The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-01-28
ASSASSINATION OF MR..
LINCOLN.
Confession Of Two of the. Prisoners


Statement OF Arnold oul His Arrest
Confession OF Atzcrot-Tbc CofapIictu
Of Lohu surrntt-Pinns as the Conspi
rntOr--Thcir Places OF McctiRg, DC
The Abduction nad Assassination Con
sPirucy.
From the Baltimore American.
Now that the trial OF john Surrat
tor participation in the assassination
of President lincoln has been tbrowr
out of Court through the technicali-
ties Of the law, and he is announced
as preparing for press narrative Of
the whole transaction, It may serve Q
b coed purpose to give publicity to the
following statement Of Samuel b
Arnold, one Of the prisoners at the
Dry Tortugas, made in Baltimore
voluntarily, four days after the as
sassination. We also give the con,
fessiou of Atzerodt, made in his cell
on the nigh. before the execution
Both of these confessions we have in
our possession in the handwriting Of
the prisoners, and they have hither.
to not been made public under the
expectation that they would b5 used
in the trial of John Surratt.
The confession of Arnold was
made in the office of Marshal Nc
Phail, on the 18th of April, 1865,
Immediately on his being brought to
this city from Fortress Monroe. He
sat down at a desk and voluntarily
wrote it without any questioning.
The confession of Atzerodt was
made in his cell, at Washington, on
the night before his execution. He
asked for paper, and it is written
with lead pencil, the disconnected
manner of il indicating the state Of
mind Of the prisoner
CONFESSION OF SAMUEL b. ARNOLD,
MADE APRIL Is, 1865.
70 tehom Il may concern:
Know that l, Samuel B. Arnold
about the latter port of August or
first part of September, 1864, was
sent for by j. Wilkes Booth, who was
guest at Baruum's Hotel, in the
city of Baltimore, Nd, to call and
see him. l had not seen the scme
j. Wilkes Booth since 1852, when
we 10th were schoolmatcs az st. Tim.
othy's Hall, President l.. Van Boke-
lin 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 schoolboy days. We were
interrupted by n knock at the door,
when Michael OLaughlin was ush-
cred in. After a formal introduction
we sat slipping our wine, and all three
smoked a cigar. During smoking,
he having heard previous of my pc
litical feeling or sentiments, he spoke
in glowing terms Of the Confederacy
aud the number of surplus prisoners
in the hands of the United Sta.os.-
Then ensued the proposition BY j.
Wilkes Booth, aud which he q.
Wilkes Booth) thought could be ac-
compished, viz: of Of kidnapping
President Lincoln, as he frequently
went unguarded out to the Soldiers
home; and he thought he could be
picked up and carried to Richmond,
and foE his exchange produce tkc ex-
change, for the President, of all the
prisoners in the Federal hands.
He, j. Wilkes Booth, the origina-
tor of the scheme. asked if we would
enter into it. After painting The
chances of success in such glowing
colors, We consented, viz; Michael
O'Laughlin and myself. We were
bound not to divulge it to living
soul. / saw him once more in Balti-
more, and then he q. Wilkes Booth)
left to arrange his business up North,
first to New York, thence to the Oil
Regions, and from there to Boston
and finally to Canada. He was to be
back in month. l received let
ter, which 1 destroyed, stating he
was laid up with erysipelas in his
arm, and as soon as he was able he
would be with us. Months rolled
around, and he did not make his ap-
pearance until some time in January.
In his trunk he had two guns, cap
cartridges, which we're placed in the
gun stocks-Spenccr rifles | think
they were called-revolvers, knives,
belts, cartridge boxes, cartridges,
caps, cauteens-all fully fixed for
service which were to be used in
case of pursuit, and two pairof hand
cuffs to handcuff the President, His
trunk being SO heavy, he gave the
pistols, knive and handouts to Mich
ael O'Laughlin and myself, to have
shipped or bring to Washington.-
He then returned from Washington,
to which place he had gone, bought
a horse, harness and buggy wagon,
leaving the team, &c., with us to
drive on to Washington. We started
from Baltimore about twelve or one
o'clock, after having shipped the box
containing the knives, handouts and
pistols, arriving 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 thcater plan slightly, saying
he would wait till we put the horse
away. and tell us more iully. He
had previously, as l now member,
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 q |
Wilkes Booth) telling us about the
different back entrances, and how
feasible the plan was. He had rent
ed stable in the rear of the theater,
having bought two horses down in
the country. One was in the stable |