Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-07-02
THE TRIAL or JOHN 4. sURRaTT..
Theexcitable Witness saSn en- the stand
Snrra ffsa Admi Ssi inns Tn Ilr. Nc MILAN

Il The TRIAL OF JOHN 4. SURRATT.f. .
The excita bio Witness asain en- the stand
Sursa tt's AdmiS Ssions to Dr. Mcmillan
Examination OF o s.MAfie-Says Surratt
.stola hIm he left w ash astsn after thesAs-
). sn ssi ation--Pe ersonal Difficulties in the
Cour. Room. . .--F ...
The trial Of John H. Surratt was resumed
IN the Criminal Court this. morning beture
Judge Fisher; Messrs. C:~rIins sionj Pisrrepotnt
snd w iaon for the prosecutioR.H The Messrs
J. II. Bradley and r. T. Msrrick for defense
AS usual the Court room was crowded lop Z
before the opening Of the Court, q large num-
her of the lsitors being ladies, A. ten o'ci,ss
the,prisoner and the jurors were broughtln
Judge Fisher did aQt arrive until, hall. f.psSt /
ten O'Clock, be still being very weak and fer-
bic and lookin badly. but there will be ses-
sion on the 4,b and it is to be hepeo u days
recreation will Improve his heallh. -. !,
The Jury having been called, t
Mr.. Bradley said he desired to- call the at
teation Of the Court to an incident which oc-
CURED yesterday where the witness N sde
aD attack on one OF the counsel, Ind he Re
spectiuiiy requested that the reporter read
the SANE, as the Court was much engaged at
the time and no doubt did not herr what was
said. 1se thought there was M pro ovocation
to bring forth suen an attack aud be thought
the Oonrt upon looking into the same and
hearing the Ho'es read would see there was no
frovocation which led to the attack aud there
should be some cbser vation taken OF 1t by tho
.he Court shonld noIce such things and coun-
sci should be protected
The proceedings were then read by NJ.
Clepha anr, The ofiic;a reporter.
Judge Fisher SAID be did not hear the san-
euase OF the witness In regard to gun-bca,s.
lie was at the time reading 4 note, but sup
posed when the witness made the remaTk to
MIR. Merrok that he had bsen worried by
counsel en- the crOss-examinauCn. Now, he
did not see any hing said by Mr. Merrick 10
provoke the reply made by the witness. al
though On one occasion Mr.. Merrick did say
something about the penientiary. IL was not
the place OF the witness to take exception to
any remarks made by the counsel IN The ,nrt.
ioom. He cau,inned this witness and Ali other
Witnesses that they must make no remarks in
sul'1ng to counsel Judge Fisher said though
it was proper for him to say that ne had never
seen case W whese there WAS so mucn trouble
about the examination Of witnesses. and SO
much bitterness OF feeling, he had never seen
witnf sses cross-eKamined so, and he would
say that II was no wonder that witnesses he
come worried, and such remarks as witnesses
being in the penit-niiary should not ba made,
especially when there were some OF iae most
respectable people witnesses in the case,
among whom we've Gen. Grant, Assistant
Secretary Seward; and he could NOT see how
It. could be helped that witnesses should come
here prepared to avenge themselves. He de-
p'ored it, and would stop it. 1t was alto
eeiher wrong In The witness to attack the
counsel, and 1t must not he repeated IL the
witness felt aggrieved, 1t was his place to call
upon fhe counsel out OF court, or II he was
treaIed with any disrespect he could call upon
Mr.. Merrick said he deemed II to be due to
himself to say that the Court had misappre-
nended him. The ark made by him d. 20
intended to apply to General tirant aud
Assistant Secretary Seward. Hs did notintsna
to embrace all the Witnesses. He had tbs
highest respect fo- General Grant and Mr..
Seward, and he !hought it. was perfectly we'll
understood among the witnesses as to whom
that referred and TO whom it did not refer No
sane person would for u moment suppose ina.
he intended TO include General Grant, Assist.
ant Secretary Seward, Or any respectable wit
ness. .ss..
Judge Fisher said he entered into the trial of
this case without knowing anything OF the
testimony; but this he did know that Their.
were certain rules laid down in the text books
to discredit Witnesses which must be folio wed
by the counsel.
Mr.. nj errick said that the attention OF the
Court had been called to i, by Mr.. Bradley
who did il AT his own instance. So far as he
tMr. NJ was concerned he did not care. as the
witness could not insult him: but ne did think
thedlgnity OF the Court had been insulted
Judge tisher directed the counsel to proceed
with the examination, and /
rt1 Dr. Il. j. A. Mcmillan was then recalled, and
DISCRIMINATION resumed by Mr. Pier repolnt.
Witness remembers that Surratt said at the he
ginning OF the weekan which the assassination
took place he was in Montreal, and had ar
rived there within few days with dispatches
from Richmond. He said they were imper-
'tant dispatches. He said he was there at the
M.
letter from John Wilkes Booth, dated New
York, ordering him Immediately to Washing
ton that 1t had been found necessary to change
their plans, and to act promptly. He said he
started immediately, and at Elmira he tel
eRraphed 10 Boeth in New York. An ans wer
came back that Booth had already started tor
Washington. He said that he arrived on his
way back to Canada at st. Albans one morn
ing few days after The assassination The
train was delayed there some time and ba
took advantage of 1t TO 60 into the village 10
lake his breakfast. Whne sitting u: the able
with several others, he saw there was much
excitement among those at the table. He asked
h;sEeiRhbcr ;" hat " as all the excitement about
His neIgntor SAID donlyou know Mr. Lincoln
has been assassinated. The prisoner suid he
replied why the story is too good to be true
The man then handed him newspaper con-
tanning an account, and upon looking in the
paper be ssw his own name among the assas-
sins, that so unEerved him he ale no more
breakfast. When going cut he heard crowd
OF persons say Sn-ratt must be in ST. Albaus,
as his handkerchief had been found on the
street bearing his name. He put his hand on
bis pocket and found hIs handkerchief gone,
and he then made his way to Canaca as fast
as possible. In Montreal he said he stopped at
the house of Nlr. Portterfeld, the Confederate
agent, but il " as soon suspected by detectives
that he was there, and he had to leave: he said
that one evening two carriages drove to Mr,
Pcrterneld's door, and he (Surratt) with an
Ctner dressed like him got in. one in each car
riaee. and the two carriages drove IN opposite
directions. Snrratt said he was taken to the
AooIoA VAC AoAoAo Va MOIfli cdi. n MtSA udu Dteu
engaged TO take him across. and did so In
small canoe. Arter reaching the other side.
he said q yennR boy guided him across the
country to a, village on the Grand Trunk Rail :.
way, called 81. LIE Boire. He said he stay ed
in the houss Of q priest named Chas. Busher.
Ho said one day, the priest being absent,
he was lying on a. sofa In the priests bed
room; in the partition there was stove hole:
some Of the women .sereants wa nted TO see
who was in the priests house, and looked in:
he jumped at her 70 frighten her; the story
was immediately circulated that the priest
had woman hiding In his bed room; the
priest fold him he could keep him no longer,
and he must find other quarters; he said for
I fonr! and a. half months he was secreted in g.
darkroom. and n yer came out except late at,
night. 10 lake walk; when witness fir st me q
the prisoner he was very pale and thin, ner-
/ vous and care. worn; his general conduct WAS;
gen Item sniy. but he would show signs of
him; he landed bptw epn 12 O'clock Sunday
night anal o'clock Monday morning; about
lIK or, ~ o'clock on the night OF the Iandih z,
witness was called from abrotherp pfficer e rooms
Wy q steward. who said 4 passenger wished to-
see him; found the prisoner standing on the,
alter sqAare. He Ayked witness whether It;
was best to land at iceland or L,verpoof. Wit ]
ness told him he would give him no advice.
When witness came to the nfse1 square found.
the prisoner ready to land. He said II WAS
dark and mo- chance to be seem Witness asked
him bls own name. He looked about to see II
a,,y one was' s'npar,and whispered. uMy name 10.
SIrratL" Shortly after he wen as ho1e; before!
doing 20 the prisoner, oafkeeper and witness
had glass OF bTandyin the bar rooM. The,
harkeeper placed the bottle on the table and
A.x>- 80