Middletown transcript., 1870-12-17

On Tuesday evening Of last week, Mr..
John H. Surratt delivered an interesting
lecture at Rockville, Md Mr.. Surratt is
well known for his alleged connection with
the conspiracy against President Lincoln
in 1865, his escape, capture, and subse-
quent trial and discharge in Washington
over year since. Since then he has spent
portion of his time in lower Maryland
been in the commission business in Balti-
more, and now has turned up school
teacher in Rockville. The lecture was as
follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN Upon enter
ing that door few moments ago the i'm
preston on my mind was so strong as to
vividly recall scenes of three years ago.
l am not unacquainted with courtroom
audiences. Sensation. | have stood
before them before; true, not in the char
acter of lecturer, but as prisoner at the
bar, arraigned for the high crime of mur-
der. In con ,rasting the two positions
must confess felt more case as the pris-
oner at the bar than l do as lecturer.
Then felt confident of success; now
do not. Then had gentlemen of known
ability to do all my talking for me now,
unfortunately, have to do it for myself,
and feel lily capable of performing the
task; still hope you will all judge me
kindly. ] am not here to surprise you
by any oratorical effort-not at all-but
only to tell a simple tale. feel that
some explanation, perhaps, indeed, an
apology is due you for my appearance
here this evening. Iu presenting this lee
ture before the public do it in no spirit
of self-justification.. In trial of sixty
one days made my defence to the world,
and have no need or desire to rehearse
it; nor do appear for -glorifeation
On the contrary, / dislike notoriety, and
leave my solitude and obscurity unwilling
ly. Neither is it an itching for notoriety
or fame. My object is merely to present
simple narrative of events as they oc-
CURED. l stand here through the force
of that which has obliged many other men
to do things quite as distasteful-pecunia-
ry necessity, for the supply of which no
more available channel presented itself.
This is reason easily appreciated. So
you will take it kindly, trust, and the
ground we will have to go over together
will guarantee sufficient interest to repay
your kind attention. In this my first lee
ture l will speake of my introduction to
j. Wilkes Booth-his plants failure
our final separation-my trip from Rich
mond, and thence to Canada-then my
orders to Elmira-what was done there
my return to Canada and conceament
there and final departure for Europe.
At the Breaking out Of the war / was a
student at St. Charles College, in Mary
land, but did not remain long there after
that important event 1 left in July,
1861, and returning home commenced to
take an active part in the stirring events
of that period. / was not more than
eighteen years of age, and was mostly en-
gagged in sending information regarding
the movements of the United States army
stationed in Washington and elsewhere,
and carrying dispatches to the Confeder-
ate boats on the Potomac. We had n
regularly established line from Washing
ton TO the Potomac, and being the only
unmarried man on the route, had most oil
the hard riding to do. Laughter,[ I
devised various ways to carry the des-
patches sometimes in the heel Of my
boots, sometimes between the planks Of
the buggy. confess that never in my
life did come acsoss-a more stupid set Of
detectives than those generally employed
by the United States Government. They
seemed to have no idea whatever how to
search men. In 1864 my family left
Maryland and moved to Washington,
where took still more active part in
the stirring event of that period. 1t was
a fascinating life to me. 1t seemed as il
could not do too much or run too great
risk.
In the fall of 1864 I was introduced to
John Wilkes Booth, who, ! was given to