The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-12-13
From the ". Y. Tribune |
JOHN. III. SURRATT

tors in the assassination of Abraham Lin
coin, and still the plot remains mystery.
A bright theater-Death leaping on the
scene-a wounded man at bay in Vir-
ginia barn, defying his pursuers, and shot
by the blunder of soldier-a sick man s
bed, and the assassin with his knife at his
throat-the secret consultations of MUIR
derers, coming and going under various
names and disguises-these are the fig
ures in that terrible picture, in which,
like those of Rembrandt, vast shadows en-.
shroud fierce and lurid light. The gal
lows, with four corpses, and one of them
woman-the Dry Tortugas, where four
convlcts expiate in wretched solitude
their crlmes-a quiet grave far away in
llllnols-these are its companion pictures,
and yet there is one more terrible. 1t is
that Of man flying from the land where
he was born; flying from the avenger
Death from the body of his victim, from
the corpse of his mother on the scaffold,
seeking In vain to lose himself in the
great world, and to blot his name from
the memory of man. This is John Har-
rison Surratt, of whose equal guilt in the
crime there is DO doubt, and by whom, it
is believed much that is hidden may be
revealed.
TM evidence taken before the Militia
ry Commission in June, 1865, proved
j ohm III. Surratt to be one Of the pricipal
conspirators. 1t was at the house of his
mother that the meetings were held; up
to the week of the assassination he had
been journeying between Richmond and
Montreal; Booth was his constant COM
panion; Mudd concealed him in the
woods near his house; Payne consulted
with him; Atzerodt confessed that Sur
ratt induced him to join the conspiracy
one Mott, Rebel, when he.heard of the
murder, it was sworn, exclaimed: My
God John Surratt knew all about this,
and do you suppose he is going to stay in
Washington and let them catch him 2"
His name was the first in the indict-
ment. Had there been any doubt of his
guilt his flight would have removed it,
for though none of the principals were
more frequently seen up to the 3rd of
April, on the afternoon of the 14th he
was seen for the last time, booted and
spurred, ready for his escape. From that
time the very existence of John Surratt
was a mystery; it was believed he was
dead that he had revealed the names of
bis fellow conspirators to the Government,
and had been allowed to escape; that he
was secretly imprisoned. 1t was noted
that no reward was offered for his arrest.
Yet, as time passed on, John Surratt was
forgotten, till the other day came the
startling news that he had been arrested
by the American Consul General in
Egypt.
De Quincy, in Illustration of the vast
empire and power of the Romans, imag-
ines fugitive from the vengeance of the
Emperor vainly seeking to escape his
grasp. North, South, East or West,
wherever the wretched man may fly, he
treads within the circle of Rome, and her
hand is raised above him; though he fly
to the uttermost part of the earth, Caesar
will be before him. In this age, Justice
is as hard to escape. The great criminal
hides in vain in foreign lands, changes
his name or disguises his person. Sur
rats peron was not very easy to dis
guise. A tall man, with prominent
forehead and very. large nose, with deep
ly sunken eyes and long black hair. =
Thus he was described at the trial.
OF his wandefings little is known. 1t
is said that he was recognized on Liv-
erpool steamer shortly after the murder.
Then came the rumor that he was serving
as private soldier in the Pope's Guards
at Rome We know now that he had
been a soldier in the Papal Zouaves at
Veroli, and served under the name of
John Watson. The fact became known
to Mr.. Rufus King, our Minister at Rome,
who telegraphed to our Government, and
was instructed to secure his arrest. Mr..
K ing conferred with Cardinal Antonelli,
who issued an order for his seizure. Sur
ratt was taken; he was imprisoned; and
on removal from Jail, guarded by five SOL
diers, broke from their hands, jumped, it
is said over precipice more than one
hundred feet high, and escaped into the
Italian territory. Mr.. Marsh, our Minis
ter at Florence, obtained telegraphlc in-
structions from the Italian Government
to have all the seaports of Italy watched
to prevent his escape. He was soon sup
posed to have embarked in steamer for
Malta, and dispatch to that island ar
rived too late to detain him; another was
sent to Alexandria, and when Surratt
stepped upon the shores Of Egypt, he was
seized by the strong, far-reaching arm OF
America United States detectives, 1T Is
said, have watched him since October
But long before this lie must have been
oyertaken by speedier, surer foe. Fear
was ever at his back; from remorse he
could hardly escape, for even if he could
forget the crime he had committed, how
could he ever cease to see the phantom
of his mother on the gallows? Coward
all the world believed him, since that day
when he fed aud left her to suffer; a
coward, it was said, she held him, and
a. Il. &c