The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-01-29
FREMONT, SANDUSKY COUNTY. OHIO; !;
THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESE
sa x. g DENT LINCOLN. z
COnGsssIOn OftkO Of DE P0rsOns
What John Isurratt Was to do.

/. COnIeSSl0n OF tRO OF the persons
What John surratt was to do.
u - 10 a'i-s 'ssa s------=si 10 SOL
From the Baltimore AneTicsn.l sie
Now that the trial Of John Surratt 70
,, participation, in the assassination o
IPresident Lincoln has been thrown ou
iof court through the teehnicalisies o
the law, and he is announced as pre-
pairing for press a narrative Of thu
whole transaction, it may serve a gooG
purpose to give publicity to the follow
ing statement of Samuel B. Arnold, ont
of the prisoners at the Dry Tortugas
made in Baltimoset voluntarily, foui
days after the assassination. We also
give the confession of Atzerodt, made
; in his,ceH on the night. befosel the ex
ecutioD. Both Of these confessions W.
have in our possession in the hand
writing of the prisoners, and they have
hitherto not Been made public under
3 the expectation that they would be used
4 in the trial of John Surratt 49, 81
The confession of Arnold wasimade
lin the office of Marshal McPhail, on the
lsthiof April, 1865, Immediately on
| his being brought to this city from
| Fortress Monroe. He sat down at a
desk aud voluntarily wrote it without
any questioning. rssaIt ~ Z,
The confession of Atzerodt was made
lin his cell, at Washington, on the night
: before his execution. He asked for
paper, and it is written with a lead
Epencil, the disconnected manner Of it
indicating the state Of mind of the
Iprisoner: ~ p
lCoNFEssIoE oF SAMUEL 3, ARNOLD, Made
~ APRIL Is, 1865. &"
To WHoM IT MAY CONCERN:
Know that I Samuel B. Arnold,
about the latter part Of August or first
lpart of September, 1864, was sent by
j., Wilkes Booth, who was guest at
Barnum's Hotel, IN the city Of Balti-
more, Maryland, to call to see him. 1
had not seen the same ]. Wilkes Booth
since 1852, when we were both school
mates at St Timothy's Hall, President
L. Van Bokelin then having said ball
as place of tuition. His reception of
me was warm. Calling for wine aud
cigars, we conversed for short time
upon our former schooLboy days. We
were interrupted by a knock at the
door, when Michael 0'Laughlin was
ushered in. After formal introduce
ton, we sat slipping our wine, and all
three smoked cigar. During smok-
ing, he having heard previously Of my
feelings or sentiments, he spoke in glow
ing terms Of the Confederacy and the
number Of surplus prisoners in the
hands Of the United States. Then en-
sued the proposition by J. Wilkes
Booth, and which he q. Wilkes Boothl
thought could be accomplished, viz:
of kidnapping President Lincoln, as he
went unguarded out to the
Soldiers Home; and he thought he
could be picked up, carried of to Rich
mond, and for his exchange produce
the exchange for the President of all
the prisoners in the Federal hands.
He, J. Wilkes Booth, the originator
of the scheme, asked if we would enter
into it After painting the chances of
success in such glowing colors, we con-
sented, viz; Michael 0'Laughlin and
myself We were bound not to divulge |
it to living soul. I saw him once |
more in Baltimore, and then he, 81. |
Wilkes Booth left to arrange his bust
ness 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. i received a
letter, which I destroyed, stating that
he was laid up with erysipelas in bis
arm, and as soon as he was able he
would be with US. Months rolled |
around, and ne did not make his ap- |
pearance until some time in January.
In his trunk he had two guns, cap cart
ridges, which were placed in gun stocks
I think they were called
knives, belts, cartridge
boxes, cartridges, caps, canteens-all
fully fixed for serFice-which we're to
be used in case of pursuit, and two pair
Of handouts to handcuff the President.
His trunk being 50 heavy, he gave the
pistols, knives, and handouts to Michael
O'Laughlin and myselfto have shipped
or bring to Washington. He then re-
,urned from Washington, to which
le had gone, boughts horse, harness
md buggy wagon, leaving the team,
,tc.,s with US to drive on to Washington.
We started from Baltimore about II or
one o'clock, after having shipped the
box containing the knives, Handouts
md pistols, arriving in Washington
about seven or half-past seven the same
evening. We met him on the street as
We were passing the theatre. We L
lighted, took drink, aud he told US /
If the theatre plan slightly, saying be j
would wait till we put the horse away,
md tell us more fully, He had pre-
riously, as 4 now remember, spoken Of ,
he chances at the theatre if we could
lot succeed in the other plan at the
soldiers Home. We went to the
heatre that night, he u. Wilkes Booth n :
cling us about the different back en-
RANGES, and how feasible the plan was. :
Ie had rented stable in the rear Of !
he theatre, having bought two horses !
own the country. One was in the {
able behind the theatre, the other at !
be livery, Net him next day went a
,gether to breakfast with him. He
-as always pressed with business with :
man unknown TO us then, by The T
anne of John Surratt; mos. of his :
Booth's) time was spent with him. We "
ere left entirely in the dark. Z
Michael o. Laughlin and myself rent y
a room on D street, No. 24o and OBJ =
lined meals at the Franklin House, at =
le corner Of D and Eighth streets. = !
Ee thus lived for nearly two months, 4 4
,eing him three or four times week, n n
nd when seen, always but for short o
me, having still pressing business al :,
ays on hand, VIZ: to see John Surratt. L
liehael O'Lsughlin and myself drove
at occasionally the horse liyeried at
Il. Nailor's stable. We drove always
,ut twice) in the city and Georgetown; ! !
Ie once excepted across the Eastern :. :.
ranch Bridge, when we went upwards = :
FIVE miles, / suppose, and returned. a. a.
his was the only time 1 ever went over Ie e
LsE bridge. How often j. Wilkes -
oath crossed ] cannot state, but from &C
. own rrords .often Tins Michaal l.