"Johnson the President," he warned, "is only a tool in the hands of a _stronger_ man. Find that man. Stanton, the Secretary of War, is vindictive enough, but he lacks the cunning. Stevens, the leader of the House, is the real ruler of the Nation at this moment. Yet I have the most positive information that Stevens sneers at the attempt to accuse Davis of the assassination of Lincoln. Stevens hated Lincoln only a degree less than he hates Davis. He is blunt, outspoken, brutal in his views. There can be no question of the honesty of his position. Sumner, the leader of the Senate, is incapable of such low intrigue. Find the man and report to me." Socola found him within six hours after his arrival in Washington. He was morally sure of him from the moment he left O'Connor's office. Immediately on his arrival at the Capital he sought an interview with Joseph Holt, now the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army. He was therefore in charge of the prosecution of the cases of Clay and Davis. For five minutes he watched the crooked poisonous mouth of the ex-Secretary of War and knew the truth. This vindictive venomous old man, ambitious, avaricious, implacable in his hatreds, had organized a Board of Assassination, which he called "The Bureau of Military Justice." This remarkable Bureau had already murdered Mrs. Surratt on perjured testimony. Socola had given his ex-Chief no intimation of his personal feelings and no hint of his association with O'Connor. "I've a little favor to ask of you, young man," Holt said suavely. Socola bowed. "At your service, Chief--" "I need a man of intelligence and skill to convey a proposition to Wirz, the keeper of Andersonville prison. He has been sentenced to death by the Bureau of Military Justice. I'm going to offer him his life on one condition--" "And that is?" "If he will confess under oath that Davis ordered the starving and torturing of prisoners at Andersonville I'll commute his sentence--" "I see--" "I'll give you an order to interview Wirz. He has never seen you. Report to me his answer." When Socola explained to Wirz in sympathetic tones the offer of the Government to spare his life for the implication of Davis in direct orders from Richmond commanding cruelties at Andersonville, the condemned man lifted his wounded body and stared at his visitor. His answer closed the interview.