The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-12-15
John II. surratt.

Nearly eighteen months have passed since the
death OF the principal conspira,ors in the assas.
sina'iOn Of Abraham Lincoln, aud still the plot
remains q mystery. A bright ihea,re-Dealh
leaping on the scene--a wounded man at bay in
Virginia barn, defyinR his pursuers, aud shot
by the blunder Of soldier-a sick mans bed
and the assassin with his knife at his throat
the secret consultations Of murderers, coming
and going under various names aud disguises
which, like those Of Rembrani, vast shadows en-
shroud fierce aud lurid light. The gallows,
with four corpscs and one Of them a woman
the Dry Tor,ugas, where four convicis expiats
In wretchcd solitude their crimes--a quiet grave
far away In Illinos-ihese are its companion
pictures, and yet there is ono more terrible. II
Is tina, Of a man flying from the land where he
was born flying from the avengcr Death, from
the body Of his victim, from the corpse Of his
mother on the seaifold, seeking In vain to lose
himself in the grea, world, aud To blot his name
from the memory Of man. This Is John II. Sur
RAFT, Of whose equal gull, In the crime there is
no doubt. and by whom, It IL believed, much
that Is hidden may be revealed.
The evidence taken before Military Commis-
sion in June, 1855, proved John ~. Surrait to
be one Of the principal conspira,ors II was In the
house OF his mother that the meetings were held :;
up to the week Of the assassination he had been
iourneyine between Richmond and Montreal );
Booth was bis constant companion /: Mudd con.
ccaed him In the woods near his house Payne
consulted with him (; Altered, confessed that
Surraii induced him TO Join the conspiracy !;
one Mott. a Rebel, when he heard Of the murder
Il was sworn, exclaimed MY God John
Surrait knew all abou, this, aud do You suppose
ho is going TO stay in Washington aud let them
catch him - Ills name was the first in the in
dic,ment. Had there been anv doubt OF his
gull; his fight would have removed H. for though
none of the principals were morc frequently seen
up 10 the ID OF April, on the afternoon Of the
l4ih he was seen for the last time. booted aud
spurrcd, ready for his escape. From tina, time
the very existence OF John Snfrai was m, siery
II was believed he Was dead that be had reveal
ed the names OF his frllow-consplraiors To the
Government, and had been allowed to escape /:
that he was secretly imprisoned. Il was noted
as time passed on, John Surraii Was forgotten,
till the other day came the startling news that
he hnd been arrested by the American Consul
General in Egypt
There Is true dramatic interest in this impcr.
feet history. The escape and pursuit Of no other
criminal in this century has so much to excite
the imagination. No man, II is possible not
even Booth, worked harder TO accomplish th,
murder; aud deeper interest s given. 10
his share in the conspiracy by his frequen, jour.
neys 10 Richmond Upor Sarrau's presumed
connection with the Rebel Government, Andrew
( Johnson charged jefferson Davis with complciiy
/ in the assassination. New revelations are expect
ed from his trial the public may he disappoint
I'd 10 that, yet II John sufratt could be induced
to confess, before the death which is almos, Ger.
tain TO be his fate. there Is no reasonable doubl
but tina, he might tell the whole story of Lin
colns assassination from the beginning 10 the end