will feel there is to the President, Mr. Lincoln, who looked at no drawback-Abe must die, and now. You them, but I do not think he made any spe can choose your weapons. The cup, the cial remark; he seemed to attach very little knife, the bullet. The cup failed us once, and importance to them. Two or three days might again. Johnson, who will give this, after the assassination of the President, I was has been like an enraged demon since the sent by the Secretary of War to find them. meeting, because it has not fallen upon him I went over to the White House and searched to rid the world of the monster. He says in the President's private desk, where I found the blood of his gray-haired father and his them. I kept them for some time, and afternoble brother call upon him for revenge, and ward delivered them to Judge Bingham. revenge he will have; if he can not wreak it The President received a great many comupon the fountain-head, he will upon some munications of a similar nature, but he of the blood-thirsty Generals. Butler would seems to have attached more importance to suit him. As our plans were all concocted these than any others, because I found them and well arranged, we separated, and as I am among his papers in an envelope marked, in writing on my way to Detroit-I will only his own handwriting, "Assassination." The say that all rests upon you. You know two letters just put in evidence, are those where to find your friends. Your disguises that were inclosed in the letter from General are so perfect and complete, that without one Dix; and the letter from General Dix is in his own handwriting, with which I am fa- tents. I took all the papers to the Provost miliar. Marshal's Office, and placed them in the hands of Lieutenant Terry. The following letter from General Dix was then read and put in evidence:] HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE EAST, I am COLONEL JOSEPH H. TAYLOR, For the Prosecution.-May 19. on duty at the Head-Quarters of C. A. DANA, Esq.-My Dear Sir: The inclosed was picked up in a Third Avenue railroad car. I should have thought the whole thing got up for the Sunday Mercury, the Department of Washington. but for the genuine letter from St. Louis in a female hand. The Charles Selby is obviously a manufacture. The party who dropped the letter was heard to say he would start for Washington Friday night. He is of medium size; has black hair and whiskers, but the latter are believed to be a disguise. He had disappeared before the letter was picked up and examined. Yours truly, JOHN A. DIX. A paper containing a secret cipher was handed to the witness.] Cross-examined by MR. AIKEN. I received this paper, on the night of the 14th of April last, from Lieutenant Terry, an officer on duty in the Provost Marshal's Office, who had been sent by me to examine Booth's trunk, where it was found among Booth's papers. HON. C. A. DANA. I am Assistant Secretary of War. I was The authorities of the War Department in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, the 5th are in the habit of receiving a great many of April-Richmond being evacuated on the foolish letters from anonymous correspond 3d. On the 6th of April I went into the ents and others; some of a threatening char- office of Mr. Benjamin, the rebel Secretary acter, and others making extraordinary prop-of State. On the shelf, among Mr. Benjaositions. min's books and other things, I found this secret cipher key. MAJOR T. T. ECKERT. [The secret cipher key is a model consisting of a cylinder six inches in length, and two and one-half in diameter, fixed in a frame, the cylinder having the printed key But-pasted over it. By shifting the pointers fixed over the certain arrangement previously agreed upon, the cipher cylinder on the upper portion of the frame, according to a letter or dispatch can readily be deciphered. The model was put in evidence.] For the Prosecution.—June 13. An order was sent forward to General ler at New York for his troops to leave on the 11th of November. General Butler made application for leave to remain until the next Monday; the Secretary of War replied to the application, "You have permission to remain until Monday, the 14th of November." I saw it was a key to the official rebel cipher, and as we had a good many of them to decipher at different times at the War Department, it seemed to me of interest, and I therefore brought it away. Mr. Benjamin's offices consist of a series of rooms in suc IDENTIFICATION OF KEY TO SECRET cession. His own office was the inmost of CIPHER. LIEUTENANT WILLIAM H. Terry. For the Prosecution.-May 18. I am attached to the Provost Marshal's Office in this city. On the night of the assassination, Mr Eaton placed in my hands certain papers which he had taken from the trunk of J. Wilkes Booth, at the National Hotel. A paper containing a secret cipher was handed to the witness. This is one of the papers I received from Mr. Eaton; it was in that envelope, on which Colonel Taylor marked the word "Important," and signed his initials to it. WILLIAM EATON. For the Prosecution.-May 18. On the night of the 14th of April, after the assassination, I went, under authority of the War Department, to the National Hotel, to take charge of Booth's trunk and its con all; the next room, where his library was, and which seemed to have been occupied by his most confidential clerk or assistant, was the one in which I found several interesting documents, and this cipher model among them. I sent it to Major Eckert at the War Department, who has charge of the ciphers there. MAJOR T. T. ECKERT. For the Prosecution.-May 20. [A secret cipher, found among the effects of J. Wilkes Booth, already in evidence, was here handed to the witness; also the secret cipher model just testified to.) I have examined the secret cipher found in Booth's trunk, and the other cipher just testified to by the Assistant Secretary of War, and find they are the same. Cipher dispatches from the rebel authorities have from time to time fallen into my hands, and as I am somewhat familiar with them, they have been referred to me for examination. Some of the dispatches referred to me were worked on the same plan. [The witness here produced cipher dispatches bearing date October 13th and 19th.] These dispatches which I hold in my hand Johnson must come. Old Crook has him in are copies and translations of certain cipher charge. dispatches which came from Canada; they Mind well that brother's oath, and you will passed through the War Department in this have no difficulty; all will be safe, and encity, where copies were taken of them, and joy the fruit of our labors. the originals forwarded to Richmond. These We had a large meeting last night. All dispatches are written in the cipher to which were bent in carrying out the programme to this model and the paper found in Booth's the letter. The rails are laid for safe exit trunk furnish the key. always behind, lost the pop at [The dispatches were then read as follows, and put in evidence:] OCTOBER 13, 1864. Old City Point. Now, I say again, the lives of our brave officers, and the life of the South depend upon We again urge the immense necessity of the carrying this programme into effect. No. our gaining immediate advantages. Strain Two will give you this. It's ordered no more every nerve for victory. We now look upon letters shall be sent by mail. When you the re-election of Lincoln in November as write, sign no real name, and send by some almost certain, and we need to whip his of our friends who are coming home. We hirelings to prevent it. Besides, with Lin- want you to write us how the news was recoln re-elected and his armies victorious, we ceived there. We receive great encourageneed not hope even for recognition, much less ment from all quarters. I hope there will the help mentioned in our last. Holcombe be no getting weak in the knees. I was in will explain this. Those figures of the Baltimore yesterday. Pet had not got there Yankee armies are correct to a unit. Our yet. Your folks are well, and have heard friend shall be immediately set to work as you from you. Don't lose your nerve. direct. OCTOBER 19, 1864. No. FIVE. C. B. The letter just read, is, I believe, a correct translation of the cipher. Cross-examined by MR. AIKEN. In making the translation I had the as Your letter of the 13th instant is at hand. There is yet time enough to colonize many voters before November. A blow will shortly be stricken here. It is not quite time. General Longstreet is to attack Sheridan without delay, and then move North, as far as practi-sistance of a gentleman in North Carolina, cable, toward unprotected points. who told me he had seen the cipher before. This will be made instead of movement W, that it was dated at Wilmington. The We first supposed, by its beginning with a before mentioned. He will endeavor to assist the Republicans in collecting their ballots. Be watchful, and assist him. CIPHER LETTER. CHARLES DUELL. For the Prosecution.-June 5. I reside in Washington. I was recently engaged in business, driving piles at More head City, N. C. While there, I found a letter floating in the water; it was in cipher My attention was first called to it by Mr. Ferguson, who was working there. velope was addressed "John W. Wise." I made inquiries relative to the person to whom it was addressed, but I could hear of no one of that name in North Carolina. The en The translation of the letter was here read, and the original put in evidence.] but we could not make out any thing. The first evening we tried it with Wilmington, next evening we tried the word "Washington," and " April," and made an alphabet, and stuck figures and characters under the letters of the alphabet, and proceeding in that way we at length worked it out. JAMES FERGUSON, For the Prosecution.-June 5. N. C., where I have been working under Mr. I have recently been at Morehead City, Duell. While there, I discovered a letter and called his attention to it. The letter floating in the water when we were at work, which has been read is the same as was picked up; and I identify the envelope as the same. We found it either on the 1st or 2d of May last. THE "LON" LETTER. CHARLES DAWSON. For the Prosecution.—June 2. WASHINGTON, April the 15, '65. DEAR JOHN: I am happy to inform you that Pet has done his work well. He is safe, and Old Abe is in hell. Now, sir, all eyes are on you. You must bring Sherman- I am a clerk at the National Hotel in Grant is in the hands of Old Gray ere this. this city. In looking among the initials for a Red Shoes showed lack of nerve in Sew-letter for a gentleman whose name begins with ard's case, but fell back in good order. B, I found a letter addressed "J. W. B." The initials struck me as being rather pe- | Lon. I have seen his handwriting. He culiar, and I took the letter unopened to showed me some notes that he said he had Judge Advocate Bingham, about the 24th been black-mailed about. The writing of the letter resembles his. I am the Purdy re of May. [The letter was read as follows, and it and the envelope ferred to in the letter. were put in as evidence:] P. O. stamp.] Cumberland, May 8. ENVELOPE. J. W. B., National Hotel, SOUTH BRANCH BRIDGE, April 6, 1865. I captured a rebel spy a few miles from Lon's house. I understood he was to meet Lon McAleer that day to carry information there. I flanked the field and captured him, in company with two men named Darnduff, and a very reliable colored scout belonging to General Kelly. Lon McAleer had been playing both sides, loyal and disloyal; but as he FRIEND WILKES: I received yours of March had been lately bragging of his Unionism, I 12th, and reply as soon as practicable. I saw thought he would be glad to learn that the French, Brady, and others about the oil specu- great rebel spy had been captured, so I rode lation. The subscription to the stock amounts down to him and told him. He cursed me to $8,000, and I add $1,000 myself, which is for capturing the man, and said I should about all I can stand. Now, when you sink have taken his money and let him go. He your well go DEEP enough; don't fail, every said, when he went out and saw a small thing depends on you and your helpers. If squad of rebels who could do no great damyou can't get through on your trip, after you age to the railroad, he did not report it; but strike ile, strike through Thornton Gap, and when he saw a force that could operate cross by Capon, Romney's, and down the against Cumberland and New Creek, he alBranch, and I can keep you safe from all ways reported it. A day or two after that, I hardships for a year. I am clear of all sur-overtook a girl near his house. I halted her veillance, now that infernal Purdy is beat. I and searched her, and found her carrying lethired that girl to charge him with an out-ters. This was in the winter, in January, I rage, and reported him to old Kelly, which sent think. A charge, such as that alluded to in him in the shade, but he suspects to (too) dama much now. Had he better be silenced for good? I send this up by Tom, and if he don't get drunk you will get it the 9th; at all events, it can't be understood if lost. I can't half write. I have been drunk for two days. Don't write so much highfalutin next time. No more; only Jake will be at Green's with the funds. Burn this. Truly, yours, Sue Guthrie sends much love. LON. The only guest at the National Hotel that I knew of to whom the initials J. W. B. belonged was John Wilkes Booth. Any letters addressed to Mr. Booth in full would be put into his box, as he had a room at the house. These being mere initials, the letter was put in with sundry letters for those who had no room in the house. ROBERT PURDY. For the Prosecution.—June 16. the letter was made against me, but it was entirely false, and I afterward went to McAleer to get the thing settled. McAleer had a white servant named Tom, a deaf man, who afterward married this girl. I have heard he drinks. I do not know any person of the name of Green in that neighborhood; but there are Greens some seventy or eight miles off, and there may be other families of that name that I do not know of. The route through Thornton Gap, crossing by Capon, Romney's, and down the Branch, is an obscure route, of which I never knew till lately. It passes right through by Green's house at Thornton Gap. Green's reputation is that of a very disloyal man. I do not know the Sue Guthrie mentioned, but I have ascertained that she is a lady who lived with Mr. French. I once wrote a letter to French, warning him that some deserters from our army were going to commit robbery at his house. It was then that McAleer told me that French was his father-in-law. Cross-examined by MR. AIKEN. I reside in Marshall County, West Virginia, near the Ohio River. I have been in the service of the United States since the 11th of I am acting for the Government as detecDecember, 1861. Since the 23d of August tive and scout. I have been charged with last, I have belonged to a scouting company. writing that letter myself. I was at South The letter signed "Lon" I never saw until Branch Bridge in January last. South Branch it was published in the public papers. I empties into the Potomac River, and is from have no knowledge whatever by whom it was written. I have heard of French, who is referred to in the letter, but I do not know of any one named Brady living on South Branch. There is a man in that region of country named Lon; his full name is Leonidas McAleer, but he generally goes by the name of twenty-one to twenty-three miles from Cum berland. There is a railroad through South Branch to Cumberland. People at South Branch Bridge are not in the habit of taking their letters to Cumberland to mail. They generally take them to Green Spring Run, about one and three-fourths miles above. PLOT TO CAPTURE. SAMUEL KNAPP CHESTER. I am by profession an actor, and have known J. Wilkes Booth a great many years. For six or seven years I have known him intimately. In the early part of November last I met him in New York, and asked him why he was not acting. He told me that he did not intend to act in this portion of the country again; that he had taken his wardrobe to Canada, and intended to run the blockade. I saw him again on the 24th or 25th of November, about the time we were to play "Julius Caesar" in New York, which we did play on the 25th. I asked him where his wardrobe was; he said it was still in Canada, in charge of a friend. I think he named Martin in Montreal. He told me he had a big speculation on hand, and asked me to go in with him. I met him on Broadway as he was talking with some friends. They were joking with him about his oil speculations. After he left them, he told me he had a better speculation than that on hand, and one they would n't laugh at. Some time after that I met him again, and he asked me how I would like to go in with him. I told him I was without means, and therefore could not. He said that didn't matter; that he always liked me, and would furnish the means. He then returned to Washington, from which place I received several letters from him. He told me he was speculating in farms in lower Maryland and Virginia; still telling me that he was sure to coin money, and that I must go in with him. 11 that it was an impossibility; and asked him He told me that the affair was to take place at Ford's Theater in Washington, and the part he wished me to play, in carrying out this conspiracy, was to open the back door of the theater at a signal. He urged that the part I would have to play would be a very easy affair, and that it was sure to succeed, but needed some one connected or aoquainted with the theater. He said every thing was in readiness, and that there were parties on the other side ready to co-operate with them. By these parties I understood him to mean the rebel authorities and others opposed to our Government. He said there were from fifty to one hundred persons engaged in the conspiracy. He wrote to me again from Washington about this speculation; I think it must have been in January. I did not keep my letters. Every Sunday I devoted to answering my correspondence and destroying my letters. In January I got a letter from him, saying I must come. This was the letter in which he told me his plan was sure to succeed. I wrote back, saying that it was impossible, and I would not come. Then by return mail, About the latter part of December, or early I think, I got another letter, with fifty dollars in January, he came to New York, and called inclosed, saying, I must come, and must be on me at my house, No. 45 Grove Street. He there by Saturday night. I did not go, nor asked me to take a walk with him which I have I been out of New York since last did. We went into a saloon known as the summer. The next time he came to New "House of Lords," on Houston Street, and York, which I think was in February, he remained there perhaps an hour, eating and called on me again, and asked me to take a drinking. We afterward went to another walk with him, and I did so. He then told saloon under the Revere House, after which me that he had been trying to get another we started up Broadway. He had often party, one John Matthews, to join him, and mentioned his speculation, but would never when he told Matthews what he wanted, the mention what it was. If I would ask him, man was very much frightened, and would he would say he would tell me by-and-by. not join him; and he said he would not have When we came to the corner of Bleecker cared if he had sacrificed him. I told him Street, I turned and bade him good night. I did not think it was right to speak in that He asked me to walk further with him, and manner. He said no; but Matthews was a we walked up Fourth Street, because he said coward, and was not fit to live. He then Fourth Street was not so full of people as urged me again to join, and told me I must Broadway, and he wanted to tell me about do so. He said there was plenty of money that speculation. When we got into the un-in the affair; and that, if I joined, I never frequented portion of the street, he stopped would want for money again as long as I and told me that he was in a large conspiracy lived. He said the President and some of to capture the heads of the Government, in- the heads of the Government came to the cluding the President, and to take them to theater very frequently during Mr. Forrest's Richmond. I asked him if that was the engagements. I desired him not to again speculation that he wished me to go into mention the affair to me, but to think of my He said it was. I told him I could not do it; poor family. He said he would ruin me in |