ed.

The whole affair is so arranged that the opening of the lid
would necessarily ignite the matches, were it not that the
lower end of the strip has become imbedded in the glue, which
prevents it from moving. That the burning of the matches may
explode the cartridges, there is a hole in each case, and all
are covered with mealed powder.

One of the cartridges has been examined and found to contain
ordinary grain powder. Two of the cartridges were exploded in
a closed box sent herewith. The effect of the explosion was an
indentation on one side of the box.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J.G. BENTON,
_Major of Ord. and Bvt. Col. Comdg._

Between the outside covering and the box there were two or three folds
of tissue-paper--placed there, no doubt, to prevent the possibility
of an explosion from the stamping at the post office, or the striking
against other packages during the voyage from San Francisco to New
York.

On the inside of the lid was pasted a slip cut from a San Francisco
paper, dated October 31st, 1864, stating that on the day previous I
had decided the case of the City against the United States, involving
its claim to four square leagues of land, and giving the opening lines
of my opinion.

The Secretary of War, Mr. Stanton, immediately telegraphed in cypher
to General Halleck, then in command in San Francisco, to take active
measures to find out, if possible, the person who made and sent the
infernal machine. General Halleck put the detectives of his department
on the search. Others employed detectives of the San Francisco
police--but all in vain. Suspicions were excited as to the complicity
of different parties, but they were never sustained by sufficient
evidence to justify the arrest of any one. The instrument, after
remaining in the hands of the detectives in San Francisco for nearly
two years, was returned to me and it is now in my possession.[5]

It has often been a matter of wonder to me how it was that some good
angel whispered to me not to open the box. My impetuous temperament
would naturally have led me to tear it open without delay. Probably
such hesitation in opening a package directed to me never before
occurred, and probably never will again. Who knows but that a mother's
prayer for the protection of her son, breathed years before, was
answered then? Who can say that her spirit was not then hovering over
him and whis