Nebraska advertiser., 1869-02-04
Assassination Of President Lincoln.
Alleged Confession Of Arnold
and AtZerOdt.

The Baltimore american of yester-
dad introduces two remarkable papers,
as follows: s,,.,. ..,s .at.1,s..
"Now that the trial of John Surratt
for participation in the assassination
of President Lincoln has been thrown
out of Court through the technicalities
of the law, and he Is annpunced as
preparing for press a narrative of the
whole transaction, it may. serve a good
purpose to give publicity to the follow
ing statement of Samuel B. Arnold,
one of the prisoners at the Dry TOrtu-
gas, made in Baltimore, voluntarily,
four days after the assassination. We
also give the confession of AtZerodt,
made in his cell on the night before
the execution. Both of these confess
ions we have in our possession, in the
handwriting OF the prisoners; and
they have hitherto not been made
public, under the expectation that
they would be. used in the trial of John
Surratt. The confession of Arnold was
made in the office of Marshal McPhal
on the 18th of April, 1865, Immediately
on his being brought to this city from
Fortress Monroe. He sat down to 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
was written with lead pencil, the
disconnected manner of it indicating
the state of mind of the prisoner.
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. -sehO0lmate 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
conversation turned upon the COnfed-
eraey .. of which all three were enthu-
siastic admirers. Then ensued the
proposition by J. Wilkes Booth of kid
mapping President Lincoln, carrying
| him to Richmond, and thus compel an
exchange of all the prisoners in Fed
eral hands. Arnold and O'Laughlin
consented to enter into the lconspira-
cy, and swOre to divulge the secret to
no one. Months passed after this be-
fore anything was dOnes,, Booth then
made bis appearance with a trunk in
which he had two guns, cap cartridges,
| (Spencer rifles, reXOlvers, knives,
belts, cartridge-bOXes, cartridges, caps,
canteens, all fully fixed for service,
which were to be used in case of pur-
suit. and two pair of handcuffs to
| handcuff the President. He gave the
pistols, knives, and handouts to
O'Laughlfn and Arnold, to ship to
Washington. They carried them to
Washington, and, after arriving there,
Booth told them partially of his thea
tire plan, but they were left in the
dark for a month or two. He was con-
tinualIy in the company Of a man
named John Surratt, who was then
unknown TO them Theyvwere ep tire
| " idle in the meantime, explaining
| the fact by talking about 81 stt0Elz pee
/ uliiIions. 1n the latter part of March,
1885. Arnold met Booth. Surraf At
tti.att ffllaug1lin ana tNo Q94ef par
tlee. 41e plan Of seizing the President
wis then definitely agreed upon and
each was asslgHed his part. The lights
being out, Arnold-was to rush into the
private box and seize the President,
while Atzerodt and J. Wilkes Booth
were to handeuff him and lower him
on the stage. MOseby was to catch
and hold him until we got down. Sur
ratt and another man were to be on
the other side of the Eastern Branch
bridge to facilitate escape. 1t was af-
terward changed to MOseby and Booth
to catch him in the box and to lower
him to Arnold on thestage. o. Laugh
lin and the unknown were to put the
light out, and Surratt and AtzerOdt to
| be on the other side of the bridge. Ar
mold said itcould not be ACCOMPLISHED.
IF they could get hilni out of the. lex
and TO the bridge they would be stop
ped by the sentinel. ''Shoot the SEN
tinel, - said Booth. Arnold said that
would not do, for if an alarm was given
there the whole thing was up, and, as
for me, wanted a chance for escape
and success. Michael O'Laughlin
wanted to argue the same way. Booth
was irritable and threatening. The
meeting broke up without asettIement.
The Richmond authorities, so far rs
Arnold knew, had no knowledge of
the conspiracy. And a few days after
Arnold cut loose from it entirely. He
got employment at Fortress a0HFUe,
ana never was or cOrrespOnded with
Booth again. He never heard Booth
speak, Of killing Lincoln, and did not
suspect that such could be the result.
Theplan; of escaping with the Bresi-
dent after getting him out of the the
ater was to place him in the buggy
purchased for that purpose, and cross
EaSfarn Rridora Rraf1ph Si1rraff and