Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-24


street. and turned the coroer Of Z street
toward the Kirkwood House, wa king
quite rapidly. 1t is my belief that then,
for The first time, the thought of assas-
sination entered his head. An abduction
had. of course, been long considered.
But. in what we may assume to be his
then state of mind-his disappointment
nv the rebel reverses, and his conviction
that the rebel cause had become des-
perate. if not rnined-ihis unexpected
opportunity of Lincoln's and Grants
visit to the theater was irresistible. 10,
terpret his movements after he qu'ttea
the theater to have been, in part, as fol-
lows: Having formed his resolution on
the instant, while poring over the letter.
he went to the Kirkwood House and
wrote letter to Matthews, which he in-
tended to be published in the lntettigen.
Ger as an explanation and defense OF
what be was to do. He subsequently got
a horse. and it is shown that he hailed
Matthews on the sidewalk while riding,
and delivered the letter to him with IN
structions to keep it'll think until the
next day at twelve o'elock-and then to
return it to him (Booth) in case nothing
unusual should have happened. Booth,
it would appear, got his horse for the
purpose Of hunting up Payne, Harold
and Atzerott that afternoon. The plan
must have been arranged between the
four in the afternoon for Booth was the
head and front of the whole conspiracy,
and have already expressed the convlc-
ton that Booth never resolved upon as
sassination until after he had arrived at
the theater that day and learned that the
President and General Grant were to be
present at the performance in the eve
ming.
"Now it was attempted to be shown
that Booth, who called at Mrs. Surratts
house that same day, called there and
conver sed with Mrs. Surratt after he bad
Quilted the theater; and that therefore
be went, fully charged with bis scheme,
and talked with her about it, and she
must have known of it and been impi.
Gated 10 il. My conviction, aud the con-
viction of the rest at the theater, ia right
the other way. Booth came to the theater
at much later hour than that at which
it was his habit to come to get his letters.
The testimony has led me to infer that
he had strolled up TO Mrs. Surratt's after
breakfast. previous to the time when my
brother Harry first saw him.
but, whatever the truth in regard to
this particular point might, be it would
no difference in my conviction OF Mrs.
Surratts innocence Of any knowledge
whatever of the assassination plot, and
that she was urjustly hung We were
prisoners together, and Mr.. Clifford and
| here we're prisoners in the same build
ing with witnesses who testified at the
trial. Neither Mrs. Surratt nor her son
John Surratt we're concerned in or had
the slightest intimation of Mr.. Lincoln's
taking off before the pistol shot was
fred.
"How do you account, on the ground
of John Surratt's innocence, for his stay
ing away from his mother during her
trial for murder, for which she was to be
hung? That spparenly cowardly and
unfilial course of his did great deal to
prejudice the public mind against him"
l will account for that presently. First,
let us refer to some incidents in the
course of the conspiracy for abduction,
which. had existed so long before the sud
den idea of numbering the President oc.
Cured to its head. Booth met Arnold
in Baltimore, in front of Barnum's Hotel,
as far back as August, 1854. Arnold,
O'Laughlin and Booth had been school
boys together. II was proven that some
the conspirators--Hsrold, Atzerott and
Payne-had bossted that they were
TO take an important prisoner
down South about the fourth of the fol-
lowing March. Booth did not become ac-
quainted with John Surrstt until January,
when Surratt, too, as it seems, was en-
listed in the plot to capture and deliver
Mr.. Lincoln alive to the Southern author
tiles.
"In the latter part Of March, man
named Howell, blockade-runner,
stopped in Washington on his way from
Canada to Richmond. Sarratt went
for Howell to Richmond, and returned to
Washington on the "a of April. BE left
on the succeeding day for Canada With !
dispatches. That was the last time, until
he was brought back here prisoner from
Egypt, that Surrstt saw Washington.
He went to Canada and remained several
days, keeping up correspondence with |
his mother, in which he described his
visits to Catholic churches, etc. Hewas
in communication with Confederate !
agents in Canada, and was sent BY the |
Confederate General E. G. Lee to look
after some Confederate prisoners at
Elmira, New York. While 10 Elmira, or !
ia Co aadaigua, on his way back 10 Can
ada from this errand, he heard OF the
assassination at Washington. In Canada, |
assured of his own Innocence in the mat
ter of murder, be was not frightened save
at ST. Albaus, where a man called " Sur
rnur" in bis presence-a man With
Canadian blouse. BE started for Nom
treal. There, on the 18th aud lTth Of
The month, be registered himself at one
Of the hotels as John Harrison" 10
Montreal be wss first made aware Of the
price laid on bis head. That startled
him, and be ltfs for the country, where
be vas protected By the priest who
testified on the stand. ln the
meantins be heard Of the arrest
Of bis moiher and the terrible
charge ag,usi her BE was IS thorough.
" certain 8 her innoesnce ss be vas Of
bis Own, and had nct q doubt that she
uould Be acquitted. eiill. bis 6rsf i'm
pslss vas 70 50 70 hsr. Bat she, Who, as