The New York herald., 1867-04-19
The Confession Of John n. Surrntt.
Correspondence Of the Boston Horald.l

The evidence taken by the House Judiciary Committee
relative the discovery and pursuit Of John H. Surratt
is Just made public, rs officially reported before that
committee and contains testimony embracing partial
confession from Surra to his completely In the
snaton plot and OF his much disputed whereabouts on
on the day the assassination took place. II appears
from the evidence Of L. J. Mcmillan. surgeon Of the
steamer Peruvian, plying between Montreal and
Liverpool. that Surratt came on board that steamer
in September. 1866, booked for Liverpool, and
that, becoming intimate, he confessed TO Mcmillan who
yho he The e ,s sss ozsaG Win
foreign ministers and consus shows that the con.
fesson OF identity Mcmillan the original and sole
cause which eventually led TO Surrais arrest This
roboration leaves room to doubt the evidence
Dr. Mcmillan testified that Surratt board the
a. = Mon s nae q ana
becoming well acquainted In few days surratt con-
fcsscd to him that he had been from the begin
between Washington and Richmond, and also
as far Montreal That he and Booth had planned at
rst the abduction of President Lincoln; that however,
they thought they could not succeed 10 that way and
they then thought IL necessary TO change their pn
After this and before the assassination surratt was in
Montreal when he received letter from Booth ordering
him Immediately to Washington that II was necessary
TO act and promptly and he lsurrat was 70 leave Mon
be came to washington but he told he
Elmrn NJ " and from that placc elegaphed to the city
OF New York to find out whether Booth had already
left for Washington, and answered that ne had.
He did not tell whether ho had gone any further
than Elmra The next place he spoke to mo OF was st.
linn. ns Nc %u % So
breakfast While no sitting there he heard cra
talking about assassination and he inquired "Wha
was ups They asked him II he did not know President
Lincoln had been assassnatcd. He replied that he did
believe because the story was too good to be true
On that gentleman pulled out newspaper and handed
is 10 him. He opened u and saw his own name
as one Of the assassns. He said this unnorved him
20 much that the paper fell out Of his hands,
and he Immediately left the room and walked out A
he was going through the hotel he heard another
party y thai Surrat must have been or was a the time
In st. Abans because such person mentioning the
PERSONS nauic) had found pocket handkerchief on
the atrecs with Suratt's name on L. He told me he
actually looked in his pocket and found he had lost his
pocket handkerchief. From that place he went 70
Canada and Was concealed there from April to Sep.
tember When he was on board the ship ne called
me aside and again commenced 10 talk about the
assassination and one thing or the other. II was
In the evening and We were alone together, and
he took Qua his revolver, which he kept In his
pocket all the time, and pointed to the heavens. and
said hes II hope and wish 70 live just few years
more-two yoars VIII do me-and then shall 80 back
TO the United States and shall Andrew johnson
as Abraham Lincoln has been served" l asked him
why and he answered. Because ho hes been the cause
OF my mother being hungn
Dr. Mcmillan further testnes that he arrived In Lv.
erpool on september n, 1885, and went before the
American Consul, Mr. wild, and made affidavit 70 the
above facts An Official letter from Consul Wild shows
that this afldAvit caused the commencement Of the
pursuit Of SurrntL which resulted In his capture n
little more than year from that time.