The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-20
JoHN u. SURRATT.

Eis Participation in the AHsassjnatiOn
Piot-How ne Explains Has visit 60
Canada and Elmira,
The Washington correspondent of the Boston
Herald says the following statement is the de.
fense which Surrstt and his friends set up In his
behalf:-
'surratt maintains, In the arst place, that he
had no hand in, OF tnttmation Of any plot for
the assassination of President Lincoln, General
Grant, or any member of the Cabinet. He saws
abduction of the President. but as this is proven
beyond doubt, whatever he may say In that
regard cannot weigh against the positive evl.
dence.
"Samuel Arnold, one of the conspirators of the
Dry Tortugas, IN a confession which ne made
land new ON file in the War Department. states
that SurTatt was present at a meeting held In
March, 1865, at which the abduction plot was
virtually abandoned From this time the friends
of Surratt claim that he never appeared with
the conspirators, but left for Richmond, where
he received especial commission from the Rebel
Government TO go TO Canada, thence TO Elmtra,
n. Y. This commission related to the cOndi.
tion and treatment of Rebel prisoners In the
hands of this Government, and came from JEFF
ferson Davis, through one of his subordinate
Qfficials-General E, @. Lee, a witness for the
defense on the late trial here. Surratt, bearing
this commission, left Richmond in the last days
of March and arrived at Washington on the
morning OF the Sd OF April, the day on which
the news of the fall of Richmond was received.
He left the same afternoon for Montreal,
Canada, and after conierring with the Rebel
officials In that city, started on the 18TH OF
the afternoon of the 18th. He intended TO
make a drawing of the prisoners depot at
this place, obtain the number of prisoners
there and the way in which they were treated,
but abandoned the execution of his commi ission
in this regard on hearing of the surrender of
Lee. He started back for Montreal, where he
arrived on the 18th of A pril, and claims to have
gone by the way OF CanHndaigua, Albany, and
Whitehall TO New York, and viG ST. Albans,
VT, where he cropped his hHndk kerchief, as
testified to, and where he first heard of the
assassination of the President. From Montreal,
having seen the reward for his arrest, he went
into the country, and was concealed by Catho-
lie priest until September, when he embar ked
for Europe. The defense attempted to prove on
the recent trial all Of the details contem-
plated in Surratps visit to Elmira, N. Y,
by this General f.. g. Lee but the
Court refused to receive the evidence.
The prisoner further claims that the con-
fessions of Payne and Atzerott, on file In the War
Department show that he was not here on the
day of the assassination, for neither of them
mention his presence at the conference held
during the day or at the meeting at the Hern.
don House, which took place about two hours
before the assassination, and at which time and
place AIZeroJt pretends that he first heard Of
the plot to murder and from which he broke
away and in which pretension he is confirmed
by the separate confession OF Payne, made
without possible colusion with AtzeroLt This
is Surratps position, brief and simple, and fully
susceptible OF proof, he claims, IL he is per-
mitted to present the evidence. 1t is given. as
stated in the opening as his representa- ton
through his friends, and in that light IL can be
taken for what it is WORTH"