Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-06-21

sfsa s si s he ds Sn
he had hFmness enough to oeJa Il; coward con-
science came 30 his reseue. But Boom Unreal
the man TO close the mouth OF any one who
troubled him, so he went on, drfvau like apoor
iIall being between irresolution an fear, took
drinks, feigned to be doing his part, talked VAL
iantly while the rum was In his TIM Dat, prom
iseo gioriously, galloped around fierce ly LOOKED
oageeTs' and when the hour struck dat nothing
and ran away. .. ---. .--- 49,
The specification charges that about Iol5 he
was "iying in wait TO murder" &e., and the
can be accounted for. The prisoner had OPP
portunity to lie in wait, and as there WAS NO
proc, mat he , did, ne SHOULD q, De considered
theory of his attempting to murder be adopted,
1t is met with DENIAL at every point.
He tried to become hero, but was only
coach maker, absolutely without courage. The
plain, unvarnished statement is that during
the latter part of February John Surratt and
Booth wanted a man whe understood boating,
and could both get a boat and ferry party
over the Potomac on capture. Surrau knew
Atzerodt and under the influence Of great
promises of fortune, consented to furnish the
boat and do the ferrying over. This plot was
attempted on the 18TH Of March, and failed
Booth, however, kept his subordinates unin-
formed Of his plans, except that it was under
stood the President was to be captured. Mean
while everybody was waiting for Booth On
the 18Th OF March Atzerodt went 10 the Kim.
mel House.
On the LIST OF ApriI he talked of future
wealth; on the 6tn he spoke 10 Lieut.. Klein,
over their liquor, of "using one IL the other
failed;' on the 18th he stopped a. the Kirk
wood, and tried TO sell the bay horse 10 Pope;
on tie 18th Booth unfolded his plans at the
Herndon House, and Atzerodt refused; from
the HerndoR House he went to Oyster Bay,
till 10. and took drinks; at 10 he took drink
with Fletcher; at I0:l0 he took drink at the
Kirkwood House: at 1920 do at kimmell, and
s se a I az ne
bed; next morRing at he got up and went to
GEORGETOWN, pawned his pistol and went TO
Mr.. Metts; on 10Th took dinner at Metts; on
Sunday evening he went to Hartman Rich
ter's; on 10Th he was arrested. This ends TINS
history, which might have become tragedy,
but w bich the prisoner has turned to farce.
He was riding round from bar room to bar
room, while Payne vas at Stewards, and it Is
plain he was drunk. After his presentations
| to charge him with Lying In wait. &c, is
paying him an undeserved compliment There
| Is not particle of the specification proved,
but the immediate contrary: nurins .ns
whole of the evening, SO far as the evidence
throws any light on his conduct. instead OF
| slying in wait" near TO the Vice President he
was standing the different bars from the Union
House to the Kimmell House, .'with the intent
then and there unlawfully and maiieiously to
| make Atzerodt drunk"
Booth employed him for an emergency, he
| was perfectly competent to perform in the
| plan TO capture, to furnish the boat and carry
| the party across the Potomac For partclpa-
| never have been intended Booth was, as his
| conduct shows. anxious to carry off the glory
of the thing. He remarked that he wanted mo
| botching with Gen. Grant" He must have
| known when he told AtZerodt to take charge
| OF the Vice President that he had not the cour.
| age, and did not care particularly whether he
| accomplished it or not
The charge is dIvisible into two separate
| and distinct parts, "with combining, conted-
eratIng," &c, son or before the 9th OF March,"
| &c, and even suppose he was proven gull y
| Of the charge and specification, he has already
| turned States evidence to the Provost Mar
| shall, and therefore his punishment would fall
l nffna al in al nf
| tice that one confessing has an equitable right
to the leniency OF the court His case, how
| ever, rests on no such slender ground. In
stead of conspiring to kill. he refused to kill,
| and instead of lying in wait to murder, he in
| toxicated himself at the appointed hour, and
| next morning ran away He is guilty solely
| of what he confesses, of conspiring to abduct
the President, and of that he can be found
| guilty only under q new Indictment.