American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-05-04
Eyidence in the surraIt Case.

aPAoSASO AA Lie - uAASAr w.
The evidence taken by the. House
Judiciary Committee, relative to the
discovery and pursuit. sf y. n. Sur
raft, is .just made public as afficlally
reported before that committee, and
contains testimony embracing par
tial confession from Surrdtt AS to his
completely in the assassination plot,
and ofhis much disputed whereabouts
on the day THE assassination took
place.
1t appears from the evidence of S.
j. Mcmillan, surgeon of the steamer
Peruvian, plying between Montreal
and Liverpool, that Shrratt came on
board in September, 1865, booked
for Liverpool, and that becoming in
|timate, he confessed to Mcmillan who
he was.
The supplementary evidence, to-
gether with the official correspond
cnce of the State department; with
our foreign ministers and consuls;
shows that the confession of identity
to Mcmillan, was the original and sole
cause which eventually led to Sur
rats arrest. This confederation
leaves no doubt of the evidence.
DR.. Mcmillan testified that Surratt
came on board the Peruvian at Mon
treal, on September 10, 1865, and
was introduced to him under the
name Of Mccarthy, and that bccom-
ing well acquainted, in a few days
SulTatt confessed to him that he had
been from the beginning in the Con
federate States service, carrying dis
patches between Washington and
Richmond, and also as far as Montre-
al that he and Booth had planned
at first the abduction of President
Lincoln; that, however, they thUEght
they could net succeed in that way;
and they thought it was necessary to
change their plan.
After this, before the assassination,
Suratt was in Montreal, where he re-
ceivcd q letter from Booth, ordering
him Immediately to Washington !;
that it was necessary to act, and act
promptly, and he was to leave Mon
trcal Immediately for Washington.
He did not tell me he came to Wash
ington, but he told me he came
as far as Emira, in the State of New
York, and from that place telegraph
ed to New York to find out whether
Booth had already left for Washing
ton, and he was answered that he
had. lie did not tell me whether he
had gone further than Elmira.
"The next place he spoke TO me
Of was St. Adams, Vermont, where
he said he arrived early one morn.
ing at breakfast time, ana went
to hotel tor breakfast. While he
was sitting there, be heard several
talking about an assassination, and
he inquired what was up. They ask
ed him II ne TdId not 49,, -...
dent Lincoln had been asSassinated.
! He said, /" / did not believe it, because
the story was too good to he true"
On that, a gentleman pulled out a
newspaper and handed it to him. He
opened it and sGw lis own name as
one Of the asSassins.
much that the paper te,l out of his
hand. lie Immediately left the room,
and as he was going out through the
house lie heard another party say
that Surratt must have been, OF was
at the time, in st. Adams, because
/ such a person mentioning the per
sons nance had found a pocket hand
/ kerchicf on the street with Surratt's
name on it. lie told me he actually
looked in his pocket and found he
had lost his pocket handkerchief
From that place he went to Canada
and was concealed there from Apri
to September.
" When he WIS Oh board the shiI
he called me aside and again com
menced to talk about the aSsassina
ton, and one thing or the other. Ii
was in the evening, and we were alone
together, and he took out his revolver
which he kept il his pocket all the
time; and pointed it to the Heavens
and said he, 81 hope and wish tC
| live just a few years more; two year.
will do me and then l shall 20 bach
to the United States, and | shal
serve Andrew Johnson as &brahan
lincoln has been served"
/ I asked him, "why ~ and lie an
swered, "becausc he has been thC
cause of my mothers being hung"
Dr. Mcmillan further testified that
he arrived in Liverpool September
27th, 1865, and went before the Amer
lean consul, Mr.. Wild, and made aft
davit to the above facts. An official
letter from Consul Wild, shows that
this affidavit caused the commence
mcnt of the pursuit Of Surratt, which
resulted in his capture in little
more than a year from that time.
NN-Int ora luOu-n oS fbn :. Rio