The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-05-31

IL was q brnss hand. came out from the
Washington Navy Yard to serenade the
democratic counly officers just elected.
Among the hangers-on was seedy, frow-
~, monkey. faced boy, whom Surratt intro
duced to me as Mr.. Herald. He came In
with the rest. took drink, and went further
up the road with them. left tho house
on Monday, pleased with my visit, and we
stopped at a drug store by the navy yard,
Surratt and I, to get q cigar. The boy
Iierold was clerk there. Sunatt told me
OH the way that his brother, Isaac Surrar,
an engineer, had left his home OF the 7th
OF March, 1861, at the news Of Lincoln 8
Inauguration, and gone to Texas, where he
had been ever since in tho Confederate
service.
! got to consider Surrntt an intimate
friend after this visit, and he had good
poii,ts of character; but his isolated life In
the country kept me from knowing more
than the director concerns Of our friendship;
while meantime tho war went on moro bit.
terly, and his homo was probably q con.
venient and constant resort Of secret spies
and traders. Bur mt Easter, In 1868, we
agreed to visit OH old school friend at Eli.
colts Mills, and thence ] took Surratt to
tllangowun to sec my friend the school
teacher. before we started priest asked
mo to deliver a newspaper to Mr.. st. Maui
ric, whom found to be my friends assist
ant, and to whom ] introduced John Sur.
ratt.
ST. MAURIE.
3iIe was French Canadian, black.cycd
and black. haired, aged apout thirty, very
fascinating in his manners aud accomplish
ments, a linguist and atveniurer. lie was
teaching for his hoard and spending money
only, being entirely needy. and he amused
himself by giving concerts in the village,
where he was IN love with a virtuous and
beautiful young lady. When ! leN ELAN.
gowan 81. Maurie asked mo to got him a
teachers place in Washington, and soon
nlter he came to my room there, saying
that he had left Ills place, disguised with It's
Iiulencss, and was without meal. he'd, or
a penny. got him position In Gonzaga
College, and when he came to see me once
or twice found him so unprincipled that ]
wrote to the lady ho addressed nt ELAN
gowur. bidding her beware. He would
tell me in breath that he had fled from
Canada to avoid the consequences Of most
heartIess seduction, and at the same time
put his new sweutlIeart's bouquet under his
pillow. His stories Of himself were that
he had l,een member Of the Canadian
parliament, a federnl prisoner Of stnte, &C.,
but at any rntc he decamped from the col
lcge after month, leaving me {" pay his
hoard, and enlisted for the bounty in Del
aware regiment, deserted, fell into Castle
Thunder as an object of general sllspccion,
was released by reason of playing iniormer
upon his comrades, escaped by a blockade.
runner to England, returned to Canada and
hearing Of the twenty-five thousand dollars
reward for Surrntt, pursued him to Rome,
enlisted with him, and gave him up just TOO
lare for tho reward, which had been already
Withdrawn.
was now weary of teaching for INSULT
sicnt pay and sought government clerk.
shin, which obtained in the Office of the
Coinlnissary of Prisoners In January, 1864.
In September Of the same year The Surraits
moved to Washington to keep boarding.
house and get John something to do, aud
to help them along | moved in almost i'm.
,nediairly. John was engaged for the
Adams Express Company, and with the
exception OF the arrival OF a blocknde.rln.
ner or two, little happened until within n
few days before Christmas Of lS64.5, when
by another of those Provi,lences or coinci.
dences 10 which have referred, was
walking in the street with Surratt when
John Wilkes Booth was introduced to him
Nv their common friend, DR.. Mudd.
BOOTH ATD SURRaTT.
From this time tho manner and nature
of Surratt changed. He became, grade
by vrads, loitercr and spenllhriit, sub.
iect at all times to fits Of dcspon,lency, nnd
/ have no doubt that Booth was his absolute
master. debauclling him with his horses
and loans of money. aud by his stronger
woridIincss and magnetism controlling him
altogether. used to wonder whit affinity
such unlike men could have; but hitter rs
the seccssionists Of Washington were, no
idea of conspiracy particularly against per.
sonagcs so high, ever occurred 10 me. And
il wus only in the head of mononaniac
actor. used to rchcarse l,rulus. TINT NO
desperate crime could have been conceiv.
c,l: his means were just considerable enough
to purchase such poor instruments as john
Surratt; aud Ills own character was 80 inn
practicable that nobody ever iathOmed his
Mot. In Mrs. Surratts house he was alto
ccther tho most talented visitor. The mis-
iress off called him her pot" in his ab
scnce.
THE PLOT HaTCHING.
.During all these days the plot was RI.
pening; dirty fellows like Atzerou, boys
like Harold, and senching. mysterious
persons like Payne. i'egan to visit the
house. felt that in my friendship with
John, never very well founded, was sup.
planted. John Surra,t began to be bird
Of passage, riding to and iron Montreal to
Richmond. was only puzzled 10y these
thugs, but never alarmed, and set him
down as n mere asponger" or parasite up.
OH Booth, who WIS never free with me, and
on whom looked M man OF accomplish
men,s and genius that liked the cnmpany
his interiors In all this there were inter-
l,,dcs Of drunkenness, rs when three or four
of tho subsequent assassns hurst into my
room, sayiDg that they were ruined men,
anu tIlut I'LL was lOsts i itis Wub uttSt "o''o
demonstrated to be Booth failure TO cap
ture the President at the Soldiers Home.
Aud this brings me TO the crisis Of the
narrative thu Interest of the house was
gone. its pcacefulncss and charm. ] was
thinking 10 myself on Good Friday, as
returned from my Office 10 Ms. Suiratts,
10 leased for holiday, on account of my
religious belief, that perhaps had 'etter
seek board otherwhsrea Al that moment
rs If some Providence bad satisfied mo
with these aiinlcss conpanidnshlps 80 sons
that might observe their compl'ciry and
convict thenn, if not defeat thom, Mrs.
surr.a askod me 70 spend the afternoon in
taking her sodnve'l .g,'am y1r.lo %
WEIcRMA.N DRIVES AIRS. SUR
RATT OUT.
p Az we started out I saw Booth in tho
psrlor, leaning on the mantle. palcr' than
usual have since spemed to rscollect, his
han,l to bis poustaebe, his, eyes upon tho
floor. We talked pleasantly on the way,