The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-07-20
The confesslon OF At..rotl.

Before proceeding with his argument
in behalf of Atzerolt Mr.. Doster, on
Wednesday, read The following state.
ment byhis client, which the prisoner
desired submitted to the Court.
lam one Of party who agreed to
capture the President of the United
States, but l am not one of party to
kill the President Ofthe United States,
or any member ofthe Cabinet, or Gen
Grant, or Vice President Johnson
The first plot to capture failed, these
ond to kill I-brolse away from the mo-
mcnt heard of it.
This is the way it came about; On
the evening of tie l4th Of April / met
Booth and Payne at the Hcrndon
House, in this city, at s o'clock. He
(Booth) said he himself would take
charge of Mr.. Lincoln and Gen. Grant
Payne should take Mr. Seward, and
should take johnson. ! told him
would not do it; that l had gone into
the thing to capture, but was not 60,
ing to kill He told me that was Q
fool; that would be hung anyhow
and that il was death to every mar
that backed out, and so we parted.
wandered about the street until about
two o'clock in the morning, and thcr
went to the Kimmel House, and from
there pawned my pistol at Georgetown
and went 10 my cousins house in
Montgomery county, where was ar
rested the 10Th following.
After | was arrested ! told tho Pro
vost MarshnlrWells and Provost Mar
shal McPhail the whole story also
Captain Monroe, and Col. Wells tolC
me if | pointed out the way Bootf
had gone / would be roprieved, and 81
told him l thought he had gone dowr
to Charles county in order to cross thC
Potomac. The arms which were fount
in my room at the Kirkwood Hous,
and the block coat do not belong tt
me. On the afternoon of the 10Th o
April, Harold called to see me anC
left tho coat there. 1t is his coat anC
all in it belongs to him, as you can SCI
by the handkerchief marked with hi
initials, with the name of his sister
Mrs. Naylor. Now l will state how
passed the whole of the evening of th,
Nth of April. Invent to Kelher's sta
bic on Eighth street, near d, ant
hired dark bay mare and rodo into
the country for pleasure, and on my
return put her up at MAYORS stable
The dark bay horse which / had KEEP
at MAYORS before on or about the 81
of April, belonged to Booth, and alst
tho saddle and bride, and l had charg,
of him to sell; and | do not know wha
became of him. At about six in tn
evening l went to MAYORS and tool
out the mare, rode out for an hour ant
return cd her to MAYORS. Itwas thol
nearly eight, and l told him to keel
the mare ready at ten o'clock in ordc
to return her to the man l hired he
from. "H.. ..U
From therc went TO the Hcrndor
House; Booth sent q message to the
"Oyster Bay" where l was, saying h
wanted to see mo, and l went. Boot
wanted me to murder Mr.. johnson
refused. / then went to the "Oyste
Bay" on the avenue, above 18th street
and whled away the time until nea
ten. Att | got the mare, and hav
ing taken drink with tho hostlel
gallopcd about town, and went to tn
Kimmell House. From there / rod
down to tho depot, and returned M,
horse, riding up Pennsylvania avenu
to Kelmer's. From Kelmor's l wen
down to the Navy Yard to got roor
with Wash Bris3oe. Ho had nont
and by the time L got back to tn
Kimmell House it was near two. Th
man Thomas was stranger | met o
the street. Next morning, as | stated
won't to my cousin Richter's i
Montgomery county. rl'IwH no.
| t..| 'r. GEORGE A ATzERoTT.