The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-07-01
The Cd nfession Of Atzerott.

The following is the statement of George
! A. Atzerott, which was read by his counsel,
Mr.. Doster, to tie military tribunal in Wash
ington 81, - 40 go -
The prisc4er Atzerott submits the follow.
iEg statement to the Court .,...- "a
1 am one Of the party who agreed 10 the
| Capture OF the President Of the United States
or any member OF the Cabinet. or General
Grant or VII President johnson. The first
plot to capture failed ), the second, to kill, i
broke away from the moment heard of it.
This is the the way it came about On the
evening OF the l4th of April net Booth aud
Payne At the Herndon House, Ia this city,
at eight o'clock. He tBooth) said himself
woulu take charge Of Mr. Lincoln an. Gen.
raj Grant, Payne should take Mr.. Seward,
aud should take NJ. johnson. 1 told him
would not W IL; rtha; ] had gone into the
thing TO capture, but was not going to Kill.
he told me was u tool--that / wOnld he
hung apyhoF-that ii was death to every one
who backed out, and So we parted. l wan.
dered about the streets till o'clock in the
morning, add then welt. to the Kim nell
House, and from there pswned my pistol
ut Gcorgeto YIN, and went To my cousins house
la Montgomery county, where was arrested.
On the 18th after was arrested. told Pro
vost Marsha Wells and Provost Marshal
McPhai! the whole story also told it to
Captain Monroe, and Colonel Wells told me
ii pointed put the way Booth had gone |
would be reRrieyed: aud so | told HIM
thought be Had gone down to Charles county
IN rider tn cross the Potomac the arms
which were found ia my room at the Kirk
wood Housel and a black coat. do not belong
to me; on the afternoon Of the lIlh of APril
Harold called 10 see me, and left TIE coat
there; 1t Is bis coat and all in it belongs ~
him, as you can see by the hankerchiets
marked With has initials and with the name
OF his sister, Mrs. Naylor. Now vii state
how | passed the whole vi the evening OF the
l4th OF April Ia the afternoon, about two
O'Clock, L " fnt To kelther's stable. on Eighth
street, near ID. and hired a DARK bay mare
snd rode INF . tire coun,ry for pleasure, and
on my retur uu, her up al MAYORS stable
the dark BAY horse which | had kept at Nay.
iors before, on or about the Sd Of A rril be-
longed to Hooth, and also the saddle and
bride hhd charge Of him toseh him. and
do got know wha, became o. hIm. At
about SIX o efotk in the evening ] went to
Mayors again and took out the mare.
rode ior an hour and re,Grnet her to MAYORS.
l, was the1 hear eigh,, a,.a told MIN to
keep the IN 4re ready al ten O'Clock, in order
to .eturu be TO the man hired her from.
From there ! went 70 the. Herndou House
Booth Sent message TO the Oyster Bay,
where was, saying he wanted 70 see me,
and | VEN Booth wanted ne to murder
Nr johnson. / then went to the Oyster Bay
On the avenue, ADORE Twelfth street, and
whiled away the time ill abou; ten. got
the mare, dnd having taken drink with the
hostler, galloped about town and went 10 the
kintnei House. From there ! rode down
to the depot aud returned nv horse, riding
Gp PENNSYLVANIA avenue to keliher's. From
helthers | vent dosn 20 ;!se navy ward u
get 4 room with :" ash. Briscoe He had
none. aud Dy the ti,Ee got back 10 the Kim
mel House II was near two HE man
Thomas was stranger | met on the street.
NexiIn or1ling. as stated, went 10 tny cousin
Richss. :, ia Montgomery county.
GEO. a. AILER0TT'