Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-10-11
Letter from Spansler,

prom the Baltimore Commercial Rulletin
Inc following letter from Edman Spangler
convicted of eonspiring with Booth i'm the as
sasslnaton ofPresident Lincoln, and sentenced
by the military commission which tried the
consplrators 10 six years hard labor on the Drv
Tortugas, was received by a gentleman i'm his
city Monday, who loaned il to us for publica
tion 1t will be seen that Spangler asserts his
innocence, and still denies all PARTICIPATION in
the assassination of our lamented President
1t has been asserted that Spangler is a man of
education, and letter written in very fowery
style, and purporting to have come from him
Is now going the rounds of the press We Give
ms letter rsrbdtim ct Iiterafim
FORT JEFFERSON, TORTUGAs ISLAND, Sent
10, le55.-MY DEAR FRIEND: i take nv pen
IN hand to rite TO you these fieu lines to lei Won
know that L am well and hope Won are the
same tins Is purity hard place 10 live the sun
Is very not ana whe have hard grub salt horse
and one piece of bread W he sometimes oct sonn
there is some small fish in the brake water
tnat " ne can catch from our cell window but
VINE have no fish hooks small enough hero
and nave no money TO send for thin, there rs a
suffers store here you can get anything Won
want II you have money there is about 500
over the whole island is about Is acirs Of
sand and some feu trees / am AT work az
my trade You have no doubt been acq TAINTED
with the fact and circumstances Connected
with my trial and sentance and Imprisonment
Nothing that i can say or do can alter
inc opinion of the world or the Publick Before
God and all that Is sacred am perfectly in
nocent OF all the charges and specifications
brought against me by the prosecution had
no knowiedge or idea of anything nor did aid
or assist the william or the assassin of the Pres
ldent either before or after the assassinatIon
you know that i was not more intimate than
others that around him not as much as soma of
mem be asked me To see TO his horses witch I
did he said that he would make me kandsomd
PreseH, witch he did, years ON the Ilgud of h.,
I0rtugds L never enjoyed his confidence or his
favour except occasionally when we met ar a
restaurant he would ask me to have something
10 drink had nothing to do with him on the
evening of the assassination more than anv
other man similarly situated could have He
came TO the Theater called me and asked if I
could hold his horse witch declined for the
reason had my work to attend to on the STAGE
4 called Peanut John to hold his horse who held
MN until he came ont after m ordering the Pres
ident- did not know what had taken pIace
until the deed had been committed and Booth
made his escape from the Theater Ineyer sbnf
the door after his escape nor did know nor
mad eany thing to do with the rnortice in
The wall or boring the whole or the a King ofthe
bar OF the door, or loosing the SCREWS ali this
was charged with as being Guilty or susni
cioned of having done but before Cod NH
know VIII hold me accountable if lie knien
nothing or herd nothing about the existence ~
eany such thing until after the Assassination
when was asked concerning il ALI the al;
dence in my case is known leave IN tn AN hon
est ana unprudlcal people to nudge of nv inno
Cehce or quit Crate injustice has been done
me oy some false witnesses from whom ex
presses prier 70 my trial know acted NV gain
OF reward. i wish you would see-and saa
Whether ne ever received my statement thai I /
sent him with young man by the nane 90
welsh and Ii he has to let me know what he IL
gong TO do with il please and send me Soma
small fish hooks some or three " hooks ~ %
ilter and little mony to buy some postaoe
stamps ana some paper, there is a piRpar rege
Inent here TO guard the place Civ nv love to |
All my enqulring Friends and let me know
what they think of me 1 am here SUFFERING her,
"isn am innoeently yours Most Respectfully
EDMAN SPANGLER