Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-02-06
CONFESSION OF TWO OF LEOOLEs
~ - AssAssTNATORG. q

days after the assassination; also the con.
fsssion of Atzerodt, made in his cell the
night before the execution. The confes-
sions furnish little that Is new about tha
assassination conspiracy, butsit is notice
able that both fully implicate John II.
Surrat and Mrs. Surrat as two of Booths
most trusted coniedsrates. The Anaeri.
can says it should not have published
TIE confessions now, had not all chance
of Surrat's trial aud conviction passed
by; but as the government must have
known Of the existence OF these docu.
msnts the question arises why were they
not used to convict Surrat on his first
trial 7 Arnold's confession is address
ed "to whom it may concern" and saws.
first, that he met J. Wilkes Booth at
Barnum's Hotel, Baltimore, in September.
1854, by special Invitation. lie had been
his schoolniate at St. Timothy's in 1852.
and he had not met him since. The meet,
ing was a very social ono at first. Mi.
cllael O'Laughlin coon joined them, and
conversation turned upon the contedera-
cy, of which all three werc enthusiastic
admirers. Then ensued the proposition
by J. Wilkes Booth of kidnapping Pres
ident Lincoln, carrying him to Richmond
and SO compel an exchange Of all the
prisoners in federal hands Arnold and
O'Lauglin consented to enter into the
conspiracy, and swore to divulge the Sc
crot to no one. Months passed after this
before anything waJ done. Booth then
made his appearance with trunk in
which he had two guns, cap cartridges,
Spencer rifies,) revolvers, knives, belts,
cartridge boxes, cartridges, caps and can.
teens, all fully fixed for service, which
were to he used in case OF pursuit, and
two pair of bandcuffs to handcuff the
President. lie gave the pistols, knives
and handouts toO'Laughlin To and Arnold,
to ship to Washington. They carried
them to Washington, and after arriving
there, Booth told them partially of his
theater plan, but they were left in the
dark for month or two. lie was con-
tinually in the company of a man named
John II. Surrat, who was then unknown
to them. They wero entirely idle in the
meantime, explaining the fact by talking
about oil speculations. In the latter part
OF March, 1865, Arnold met Booth, Sur
rat, Atzerodt, O'Laughlin andtwo other
parties. The plan OF soizing the President
was then definitely agreed upon, and
each was assignad his part. The lights
being out, Arnold was to rush into the
private box and seize the President,
while Atzsrodt and J. Wilkes Booth
were to handcuf him and lower him on
the stage. Moseby was to catch and
hold him until we got down. Surrat and
another man were to be on the other side
OF the eastern branch bridge to facilitate
escape. II was afterwards changed to
Moscby and Booth to catch him in the
box and to lower him to Arnold on the
stage. O'Laughlin and the unknown
were to put the lights out, and Surrat
and A:zerOdt to he on tho other side of
the bridge. Arnold said it could not
be done. Ifthey could get him out of the
box to the bridge they wol,,d be stopped
by the sentinel. "Shoot the sentinel"
said Booth. Arnold said that would not
10, for if an alarm was given there the
whole thing was up, and as for me, !
wanted chance for escape and success.
Michael OIaughlin wanted to argue in
the Same way. Booth was irritable and
threatening. The meeting broke up
without n settlement. The Richmond
authorities, 80 far as Arnold knew, had
no knowledge of the conspiracy. In
few days after Arnold cut loose from it
entirely. He got employment at For
tress Monroe, and never saw or CORE
sponded with Booth, again. He never
heard Booth speak of killing Lincoln, and
did not suspect that such comd be the
result. The plan of escaping with the
President after getting him out of the
theater was to place him in the buggy
purchased for the purpose, and cross the
eastern branch bridge Surrat and At
zefodt were to follow. them TO where
boat was concealed !; turnthe horse loose,
place the President in the boat, and cross
the Potomac to the Virginia shore, and
thence make their way to Richmond.
Surrat knew the route, and was to act rs
pilot. Besides these written statements
of Arnold's, he verbally communicated
tho fact that Booth was the correspond
ent Of Drs. Madd, Garland and Queen.
Atzerodt confessed to having been per
sonally concerned in the murder itself,
gives some interesting details, and direct
ly involves John Surrat, in all that Ier-
tained to the capture of the President.
SpRlNGs are little things but they are
sources of large streams;oa helm is a
littls thing. but it governs the course OF
q ship; a bride biz is a little thing, but
nee its use and power; nails and pegs
are little things, but they hold the parts
Of a large building together; a word,1s
look a shilA5 a f.o o. n, n r. al IitfIe thiuUs