Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-01-28
ASSASSINATION OF MIR. LINCOLN.

ASSASSINATION OF MIR. LINCOLN.
Confession of two Prisoners--ststemen m
of Arnold on His sArrest--Csnfession o
Afzersdt.
From the Baltimore American.
Now that the trial of John Surrat
for participation in the assassination o
President Lincoln has been thrown ou
of Court through the techpicalities o
the law, and he is announced as prepar
ing for press a narrative of the Who'll,
transaction, it may serve good purpos,
to give publicity to the following state
ment of Samuel B. Arnold, one of tn,
prisoners at the Dry Tortugas, made il
Baltimore, voluntarily, four days aftel
the assassination. We also give the con
confession of Atzerojt, made in his eel
on the night before the execution. Boil
of these confessions we have in our pos
session in the hand writing of the pris
oners, and they have hitherto not beer
made public under the expectation thai
they would be used in the trial of JehI
Surratt
The confession of Arnold was made in
the office of Marshall McPhail, on the
18th of April, 1865, Immediately on his
being brought to this city from Fortres:
Monroe. He sat down at a desk anC
voluntarily wrote it without any ques
tioning.
The confession of Atzerodt was made
in his cell, at Washington, on the might
before his execution. He asked for pa.
per, and it is written with a leadpencil
the disconnected manner of it indicating
the state of mind of the prisoner:
CONFESSION OF SAMUEL B. ARNoLD
MADE APRIL Is, 1855.
To Whom it Nay Concern:
Know that L, Samuel B. Arnold
about the latter part of August or first
part of September, 1864, was sent for by
J. Wilkes Booth, who was guest al
Barnum's Hotel, in the city of Balti-
more, Nd, to call to see him. had not
seen the same j. Wilkes Booth since
1852, when we both were schoolmates at
st. Timothy's Hall, President L. Van
Bokelin then having said Hall as place
of tuition. His reception of me was
warm. Calling for wine and cigars, we
conversed for a short time upon our
former school-boy days. We were inter-
rupted by knock. at the door, when
Michael O'Laughlin was ushered in
After formal introduction, we sat sip
ping our wine, and all three smoked a
cigar. During smoking, he having
heard previously of my political feelings
or sentiments, he spoke in glowing terms
of the Confederacy and the number OF
surplus prisoners in the hands of the
United States. Then ensued the pro-
position by J. Wilkes Booth, and which
he II. Wilkes Boeth) thought could be
accomplished, viz: of kidnapping Presi-
dent Lincoln, as he frequently went
unguarded out to the Soldiefs Home
and he thought he could be picked up
carried off to Richmond, aud for his ex-
change produce the exchange for the
President of all theprisoners in the
Federal hands.
He, J. Wilkes Booth, the originator OF
the scheme, asked if we would enter in
to it. After painting the chances OF
success in such glowing colors, we csn-
sented, viz: Michael O'Loughlin and
myself. We were bound not to divulge
it to living soul. 1 saw him once
more in Baltimore, anu then he u.
Wilkes Boeth) left to arrange his busi-
ness up North, first to New York, thence
to the Oil Regions, and from thence to
Boston, and finally to Canada. He was
to be back in a month. | received a
letter, which ] destroyed, stating that
he was laid up with erysipelas in his
arm, and as soon as he was abb he would
be with us. Months rolled around, and
he did not make his appearance until
some time in January. In his trunk he
had two guns, cap cartridges, which
were placed in the gun stocks-Spen-
Ger rifles think they were called-re-
vOlvers, knives, belts, cartridge boxes,
cartridges, caps, canteens-all fully fixed
for service-which were to be used in
case of pursuit, and two pair of hand
cuffs to handcuff the President. His
trunk being so heavy, he gave the pis-
tolls, knives and handouts to Michael
.O'Laughlin and myself, to have shipped
or bring to Washington. He then re-
turned to Washington to which place he
had gone, bought horse. harness and
buggy wagon, leaving the team, etc. with
us to drive on to Washington. We star
ted from Baltimore about twelve O'Clock
after having shipped the box containing
the knives, handouts and pistols, arriv-
ing in Washington about seven or half
past seven the same evening, We met
him on the street as we were passing
the theater. We alighted. took drink,
and he told US of the theater plan slight
ly, saying he would wait till we put the
horse away, and tell us more fully. He
had previously, as l now remember,
spoken of the chances at the theater if
we could not succeed in the other plan
at the Soldiers Home. We went to the
theater that night; he ~. Wilkes Booth)
telling us about the different back en-
trance, and how feasible the plan was,
he had rented astable in rear of the
81, hap Il
the country. One WH> in the stable be-
hind the theater, IL. other at livery
Met him next day; went together to
breakfast with him. He was always
pressed with business with man un-
known to us then, bp the name of John
Snrratt /; most of his (Booth's) time was
spent with him. We were left entirely
in the dark.
Michael O'Laughlin and myself rent
ed room on ID street, No. 240, and OBJ
tanned meals at the Franklin House, at
the corner of ID and eight streets. We
thus lived for nearly two months, see
ing him perhaps three or four times
during the week, and when seen, always
but for short time, having still press
ing business always ON hand, viz: to see
John Surratt, MichaelO Laughlin and
myself drove out occasionally, the horse
liveried at Mr.. Nailor's stable. We
drove always (but orce) in the city and
Georgetown the once excepted across
the Eastern Branch Bridge, when we
went upwards of five miles, I suppose
and returned. This was the only time
L ever went over that bridge. How of
ten J. Wilkes Booth crossed | cannot
state, but from his own words, often
Thus Michael O'Laughlin's and my
time was spent for the most part-down
at Rullmsn's Hotel NOW Sinclair House,
on Pennsylvania avenue and Louisiana
avenue, in drinking and amusement
with other Baltin Jreans besides ourselves
congregated there, all of whom knew
nothing of our business but that of SELL
ing oil stock. Oil stock was the blind
for them as well as my family. During
the latter part of March, while standing
on Rullman's porch between eleven and