Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-12-12
THE CAPTURE OF sURRArr.

John II. Snrratt contains some pAruenlars of
interest that have not appeared IN the pub
lished reports. .la trrr
Mr.. Potter, Consul, General to the British
PROVINCES, writes to Mr.. Seward, Montreal,
october ~. ie6S, ae follows:
'I have jusr had personal interview with
IVA. He Informs me that before the steamer
sailed. person with whom ne was acq cquainted
asked him IL ne was willing that gentleman,
VINO had been some what compromised by the
recent troubles in the United States, should
pass aS his friend on board the steamer on her
passage. The ~. declined To ACKNOWLEDGE
the person rs his friend until he should know
who be was. subsequently, the same party,
accom- panied by person, came board the
ship before she lett her dock and introduced
hIm TO the surgeon as Mr.. McCarty. During
the voyage McCarty made himself known 10
tS% as John Ii. Surrafs, and related to him
many of the particulars of the cons piracy He
said he had been secreted in Montreal most of
the tine. with the exception of a few weeks,
| when be was with Catholic priest. down the
| river. He also stated that Porterieid, of this
| city, formerly OF Tennessee, assisted
cretlng him.
The .&1 also informed me that Surratt
had dyed his hair, eyebrows. and moustache
black, stained his face, and wore glasses. Sur
ratt landed III Londonderry, in Ireland. fearing
| that be might be watched and detected in LIv-
| erpool The *** saw him in Liverpool before
| III. steamer left, when Surratt told him he was
| obliged 10 remain until he could receive money
from Montreal; and he desired @s- TO see his
| friend In this city and bring him funds.
| Alter the return of the Peru vian, ~. was
| transferred 10 the Nova Scotian. When saw
| s**, he had just had an interview with the
friend OF Surratt, who had introduced him as
| McCarty, who told him that he was expecting
| funds from Washing on, but that they had NOT
| YET come tha. he had received letters from
| Surratt recently, and that he would await In
| Liverpool the arrival of the Nova Scotian.
| / hoped hat an officer mi ght have been sent
out IN the Nova Scotian, which sails to- NOR
| low, IN which case *** would have aided him
\ in the arrest of Surratt. The **& says that
Surratt manifested no signs of penitence, but
| justified his action, and was bold and defiant
| when speaking of the assassination. As an
| illustration: he told me that Surratt remarked
| repeatedly that he only desired to live two
| years longer, in which time he would serve
| President Johnson as Booth did Mr.. Lincoln.
Mas SAID that he felt it his duty 10 give me this
| Information, for he regarded Surratt as a des-
perate wleich, and an enemy to society, who
| should be apprehended and brought to in stIce
| The sworn statement of the party who ga We
| the informatioR leading 10 Surratt's arrest is
| as follows:
| Row, July IL, 1861,
| a native of Canada, British America aged "a
| do swear and declare under oath, that about
| SIX months previous TO the assassination of
| President Abraham Lincoln, l was living in
| Maryland, at small village called EIlan-
| gowan, or Little Texas, about twenty-five or
| thirty miles from Baltimore, where i was en-
| gagged as teacher for a period OF about Il We
| months. / there and then got acquainted with
| Lewis j. Wiechmann and John II. Surratt.
| who came TO that locality to pay a visit to the
| parish priest. At that first interview a great
4 Ocdl WIS sdiC tDOut the WAR ana slavery. the
sentiments ex pressed by these two md viduals
being more than strongly secessionists In the
| course OF the conversation, / remember Sn--
ratt to have said that President Lincoln would
| certainly pay for all the men that were slain
during the war. About month after L re-
| moved 10 Washington at the instigation of
WischmanD, and got a situation as tutor
| ? p u - x, where he was himself engaged
| Surratt Wis ted us weekly, and once ne offered
to send me south: but i declined. l did not
| remain more than month at Washin gton, not
1 A W. Iaah
| listed IN the army of the North, as stated in nv
| hTst statement in writing to General King i
| haYe met Surratt here IN Italy, at a small town
| called NeIletTi. he is now known under the
| name OF John watson. i recognized him be-
| fore he made himself known TO me, and told
| him privately, sYou are John Surratt the
| person have known in Maryland" He &C.
| knowledged he was, and begged OF me 10 keep
| the thing secret. After some conversation. we
| spoke OF the unfortunate affair OF the assassi-
| nation OF President Lincoln, and these were
his words: "Damn the Yankees, they have
| killed my mother; bat have done them as
much harm as could: We Lave killed LIN
coin, the niggers friend.'' He hen said, speak
| ing OF his mother, 'Had IL not been for me
and that coward Wiechmann, my mother
| would be living yet. 1t was fear made him
SPEAK. Had he kept his tongue there was 40
| danger for him; butit ever return 20 America
| or meet him elsewhere, l shall Kill nim"
He then said he was in the secret service of the
South. And Wiechmann- who was In some
I department there, used 10 steal copies OF the
| dispatches and for ward them 10 him, and
thence 10 Richmond. Speaking OF the m urder
he said they had acted under the orders of men
| who are hot Yet known, some of whom are
still in New York. and Others in London l
| am aware that money rs sent to him yet from
| London. when left Canada he said, s.I
had but little money, but had letter for q
party In London. was in disguise with dyed
hair and false beard; that party sent me 10
hotel, where he told me TO remain till L would
| hear from him After a few weeks he came
| and proposed TO me to 90 to Spain, but de-
ellned, and asked 70 60 to Paris; he gave me
4 q ftar rntt tnfr A,Ats
| there, who sent him here 20 Rome. where ne
joined the zouayes. He says he can get money
| IN Rome at any time. / believe he is protected
by the clergy, and that the murder is the result
| OF deep lai plot not only against the life of
President Lincoln, but against the existence
| OF the Republic, as we are aware that priest
hood and royalty are and always have been
| opposed 10 liberty. That such men as
| Snrratt, Booth, Wiechmann, and Others,
should, OF their own accord, plan and ex-
| ecute the Internal plot which resulted IN
| the death of President Lincoln, is impossible.
There are others ehipd the curtain who have
pulled the strings 10 make these scoundrels
act. have also asked him il he knew Jeffer-
son Davis, he said no, bat that he had acted
under the instructions of persons under his
| Immediate orders. Being asked il jefferson
Davis had anything TO do with the assassina-
ton he said, .. i am not going to tell you" NV
| impression is THAI he brought the order from
Richmond, as he was in the habit OF going
there weekly. He must have brioed the others
TO do IT, for when the event took place he told
me he was in New York, prepared TO ffy as
soon as the deed was done. He SAYS he does
not regret what has taken place. and that he
Will visit New York in a year or two, as there
is heavy shipping firm there who had much
TO do with the South, and he is surprised that
they have not been suspected. .s..s
This is the exact truth of what know about
Surratt. More could not learn, being afraid
to awaken his suspicious. And further do
not say. .f #%%*&*
The following is the report of the Comman-
der of the detachment sent TO arrest Surratt,
concerning his escape:
..FEROLI, November s.-My Colonel: re-
gret TO announce TO you that, notwiths landing
all my precautions. l. learn Watson has sue
eeeded in escaping. To carry out the orders
received, had sent Sergeant Halyerid and
six men 10 Tresulte, where this zouaye was on
deiachment. They did not find him there, for on
that day Watson had asked leave to 90 10
Feroli. / charged the corporal OF the third
company, Vanderstroeten, 10 take him and
turn MIN over TO the post corporal Warrin, to
whom had already given all my Instructions
on this subect.a1 tre
ssAIl the measures ordered were carried ont
from point TO point; two sentinels with loaded
arms were placed, one at the very door OF his
prison, with orders Ia prevent any eommuni-
cation OF the prisoner with persons outside,
and the other at the door of the barrack The
prison. the doors and windows, &c, had been