Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-02-02
s ssE Vol. 20, NO. 81.
Confessions Of Atzerodt and Arnold

The confession of Atzerodt, one &
the Booth conspirators executed d
Washington for the assassination o
President Lincoln, has just, for th
first time, been given to the publ,
through the columns of Baltimor,
paper. 1t says the original schem,
was only to abduct Mr.. Lincoln, anc
only so far did his completely extend
1t was not until about three hours be
fore the assassination that murder
was preached as part of the plan
and when he was informed that Har.
rold and himself had been assigned
the post of killing Vice President
Johnson, he refused to have anything
to do with shedding blood.
The confession OF Arnold has Just
come to light.
Arnold's confession" is addressed
"to whom it may concern. and says,
first, that he met j. Wilkes Booth at
Barnum's Hotel, Baltimore, in Sep
tember, 1864, by special invitation
He had been his schoolmate at St.
Timothy's Hall, in 1852, and had not
met him since. The meeting was a
very social one at first. Michael o.
Laughlin soon joined them, and con-
versation turned upon the Confeder.
acy, of which all three were enthusi,
astic admirers Then ensued the
proposition by j. Wilkes Booth of
kidnapping President Lincoln, carry
ing him to Richmond, and so compel
an exchange Of all the prisoners in
Federal hands.
Arnold and O'LAughlin consented
to enter into the conspiracy, and
sv ore 10 divulge the secret to no one.
Months passed after this before any,
thing was done. Booth then made
his appearance, with trunk ia which
be bad TWO guns, cap cartridges (Spen
Ger rifie), rovolvers, Eniyes, belts,
cartridge boxes, cartridges, caps, can
teens, all fully fixed for service, which
were TO be used in case a pursuit,
and two pair Of handouts 10 handcuff
the President He gave the pistols,
knives aid handouts to O'LauhgIia
and Arnold, to ship to Washington
ard after arriving there, Booth told
him 70 partially his theater plan, but
they We're left in the dark for month
or Two. He was continually in the
company of man named John Sur
raft, who was then unknown to them.
They were entirely idle in the mean
time, explaining the tact by talking
about oil stock speculations.
In the latter part Of March, 1865,
Arnold met Booth, Surratt, Atzerodt,
O'Laughlin, and two other parties.-
The plan Of selling the President was
then definitely agreed upon, and each
was assigned his part. The light be-
inc out, Arnold was to rush into the
private box and seize the President,
while Atzerodt and J. Wilkes Booth
were 10 handcuff him and lower him
on the stage. Moseby was to catch
and hold him till we got Town. Surr
raft and another man were TO be on
the other side Of the Eastern Branch
bridge Sc facilitate the escape. 1t
was afterward changed to Moseby
and Booth to catch him in the box
and to lower him TO Arnold on the
stage. OLaughlin and the unknown
were to put the lights out, and Sur
raft and Atzerodt be on the other
side of the bridge. Arnold SAID it
could not be accomplished.
If that they could get him out Of
the box and to the bridge they would
be stopped by the sentinel. Shoot
the sentinel, J." said Booth. Arnold
said that would not do, for if an alarm
was given there, the whole thing W as
up, and, as for me, l wanted a chance
for escape and success. Michael O.,
Laughlin wanted to argue the same
way. Booth was irritable and
threading. The meeting broke up
without a settlement. The Rich
mond authorities, so far as Arnold
knew, had no knowledge of the con-
spiracy. Ia a few days after Arnold
cut loose from it entirely.