Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-20
Auipn aud 9ispateh
SATURDAY. APRIL 90. 1857.
argest CireuIatIon In Clty and STATE.
SURRATT.

| Publication of Testimony Relating 90
the Arrest OF Snrratt-He Makes "a
ConGdanf of a DOefOr-TeIEs Him
OF HIS Adventure at ST. AIbans, and
What He Proposed Doing for An
drew JehnsOn.
/ Correspondence of the Cincinnati Commercial
WAsHIEoToN, April 1.-THE evidence
| taken by the Honse Judiciary Committee,
relative to the discovery and pursuit Of
| John III. Surratt, is Just made public, as
officially reported before that committee,
and contains testimony embracing partial
confession from Surratt as to his completely
in the assassination plot, and of his much
! disputed whereabouts on the day the assas-
siRation took place.
II appears from the evidence Of S. J.
Mcmillan, surgeon of the steamer PERUVIAN,
| plying between Montreal and Liverpool,
that Surratt came on board in September,
1865, booked for Liverpool, and that, be-
coming intimate, he confessed TO Mcmillan
who he was.
The supplementary evidence, together
with the official correspondence of the State
Department with our foreign ministers and
eonsuls shows that the confession of iden-
tity to Mcmillan was the original and sole
cause which eventually led to Surratt's
arrest. This corroboration leaves no doubt
of the evidence.
CONFESSION As TO COMPLETELY WITH BooTH.
DIR. Mcmillan testified that Surratt came
on board the Peruvian at Montreal, on
September II, 1865, and was introduced to
him under the name of Mccarthy, and that
becoming well acquainted, in few days
Surratt confessed to him that he had been
from the beginning in the Confederate
States service, carrying dispatches be-
tween Washington and Richmond, and also
as far as Montreal; that he and Booth had
planned at first the abduction Of President
Lincoln; that, however, they thought they
could not succeed in that way, and they
thought it was necessary TO change their
plan. After this, before the assassination,
Surratt was in Montreal, where he received
letter from Booth, ordering him immedi-
ately to Washington; that it was necessary
to act, and act promptly, and he was to
leave Montreal Immediately for Washing
ton. He did not tell me he came to
Washington, but he told me he came as far
as Elmira, in the State of New York, and
from that place telegraphed to New York
TO find ont whether Booth had already left
for Washington, and he was answered that
he had. He did not tell me whether he
had gone further than Elmira.
AT ST. ALBANs.
"The next place he spoke to me of was
st. Albans, Vermont, where he said he
arrived early one morning at breakfast
time, and went to a hotel there for break
fast. While he was sitting there. he heard
several talking about an assination, and he
inquired what was up. They asked him if
he did not known that President Lincoln
had beer assassinated. He said, 4 did not
believe it, because the story was too good to
be true On that, a gentlemen pulled ont
a newspaper and handed it to him. He
opened it and saw his own name as one of
the assassins. lie said this unnamed him
10 much that the paper fell out of his hands.
lie Immediately left the room. and as he
was going out through the house he heard
another party say that Surratt must have
been, or was at the time, in st. Albans be-
cause such person mentioning the per
sons name) had found a pocket-handker-
chief on the street with Surratps name on
on IL. lie told me he actually looked in
his pocket and found he had lost his
pocket-handkerchiei. From that place ne
then went 10 Canada, and was concealed
there from April TO September
when he was on board the ship, he
called me aside and again commenced to
talk about the assassination, and one thing
or the other. 1t was in the evening and
we were alone together, and he took out his
revolver which he kept in his pocket all
the time and pointed it to the heavens, and
said he: 4 hope and wish to live just few
years more; two years will do me, and then
| shall 60 back to the Uuited States, and ! |
shall serve Andrew johnson rs Abraham |
Lincoln has been served
81 asked him why, and he said, because
he has been the cause of my mother being |
hung"
DIR. Mcmillan further testified that he |
arrived in Liverpool September q, 1865, |
and went before the American Consul, Mr.. |
Wild, and made affidavit to the above facts |
An official letter from Consul Wild shows |
that this affidavit caused the commence
ment Of the pursuit of Surratt which re-
suited in his capture in little more than
year from that time.