Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-12-27

him sat upon the coroners jury, and
united in the verdict that "the deceased
came to his death by causes unknown"
SURRATT's ESCAPE AFTER Mr., LIN
COINS AssAssINATIoN.-The Montreal
Minerve publishes long statement re-
specting Surratt, which evidently has
been prepared by some one who was IN
timately acquainted with that person
and with the mode in which Sdrratt was
received, concealed, and 90 last sent out
of the country. After giving a history
of Henry Benjamin Ste Marie, the per-
son who inforrred against Suratt, show
ing that he mad been a Union soldier,
was captdred by the rebels, furnished |
the government at Richmond with i'm |
portant information, in consequence of
which he was sent to Nassau. and thence
to England, and finally to Rome, the
story goes to say
GAS to Surratt, this is what we learn
of his itinerary since the l4th of April.
Before that date he had made several
voyages frsm Washington to Canada as
the bearer of dispatches addressed to the
agent of the Confederate government at
Montreal. At the end of Lent he was in
Canada, and on Palm Sunday he was
present at mass Ia the Parish Church
at Montreal. He wrote to his mother
an account of the ceremony, which has
been published in several of the Amer
lean papers. On Thursday, April %, he
set out for Washington ; in the evening
he was at Elmira, in the State of New
York, where he passed the night. His
name may be seen on the register of the
hotel. On Saturday morning the news
papers made him acquainted with the
assassination of Lincoln. Seeing his
name on the list Of persons accused
of the crime he resolved to fly and took
the road back to Canada. The cars
were detained at St. Adams, where he
had to pass the day on Sunday. At the
station he lost his pocket handkerchief,
on which was his name, which cid not
contribute to quiet his apprehensions.
He reached Montreal on Monday eve
ming. His friends counseled him to pro-
coed to Europe, which he did by one of
the first steamers which left from Que.
bee. He remained some time at Birk-
enhead, near Liverpool, where in the
autumn he met Mr.. Cameron, the cele-
brated bearer Of dispatches intended to
prove that Young and his companions
were regularly commissioned by the
Confederate government. Such are the
accounts communicated to US by a per-
son in whom we have full confidence.
Mr.. Potter, therefore, must have been
mistaken in the identity of Suratt, since
he announced that he had left for Eng
land only in the month of September.
1t was Cameron who left Canada for
Liverpool at that time and las Mr.. Pot
ter says Of Surratt) had passed the sum
mer with priest-not of the District Of
Three Rivers, however, but of that of
Quebec-where he is now, since his re-
turn from Europe, three or four weeks
ago. There is long history of con-
fession made by Surratt during the voy-
age to person unknown to him, and
for the simple pleasure of talking. If
we are to believe the informer, he even
avowed that Jefferson Davis and Nine.
Surratt made part in the plot which had
for its object the assassination OF Lin
coin. Persons who knew Surratt well
at the time of his passing through Mon
treal, and who talked at length with
him respecting the incidents of the con-
spiracy, have always heard him repeat
the same version of which the substance
has been transmitted to us. There was
really conspiracy at Washington; but
| it was intended to carry off Mr.. Lincoln,
not to kill him. They wished to carry
! him off to Richmond in order to ex-
! change him against all the prisoners
| made by the North. Booth and Surratt
made part of this conspiracy. Booth
was looked upon with favor at Wash
ington, and his relations were those of a
perfect gentleman, which explains his
connection with Surratt, who himself
belongs to a family in an excellent posi-.
ton. 1t was while Surratt was at Mon.
treal that the project was modified
Booth had discovered the impossibility
Of carrying off Lincoln and had offered
to assassinate him. Surratt knew moth
ing Of this evil resolution before he saw
from the newspapers that it had sue
ceeded only too well. AS to Mr.. John
son and Jefferson Davis, .Surratt did no
cease to protest their complete ignoranct
Of the crime OF Booth. Their name:
had never been mentioned by the con
spirators. As to his mother, who's,
ignorance is now knowledged by al
who have studied without passion tn
details OF her trial, Surratt did not ceas
to declare that she knew nothing of tn
conspiracy in which the law adjudge'
her to have participated, no more thai
of the crime which she was made to ex
plate on the scaffold. Surratt has o.
several occasions made proof of to
much intelligence, ability and f1lial ven
Grafton to make it possible that W
|. should believe in this pretended coHfes