Relics

[L Verge]

I had never heard of John Conness until that dreadful movie (followed by equally dreadful book) The Lincoln Conspiracy was foisted on the public about forty years ago. I don't remember how Balsiger and Sellier connected him to the Lincoln assassination (and I burned my copy of the book), but they did claim that he was a member of the conspiracy -- perhaps based on this envelope?

I did learn something about Conness at that time, however. He was friends with Lincoln after switching to the Republican Party and was also instrumental in getting the first U.S. land set aside as a national park (Yosemite). I think Lincoln signed the act during the Civil War.