Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-08-01
tn. Reward for Arr.., Of ,he Ceu.pirator.


OF the statements in the report OF the Commit
tee of CLAIMS OF the House OF Rspresenta;ly-s
upon the distribution OF awards offered for ia
formation and arrest OF the assassin cOnspira-
tors snd says:
..Sundry evidences of the most reliable char
acter Were duly hled with the War Depa---
ueni. showing concluslyely that Detec y-s
Clarvos, McDeviti, and Donaldson, Snd or
GERS Skippon and Maxwell had tar discov-
cred the plot and the names OF the principal
rarties connected with the assssslnation thar
cihiH nree hours ross tAs s,o, NJ II its erection
theV uere pOssessIoR Of ne SHrrdft hOnss made
a thorough search thereof. and had all IA. in
mAtes-ibcludinr this same Susan Jackson
whose after gossip is made OF such vast couse-
quence-under arrest. Through Lewis I
Weichman, there and then arresred. and others
during the very mig ut Of the murder, these de-
tectlyes obtained and furnished 20 oficers Of
the War Department tue names of Booth, Atz-
erodt Surratr. and Wood alias Payne, before
Daylight on he morning IF Saturday, April I5rk-
also, information that two Of the party then
supposed 10 be Booth and Atzerodt) had crossed
the Navy Yard bridge.
The military authorities promised horses fer
the use OF these detectives, with the aid OF
squad of men, TO pursue AZ daylight Morn
produce the horses. and thew were MOI Oh
tanned until nesr 10 O'Clock a. m of the Isth
when the detectives started m pursuit Ar
Fort Baker. upon request from Provost Mar
shall 1Dgraham, squ uad OF one sergeant and
hye men was obtained TO accompany them
After unremittng labor OF two days and
nights in search OF the fugitives, without rest
for themselves or the horses and ali worn
out they returned TO the city in the nieht OF
Sunday, having failed 20 overhaul the oon-
spIrators, but being able TO furnish valuable
information, in view of further search
On the return OF Detective McDeyttt fvho
co-operaied with Clarvoe, but went another
route,) on Saturday night, he obtained infor-
NATION from Weichman that II he could he in
Baltimore before morning he could ret me
person OF John II. Sarratt. As the only means
10 90 Sc was TO command special train. he
procured a request from the Superin tendeut
of Police 10 the Secretary Of War asking for
orders 10 that effect. After the DELAY incident
10 the alarm OF the times, a req uest, passing
from the Secretary Of War through third par
ties, accompanied by the letter OF the Super
lntendent OF Police and other papers. desiring
Mr.. McDeyitt 10 take the same to the hsuse OF
Assistant Secretary Dana who. il was stated,
would make the necessary arrangements 10
effect the arrest Amer the perusal OF the
papers, Assistant Secretary Dana requested
Mr. MeDevitt TO call at his office az n O'Clock
the next day. He quietly informed that dig
nitary that at that hour be should be in BALI.
more by the morning tram, but which, from
his Information, he feared would be too late
McDevitt also first got information connect
ing David r. Harold with this conspiracy,
and searched his mothers house, and fur
nished TO General Augur's office likeness OF
him.
Subsequently hese detectives. taking with
them Welchman and a man named HolIahan
As witnesses ana informers, followed Surrart
TO Montreal. Canada, but there los, track OF
hlm by barely SIX hours time.
Elom this hasty sketch AZ will be read ly seen
that the committee, instead OF making an ex-
position Of facts, has IN large measure pursued
a myth, and perverted the true history OF the
case. The facts show that ere dawn of th.
morning of the 18th, tthe light of which Susan
Mahoney overheard disclosures these detac-
tives obtained and reported TO the Secretary of
War information which implicated several OF
these parties, and sought aid 70 enable them
promptly TO pursue two of the fugitives And
now be 1t known, that while this same Susan
Mahony, Mrs. Surrait and daughter. WEIGH
man and Hollahan, on this same night Of the
ASSASSINATION, the l4th of April, Were Ruder
arrest and in the Surratt house Claryoe and
McDevItt obtained from those persons there
implicated Mrs. Surratt, John n. Surrati
Booth, Atzerodt- Harold, and Wood, as known
there, but Pdyne as afterwards asoertained
Hence II viii De observed that sereral days I'm
advance of the committees alleged results OF
Susan Mahony's "haste." the War Depart
ment was put IN possession OF all the mate
rial facts which primarily led TO the capture
OF PAYNE, AtZerodt, Booth. Harold and MRS
Surratt. Spangler and his man John, who
held Booths horse, were arrested and locked
mp by the police on the night OF the murder
These officers were the first 10 get the true
track taken by Beoth, Harold and Surratt
(but Harold having taken Atzerodt's horse
was then supposed 10 be the latter,) and were
the first 10 pursue, after searching the prem
ises Of Surratt and Harold, notwitnstsnding
the hinirance resulting from the unfortunate
delay o. the military authorities in furnishing
horses.
The result and all subsequent history shows
that their premises Were well taken: that their
information was correct, and that had their
efforts been seconded by the authorities who
had and exercised power, Booth and Harold
could never have LETT Maryland, and Surratt
would have been caught at Baltimore The
actual capture of Payne was the fortunate re-
salt of an afterthought al best: for having been
headed on by the guard on Navy Yard bridge
in his effort 10 follow Booth, he was left Gagged
in the city.
Such are facts susceptible OF the most con-
Elnelng proofs. which have been filed IN the
War Department, and ought now 10 be IN pos
session of the committee, as especial reference
was made thereto by said detectives Yet we
find that not one of their names are even men-
toned in this report.