The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-04-18
Visit 10 John m. Smrnta.--KHis APP
pearnncc, Conversation, etc. 4


Visit 10 John M. sarntt---KHis APP
Pearancc, Conversation, etc.
A correspondent of the Baltimore
Sun, visited John II. Snratt at the
Washington Jail recently, and writes a
long account of what he saw and
heard. A considerable portion of the
letter is devoted to showing how inse.
curely the prisoner is kept and guard
ed. Indeed, so warmly is this point
pressed, that it would almost appear
to be the correspondent object to
have the prisoner deprived of some of
the privileges now allowed him. Sn-
ratt, accompanied by a jailor, was
found in the guard-house in the prison
yard We quote from the letter: .l
The prisoner was innocent of any
ENHANCEMENT for his security, whatev-
er. He sat in chair by one of the
upper windows, reading a small vol
ume, the character of which did not
inquire. On my entrance he rose and
advanced toward me with extended
hand. Not expecting to meet SO dis
tinguished character in such place,
/ was somewhat taken by surprise
when the name was pronounced, and
after shaking hands, ventured to in
quire once again the name, "Suratt,
replied my new acquaintance, with a
smile. II think 1 have heard of You
before" / remarked; to which he
quietly responded, "Very likely"
He was dressed in suit of dark |
mixed goods, cut in the prevailing
fashion Of walking suit, evidently
new. Upon his head he wore black
soft felt hat, also new. In statute |
should judge him to be five feet, nine
or ten inches high, rather slender in
form-almost delicate, perhaps-and
apparently twenty eight years of age.
His hair is very light auburn, nicely
cut and trimmed, parted behind and
combed forward. He wears nous
tache and goatee, rather more positive
in color than the hair on his head.
The rest of his face was carefully shay
ed Altogether, his. appearance was
that of a well dressed and very pre-
sentable young man-and certainly
the last one that would be selected
from a crowd as a desperate charac-
ter or william He has very pleas
ant voice, in conversation uses good
language, understands himself perfect
ly, Md usually wears smile upon his
face
My conversation with this somewhat
a oTslyo IIa oA f.rl onI |
free as could have wished. He was
evidently in no mood to talk on. the
topics that were most prominent in
my own mind, and the witnesses to
the interview precluied me from ma
king any efforts to get his confidence.
After few common place remarks on
the state of the weather and such gen
eralties as usually open up conver-
sation, ventured to ask him leading
question in regard to his escape to.
and concealment in Canada, to which,
with a smile only, he replied, II have
nothing to say about that; but" he
added, "there is no secrecy about my
eaving Canada. / went on board
steamer at midday, wholly without
disguise, and with hundreds of people
on and about the wharf The steamer
lad fully two hundred passengers,
with whom associated freely during
,he voyage. Nobody recognized me,
,hough there were those among the .
that recognized" He
could not say what steamer it was, nor
from what port it sailed, more than it
was one of regular line leaving
large city.
He spoke of meeting st. Marie in
France. He claims that he recog-
nized St. Marie first, and that they
travelled to Italy together. He man
ifests no vindictiveness towards this
witness for having discovered him to
the authorities, hut considers him
''treacherous" fellow and thinks he
was mistaken in his character. Sur
ratt says that he had information of
st. Marie's treachery before it was
fully accomplished; and was kept ad-
vised, from time to time, of the steps
taken to secure his arrest Had the
actual arrest been delayed one day
longer, as Surratt had reason to ex-
pect it would be, he would have been
beyond the reach of his pursuers, his
for desertion and fight
being nearly perfected at the time of
his arrest. He is careful to abstain
from saying what those arrangements
were, who were his accomplices and
informers, or where he was to find a
place of refuge.
He has read with great apparent in
terest the published account of his
capture and escapes, and the official
correspondence bearing on those
points, and takes great pleasure in
them. The wonderful leap
of the precipice in Italy, of which so
much has been said and written, is a
source of great amusement to him.
The hight from which he jumped, he
describes as about equal to an ordina-
ry second-story window, or say twelve
feet. Bot he tells a story of descend
ing more dangerous declivities than
this in his flight In one instance his
only available mode Of descent was to
lie upon his back and to slide down a
steep and rocky declivity, full a hun
dred feet in hight OF scarcity offood.
ignorance Of the country and conse.
quent danger Of recapture in exposing
himself by asking information by the
way, of the constant alarm and simi-
lar subjects, he is free and seemingly
anxious TO talk, and always in some
thing of a boastful vein, but his lips
are sealed in respect to all matters /
bearing in the remotest degree upon
the great crime with which his name |
:. .s.l.intnd and Of uhich he sfnnda |