The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-09

Why didn't he do it Booth sometimes was
rather suspicious Of him. and asked me II
I thought he could be trusted. Said I,
Certainly he can"
Weichman is southern man, and !
always believed 1t until / had good reason
to believe otherwise, because he had fur.
nlshed information for the Confederate
Government, besides allowing me access to
the Government records. after Office hours.
! have very little to say OF Louis ]. WEIGH
man. But I do pronounce him base
born pefjurer; murderer of the meanest
hue! Give me man who can strike bis
victim dead, but save me from man who,
through perjury, will cause the death Of an
innocent person. Double murderer ! I |! He'll
possesses no worse fiend than character
tof that kind. [Applause.l Away with
such character. I leave him In the pit OF
infamy, which he has dug for himself, a
prey to the lights of his guilty conscience.
/ ltelegraphed Booth thus: =
81. W. B., in Neao York If you are In
New York, telegraph me.
"JNo. HARRISON, Elmira, N. Y"
The operator, after looking over it, said,
"Is it J. W. B?" to which I replied,
Eyes" BE evidently wanted the whole
name, and had scarcely finished telegraph.
ing, when door right near the office, and
opening on the street, was pushed open,
and heard some one say, eyes, there are
three or four brothers of them, John, Ju.
MUS Brutus, Edwin, and J. Wilkes Booth"
The whole truth flashed on me in an instant,
and rsaid to myself,
my GOD WHAT HAVE DONE"
The dispatch was still lying before me,
and | reached over and took it up for the
purpose of destroying it, but the operator
stretched forth bis hand and said, "We
must file all telegrams." My first impulse
was to tear it up, but I pitched it back and
walked off. The town was In the greatest
uproar, flags at half.mast, bells tolling, &c.
Still did not think that was in danger,
more to find out the particulars of the ira
gedv. But here l wish to cay few words
IcOncerning the
REGISTER OF TIE BRAINARD HOUSE.
When my counsel, by my own direction,
went to seek that register 1t could not be
found. Our inability to produce it on the
trial naturally cast a suspicion over our
abb. That some Of the Government ennis
saries abstracted that register firmly be-
| lieve, or perhaps it is stored away in some
OF the other Government vaults, under
charge of some judge high in position; but
this is only surmise of mine. But the
/
lalny which the All-Seeing God will yet
bring to light. The dispatch l sent to
Booth also from Elmira it was impossible to
find.
So sure was the Government that they
had destroyed all evidence of my sojourn
in Flmira that in getting me In Washington
in time for Mr.. Lincoln's death they brought
me bv way of New York city, but 80 com.
pletely were they foiled in this that in
their rebutting testimony they saw the
absolute necessity Of having me go by way
of Elmira, and they changed their tactics
accordingly. This is strange fact, but
nevertheless true, that the Government,
having in its possession this hotel register,
as well as my dispatch to Booth, and know
ing moreover, by one Of its witnesses, that
was in Elmira, yet tried to prove that
was in Washington on the night of Mr..
Lincoln's death, giving orders and com.
manding in general, as they were pleased
to say. Che gentlemen in Elmira by whom
proved my ohbi were men Of the highest
standing and integrity, whose testimony the
United States Government could not and
darenot attempt toimpeqch. | left Elmira
with the intention of going to Baltimore.
really did not comprehend at that time the
danger was in. AS there was no train going
south that evening concluded to 60 to
Canandaigua, and from there to Baltimore
BY way of Elmira and New York.
| Upon arriving at Canandaigua, on Satur-
day evening, / learned, to my utter disap-
pointment, that no train left until the Mon
day following; so l took a room at the
Wedster House, registering myself as
"JoHN HARRISON"
The next day | went to church I re-
member it being Easter Sunday. can here
safely say that the United States Govern
ment had not the remotest idea that STOP
ped anywhere after I left Elmira. They
Thought when / left there [ went straight
through to Canada. 1t was very fortunate
thing for me that could not leave Canaan
dai9ua. Now, mark ladies and gentlemen,
il you please, my name was signed midway
Of the hotel register, with six other parties
before and after. There was no doubt as
to the genureness of my signature, because
the very experts brought by the United
States to swear to my signature in other in
stances swore also that that was my hand
writing. After all this, the register was
ruled out by Judge Fisher, because he was
well aware if he admitted it my case was ut
an end. I could not be in two places at
once, though they tried to make me so.
"The prisoner might have stepped down
from Canada to Canandaigua during his
concealment and signed his name there for
the purpose of protecting himself for the
future" 1t was likely idea that the pro-
prictor of hotel would leave blank line
in the register for my especial benefit.
Need say that the ruling was most infa-
nous one, and ought to damn the judge
who so ruled as villain in the minds OF
every honest and upright man. Loud and
prolonged appiause.] Had Judge Fisher
been one Of the lawyers for the prosecu-
ti0n he could not have worked harder
against me than he did. But thanks to him,
be did more good than harm. His unprin-
cipled and vindictiye character was too ap-
parent to every one in the courtroom. I
could not help smiling at the time to think
of the great shrewdness and foresight he &C.
corded me by that decision. At times,
really, during my trial, could scarcely re-
cognlZe any vestige Of my former self.
sometimes / would ask myself: " Am 1
the same individualp Am really the same
John H. Surratt ?" When that register was
produced In court the Hon. Judge Pierre
| pont, the leading counsel for the United
States, became exceedingly nervous, espe-
cially when Mr.. Bradley refused to show 1t
| to him, and he tore up several pieces OF
paper in his
TREMBLING FINGERS.
He evidently saw what pititul case he
had, and how he had been made the dupe
of his precious, worthy friend, Edwin NJ.
Stanton. At the time of my trial the pro-
prietor of the Webster House, in Canan-
daigua, could not find the cash book of the
hotel, in which there should have been an
entry In favor of "John Harrison" for so
much cash. When he returned to Canan-
daigua, my trial being then ended, he wrote
Mr.. Bradley that he had found the cash
book, and sent it to him. 1t wss then too