The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-12-20
M. Cnntnrod Aa.assln.

The Captured Assasstns
The dispalcn from Mr.. Hale, the U.
S. Consul at Alexandria Egypt. to the
State Department at Washington, pub
lished in The Republican yesterday
morning. announcing the.arrest ofJohn
H. Surratt, one of the assassins of Pres
ident Lincoln, recalls with painful Wv
idness the horrible crime in which he
was principal actor, and adds a new
instance to the many which the history
of crime furnishes of the almost unerr-
ing certainty with which justice seeks
out the criminal
Young Surralt is tho son OF Mrs.
Mary L Surratt. Who was found guilty
by a Military Commission OF having
been engaged in the conspiracy that
resulted in the murder of Presid mt
Lincoln, for which she was hung at
Washington on the 7th Of July, 1865,
at the same time with the conspirators
Payne, Atzeroth and Harold II was
at the house of this woman, as was
shown by the testimony before the
Commission, and the confession Of At
zeroth, that most Of the details OF the
assassination were arranged, and next
10 J Wilkes Booth, the principal as
sassin, Surratt seems to have been the
most active spirit engaged in the con-
spiracy. He was tire familiar friend oi
Booth for weeks before the assassina.
ton, meeting him frequently at the
house of Mrs, Surratt, and holding
protracted secret interviews with him
in his own room.
One OF the plans Of the assassins
was to abduct President Lincoln while
riding out, bat this failing, Surratl
made sudden visit TO Montreal. Il
was also in evidence before the Com
mission which tried the conspirators
that. within a few weeks previous to
the assassination, he had made TRIP
to Richmond While there, he claim,
ed to have had interviews with Davis
and Benjamin, and on his return wai
confident in his declarations that the
rebel capital would not be evacuated
The fact OF his visit to Richmond was
one of the circumstances which went
to connect Davis and other rebel lead
ers with the assassination conspiracy
He was present in Washington the
day before the murder of the Presi
dent, and is believed to have borne al
important part in that atrocious affair
but was never seen in the city again
Conscious of his guilt, he fed from th'
scene Of bis crime, as is believed leav
ing Washington early in tho morning
ofthe 10Th Of April, going by way 0
Philadelphia and New York to oSpring
field, Mass, where he Was delayed ;
day in consequence of the failure 0
the trains to connect. From Spring
field he went by rail to Burlington
Vt, where, while taking his supper
he dropped his handkerchief with hi
name marked upon it, but the fac
was known too late to effect his ar
rest. Arriving at st. Albans, he i
reported to have left the train, pro
ceeding on foot to Canada, making
his way. finally, partly on foot, anC
partly by rail, TO Montreal Here h
was secreted for some time by reeha
sympathzers, but was reported at th,
ltime TO have been seen near monas
terry, where he disappeared.
Since that time nothing has beel
known of his whereabouts until
few days ago a European dispatch an
nounccd that bo bad been discovere,
serving as a private soldier in the Pa
pal army. He was arrested, but sue
ceeded in making his escape. III
next appears upon the scene in Egypt
The fact that an 0raer has been sen
to have him conveyed to the Unite
States by one of our war vessels noS
in European waters indicates that h
is in the hands of United States off
GERS. 1t is not improbable that hi
capture and trial may lead to new an,
startling developments of facts con
nected with the assassination conspir
acy.- Chicago Republican,