The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-19
THE LINCOLN ASSASSINATION.
The AIIt ged 60 nfessiOns of Samuel II.
arnold and AtzerOtt.


The Baltimore american of yesterday intro
duces two remarkable papers, as ollows;-
Nov that The trial of John Surtatt for partl-
cipS' ION in the assassination OF President LIN
coin has 6et n thrown out of court through the
technicalitles OF the law, aud he is announced
as preparing for press narrative OF the whole
transaction IL may serve good purpose to give
publicity 10 The following statement OF samuel
B. Arnold 0ue of the prisoners at the Dry
TCruEas, made 10 Baltimore, voluntarily, four
daNs after tic assassnaion.
We al o give the con e85iou OF A'2erodt, male
In his cell ou the night before the execution.
Bolh OF these Cobiessiors we bave IN our pos
session. IN the hand writing OF the pri Oners;
and they have hitherto not been ma le lblIo,
uDCer the expectation that lbey would be used
IN the tlial OF John Sdratt The Confession OF
Arnold was made iu The office OF Marshal
Mc Phal on the 1870 of April, 1865, mo mmedlately
IN his being brought to this CITY from Fortress
Nj nroP. He SAT down at q desk and voluntarily
wrote 1t without any questioning. The coufes-
sion OF At2e. o 1t was made IN his cell at Wash
ington, en- tre nlgnt before his execution. lie
asked Tor paper, and 1t is written with ~ lead
ptuc, tie SC nj ected manner OF 1t indicating
lie stare OF mind of the prisoner.
ATnold's ICON essionn Is addressed "to wh on
1t may concern and says frat, that he met j.
Wilkes Booh Mt Bdrnum's Ho.e Baltimore, in
september, 1864, by special invitation. Ha nad
been his schoolmate at st. TimothY's Hall, IN
1852, a. d had not met him since. The meeting
was very social one at first. Michael O'Laugh.
lin soon joined them, and conversation turned
upon the Coniederacy, OF which all three were
p
sition by j. Wilkes Booth OF kidnapping Pres
Gent Lincoln, carrying him TO Rich nond, and
SO compel an exchange OF all the prisoners IN
Federal hands. Arnold and 0Laughl II con-
sented TO enter into the conspiracy, and swOre
to divulRe the secret TO no one. Months passed
after this before anything was done. Booth
then made his appearance with trunk, In
which he bad two guns, cap cartridges (SpenCet
IiAes), reyolvere, knives, beIts. cartridge boxes,
cart idges, caps, cauteens. all fully liked tor
service, which we're TO be used in case of pur-
silt. and tao par OF handouts to handcuH the
President. He gave the pistols knives, and
haudcuils o OF aughlin aud Arnold, to ship TO
WashI gtOn. They carried them 10 Washing
ton, and, alter arriving there, Booth told them
partially of his theatre plan, but they were left
IN the dark tor q month or Two. He was Con-
tnualIy in The company of man named John
EurIatI, who was then unknown to them.
They were entirely IDLE in the mean
time, explaining the fact by talking aoOnt
OIL st0cS spsSnIanonsid IN me Rn is''tr sr rar'
AtZeI odt, OLaughhD, ana two O'h-r parties.
The plan of seiz,ng the President was then def
mtely agreed upon, and each was assiglel his
part. The tights being out Arnold was 10 rusl
into the priVa'e boz and seize the President.
while Atzerodt and J. WlSes Booth were TO
handcuH hum and lower hun on the stage.
Moseby was 10 catch ana mol, him till We got
down. Surra,t and another man were TO be on
The other side of the Eastern Branch bridge 10
fBcilltR'e escape. 1t was afterwards changed TO
Moseby and Booth to each him IN the box. and
to lower him 10 Arnold Oh the stage. OLaugnlin
and the unknown were to put the lights OUT, an
SuIratt and Atzerodt to be on the otper 81 OF
| the bridge. Arnold said IL could not be accom-
| pijshed. II That they could get him ont of the
| box AMI TO the fridge hey would pc stopped by
| the sel ltire .Shoot the seniinel," said Booth.
Arnold said that would not do, Tor If an alarm
| was given there The whole thing was uP, and,
as for me, | wanted q chance for escape and
success Michael OLoughhn wanted to argue
| the same wav. Bloth was irritable and
| threatening. The meeting broke up without
| settlement The Richmond authorities, so far
| as Arnold knew, had no knowledge of the
conspiracy. In a few days after Arnold cut
| loose from 1t entirely. He got employment at
| Fortress Monroe, and never saw or corresponded
| with Booth again, He never heard Booth speak
| killing Lincoln, and did not suspect that such
| could be the result. The plan of escaping
with the President after getting him
| out of the theatre was 10 place him III the buggy
| purchased Tor the purpose, aud or lss Eastern
| Branch bridge. Surratt and AtHerodt were to
| follow them 10 where boat was concealed;
| turn the horse loose, place the President in the
| boat. and cross the Potomac to the Virginia
shore, aud thence to make their way 10 Rich
| mopd. Surratt knew the route, aud was to act
! as pilot. Besides these written statements of
| Arnold, he verbally communicated the fact that
| Booth was the correspondent of Doctors Mudd,
| Garland and Queen.
Atzerodt confes sed 10 having been perso Hally
| concerned in the murder ITSELF gives some inte-
resting details, and directly involves John
Surratt in all that pertained to the capture OF
tho President.