Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1867-01-09
From the n. Y. Freeman's Journal.
The Capture of John H. Surratt.

J of war has been specially ordered to bring
him to the United States
IF newspaper accounts can, by possibility,
tell the truth, it is moderately probable that
one Wilkes Booth mortally shot Lincoln in
a cowardly manner, in the back OF his head,
while the latter was making merry at a low
theatre on the solemn night of Good Fri
day And it is farther probable that this
John Surratt was one Of the silly and un-
principled tools that the said Booth invei-
gled into his plot for the unlawful killing of
the aforesaid Lincoln. Supposing these
data to be true-which we think probable,
but do not believe to have been prevent
would follow that this John III. Surratt,
brought Wilkes Booth, and various other
loose characters to his mothers boarding
house in Washington CitW Mrs. Surratt, a
Southern woman, sympathized with the
South. No question of that. A kind
hearted woman, she was easily imposed on.
Booth-playing theatrical mystery, imposed
on her for his purposes. He made her do
things-she supposing it was to benefit some
poor escaping prisoner, perhaps. Certainly
she knew, or comprehended, nothing of the
tragedy that followed But it happened
| Probably John Surratt was as much in the
dark about it as she was. But John Surratt
was what is called a man. By the loose as
sociations he had brought around his moth
er's house, he had caused her to be impli-
Gated in the plot. When his mother was
cruelty, and wickedly condemned-John
Surratt, instead of telegraphing from Can
ada that he was coming, and then coming
on, to say that his mother was innocent, and
to die in her place, or else with her, made
on jury to decide on his life, while we
could say we had mind open to evidence
we would feel bound to say that we enter
tanned strong prejudice against the prison
er
They talk of taking his testimony in regard
to the plot. There is but one way that tes-
timony could be received according to law.
1t is not that he would be pardoned on con-
dition of his telling the truth Now, if he
were thus Internationally pardoned we
human being that deserted the mother he
had implicated, we could not trust in any
case As juryman we would be a Judge
of testimony, and we would judge his testi-
mony as worth nothing.
We may do him a great wrong 1t may
be that the foolish boy who fell into Wilkes
Booths snare-that is supposing it was
Wilkes Booth that shot Lincoln in the low
theatre on a Good Friday night-of which
there is no legal evidence-this foolish boy
we say, on these suppositions, may have
ripened into man. He may come forward
and testify truth. Ifhe did so, there would
be verisimilitude about it d! There would
be something that would commend itself to
calm reason as probable. IF he and thou
sand like him, were to testify that, of his
knowledge, Mr.. Jefferson Davis approved,
or countenanced or tolerated, the assassina-
ton or the abduction of poor Abe Lincoln
we would say the evidence Of character, and
of known sentiments, to say nothing of the
political ability of Nj. Jefferson Davis-who
would know how futile such move would
be-give the lie to the testimony of thou
sand hired and perjured miscreants Their
testimony would be no evidence
Just as we disdain insulting our readers
with any proof that Mr.. Davis neither
knew anything, or connived at anything
against the honorable rules of war-at any
thing like the hotel burnings in New York,
or the murder of Lincoln so we despise and
condemn any testimony that is to be wrung
from a poor, half-witted fool, as Surratt
must be, if the crazy Wilkes Booth con-
troled him, in regard to any facts, not in
themselves probable
But, if Surratt's testimony, in plain and
straightforward manner, could help to set
tie public opinion, there are parties it might
benefit. They are not Jeffreson Davis, nor
any respectable adherents of the late Con-
federacy These had all to lose, and moth
ing to gain, by Lincoln's assassination. But
the Northern Radicals When we heard of
the assassination of Lincoln, our first thought
was that it was the contrivance of such men
as Stanton, Holt, Butler, and the like We
quickly abandoned that supposition, and put
it down to the freak of madman, and his
tools. But there are intelligent men in
these States who have still their suspicious.
Then, again, we never for one moment be-
lieved Andrew johnson had anything to do
with it. Yet we have talked with intelli-
gent men, versed in the affairs of the coun-
try, who entertain, what we hold to be an
absurd opinion, that terrible revelation is
possible in that direction.
And it is curious fact that, while it is
known that Stanton and Holt are deadly en-
emies of President johnson, the latter
bitter as he has shown himself towards