Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-07-29

Established December 18th, IG
The Assassination Con,
spiracy. A Statement
by Spangler.

-
Edward Spangler, one of the
alleged conspirators in the plot tc
assassinate President Lincoln, who
was sentenced by a Military Com
mission, in 1866, to six years i'm.
prisonment at the Dry Tortugas,
and pardoned by President John.
son in March last, has made a full
statement, under oath, of his trial
and Imprisonment, in which be
asserts his entire innocence. This
will be published here tomorrow
Spangler, it will be remembered.
was a carpenter or scene-shifter at
Ford's Theatre, and was on the
stage when Booth jumped from
the box after shooting the Presi-
dent. He also took care of his
horse and brought the letter to
the theatre iB the afternoon few
hours preceding the assassination,
The evidence was circumstantial
against Spangler, one witness in.
timating that he attempted to OBJ.
struct the pursuit of Booth across
the stage. The Military Com
mission seemed to have some doubt
/ of Spangler's guilt, as be was sen.
fenced to six years imprisonment,
while Mudd, O'Laughlin and Ar.
mold were sentenced for life, In
the opening of his statement
Spangler says that he heard
Payne, Harold and Atzerodt, who
were executed, implicate that ia
nous witness, Weichman, in that
part of the plot to abduct the
President. Weichman's evidence
caused the conviction of Mrs. Sur
ratt. Spangler opens his state
ment as follows. He says: ]
have deemed it due to truth to
prepare for publication the follow
ing statement at a time when /
hope the temper of the people will
give me a patient hearing of my
arrest, trial and imprisonment for
alleged completely in the plot to
assassinate President Lincoln. /
have suffered much, but / sOlemnly
assert now, and / always have
since | was arraigned for trial at
Washington Arsenal, that ] am
entirely innocent of any fore or
after knowledge of the crime
which John Wilkes Booth COM
mitted, save what / knew in COM
mon with everybody, after it took
place. / further solemly assert
that John Wilkes Booth, or any
other person never mentioned to
me any plot for the abduction or
assassination of President Lincoln ;
that / did not know, when Booth
leaped down to the stage from the
box at the theatre, that he shot
Mr.. Lincoln; and that. / did not in
any way. so help me God, assist
in the escape. And / further de-
clare that am entirely innocent
Of any charges made against me
in that connection. ] am entirely
innocent of any and ali charges
made against me in that connec-
ton. l never knew either Payne,
Surratt, Atzerodt, Arnold or Har-
old, or any of the so-called con-
spirators; nor did ever see any
of them until they appeared in
custody. While imprisoned with
Atzerodt, Payne and Harold, and
after the trial was over, | was al.
lowed few minutes exercise IN
the prison yard, I heard the
three unite in asserting Mrs. Sur
rats innocence, and acknowledge
their own guilt, confining the
crime, as they did, entirely to
themselves, but duplicating wit
ness Weichman in the knowledge
of the original plot to abduct, and
with furnishing information from
the Office of the Commissary Gen
ersl of Prisoners, where he was a
clerk.
Spangler then goes on to de.
tail bis Imprisonment, how he was
arrested, released and rearrested,
the suffering he endured from the
! padded hood drawn over his head
during bis incarceration, and the
punishment inflicted on prisoners
at the Dry Tortugas.