Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-15


ereign TO which you refer offer you my hearty
thanks for the sympathy which you express q
behalf OF their imperial msjssties FOR recent trsg-
| zeal events IN this metropolis.
At the trial o. the conspira,ors yesterday the
nrst witness called upon the stand was John
Lee. OF Washington. OF the detective police. vho
| se-uhed that on the night Of Saturday. April
10, IN obedience 10 orders from Major j. X
Ooyme he went to the Kirk -ood House TO e1
am'ne the builsing he went 10 the roof aud
upper stories TO see shat WAY would be left open
Tor evil disposed persons coatrive the sssxSsi-
nation OF President johnson, Who bad that day
oeen inaugGrated. and vas YET stopping Al the
hlrksood House.
Witness after m king some examinations wen,
into the sitting room and met there the clerk.
Who informed him that on the evening previous
| the l4,h. suspicious, viflainous looking man
had registered bis ssme in the hotel register. ss
G. A. A,zeroth. aud had taken room No 1876.
which witness found was situated on the floor
next above that on WITCH President johnson :
was. almost Immediately over IT, Witness, In
| company with the proprietor and clerk OF the
hotel. went to the room and found it locked.
| They broke the door open and found il anoc-
cupied
Witness found there. among other things, a
large navy revolver and q dirk aud a coat hang
ing on nail. In the pocket of this coat as
found bank DO k with J Wilkes Booth and d
Ontario Bank of Canada, in which Booth ~.s
| credited. October. 1864, with Sass. The name
OF J. Wilkes Booth was written on the inside and
outside OF the book. In the pockets we're also
! found several shirt collars and four pocket hand
kerchiefs. one of these being marked Mary
Booth
The witness then carefully removed the cloth
ing from the bed, and between the sheets and
matrass be found large bowie knife, about
loot long. on which was some rust or stains All
OF these articles were produced in court
*. A Jones. clerk of the Kirk wood was next
sworn-Wltness exhibited the hotel register
showing the name of A. L. Surratt occupying
room No. l26; witness stated Aireroth register
ed his name about o'clock on the morning of
the 18th of April. and paid his bin for one day
IN advance and went up to his room; on same
day, about 1880 o'clock, Atzeroth came to wit
ness and inquired If anybody had been to see him
Witness answered mo person that am aware
of that Was the last time be saw him Witness
was asked if he could identify this man, and an
swered Il could if were to see him"
The witness was directed TO look among the
ffteen persons on the bench at the end of the
court room, these 10 persons we're eight crimi
mails eud seven guards. one of the latter sitting
along side of each prisoner) the witness scanned
each face commencing at DR.. Mudd and passing
on TO the right. when near the extreme right his
gaze fell on the face OF the defendant Azeroth,
after slight pause the witness said this il the
man
Witness testified he was present when the officer
examined room l26 and confirmed 20 much
OF witnesses testimony as related to things
found in the room.
de further saws the bed had not been occupied
on Friday night, and thought the bed Wa. undis-
turoed. and the maid informed him that on Mon.
day. the 10Th. she could not get in the room
Mr.. Wstchman was next sworn. aud testified,
he bad known John II. Surratt since 1859: was
at college with him. Surrat and himself had
studied divinity together at Saint Charles
college, Nd: that he had for some time prior
to the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, been board.
ing in the city with Mrs Surratt. the accused At
the bar, AMI mother of John W Surratt: that the
witness and Mrs. Surrat had been on the best OF
terms; that in January last he was Introduced by
Surratt to DIR. Mud. one of the accused; that,
whilst walking down 9Th street in February or
March last. IN company with Surrat and Mudd
they were joined by j. Wilkes Booth, TO whom
Surrstt introduced the witness: that Booth invited
them TO the hotel; that they went there and into
Booths room
The latter called for cigars and wine for four.
Booth went into the hall aud called to Surrstt TO
follow. They, Booth aud Surratt, remained Ia
the hall for some time in conversation. They
returned and invited Dr. Mudd 20 join them, and
these three engaged in private conversation In
the hall Tor ten minutes or so and returned
Surrat and Mudd apologized for their seeming
rudeness. and Mudd said Booth wanted TO buy
his farm, but he asked TOO much for it,
Witness recognized Harold as one whom Sur
ratt had introduced to him. Hereupon Harold
smiling. nodded his head in recognition of the
witness. Witness also recognized PAYNE as one
WAC came to Surratt's house. and in the absence
of Surratt, introduced himselfas Mr.. Wood He
was received by Surrau cordially, and lodged
there that night On the second visit, some
weeks after, Payne again called, and witness
observed he called himself Payne and said he
a Baptist preacher
Here PAYNE seemed highly pleased, and With
apparent difficulty suppressed laugh
Payne on the second visit remained few
days, and on one occasion witness found the ac-
cused and j Surrait sitting PLAYING with
bowie knives This was a short time before the
assassination. Surratt went 10 Canada, and on
the l4th of April Mrs Surratt received letter
from him dated Montreal, in ST. Lawrence Hotel
Witness went 10 Canada 10 see SuF-at but did
End him. Slrritt prior to going TO Montreal Wis
tied Richmond. but the latter would not believe
it for be said he had been with Davis and Benja-
min at Richmond and they told him Richmond
would be evacuated
Witness accompanied Mrs Surratt on a visit 10
VI v,
l4th and heard Mrs. Surart give the same admo-
nitions TO Lloyd about having those things ready
to might as they would be called for
Witness also states that AizerOth once called
at Surrstt's house and Surratt's girls complained
afterward to their brother for introducing such
stock that into the family. They said he was
not company for them
On the evening of the l4,h the day of the
murder, Mrs Surratt came 10 his house about 5
o'clock and told him 10 have those shooting irons
ready, that person would call for them She
left field piece wrapped 10 paper to give to the
parties. and told him 20 give them bottle of
whisky.
About ~ O'Clock that nigh, | was called and
found two persons at the door on horseback. One
was Harold, whom witness recognized
Harold introduced Booth, who remained on his
horse. a light gray or white cOlored animal about
l01s hands high Harold was on a bay horse
He got off and went into the bar and got a bottle
Of whisky he took some gu, to Booth, drank
some himself, and returned the bottle to the
counter.
Booth remained on bis horse; Harold said
Lloyd. for God sake make haste, get those
things" as those | already knew what he meant
Witness got and gave them such things as Mrs
Suuatt told him They remained about FIVE
minutes: only took one carbne Booth said he
could take his but his leg was broke
As they were about leaving, Booth said: III
tell you some news-I'm pretty sure We killed
the president and probably Mr. Seward too
Harold mounted his horse and they rode on
Il ~ 81