Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-12-16

JOHN III. SURRATT,
IN THE COURT HOUSE AT
Rockville, Montgomery County, Md
30 On Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1870.
Reported for the Baltimore American
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Upon entering that door few moment
ago the impression on my mind was s.
strong as to vividly recall scenes of thre
years ago. / am not unacquainted will
courtroom audiences. | have stood be
fore them before; true, not in the charac
ter -of.a lecturer, but as a prisoner at th'
bar, arraigncd for the high crime of mur
der. In contrasting the two positions
must confess l felt more ease as the pris
oner at the bar than [ do as lecturer
Then felt confident of success; now dc
not. Then had gentlemen of known a.
bility to do all my talking for me; now,
unfortunately. l have to do it for myself,
and | feel lily capable of performing the
task; still hope you will all judge me
kindly. Iam not here to surprise you by
an oratorical effort-not at all-but only
to tell a simple tale. | feel that some ex-
planation-p. rhaps, indeed, an apology
lis due you for my appearance here this
evening. In presenting this lecture be-
fore 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 rchcarse it =
Nor do | appear for self glorifcation On
the contrary, dislike notoriety. and leave
my solitude and obscurity unwilingly. -
Neither is it an itching for notoriety or
fame. My object is merely to present a
simple narrative Of events as they occur
red. stand here through the force of
that which has obliged many other men
to do thugs quite as distasteful-pecuni-
airy necessity, for the supply Of which no
more available channel presented itself.
This is a reason easily appreciated. So
you will take it kindiy. trust, and the
ground We will have to go over together
will guarantee sufficient interest to repay
your kind attention. Iu this my first leo
ture | will speak of my introduction to
J. Wilkes Booth, his plan, its failure, our
final separation. my trip from Richmond
and thense to Canada, then my orders to.
Eimira, what was a0nc there. Tue lrst IN
timation l had Of Mr. Lincoln's death, my
return to Canada and concealmeut 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. | left in July,
1861. and returning home, commenced to
take an active part ia the stirring events
of that period. Was not more than Is
years of age, and was mostly engaged in
sending information regarding the move
ments of the United st ties army stationed
at Washington and elsewhere, and carry
ing dispatches to the Confederate boats
on the Potomac. We had regular es-
tablished line from Washingt to the
Potomac. and I being the only unmarried
man on the route, had most of the hard
riding to do. | devised various ways to
carry the despatches-sometimes in the
heel of my boot, sometimes between the
planks of the buggy. l confess tnat never
in my life did come across more Stupid
set of fellows than the United States de-
tectives. They seemed to have no idea
whatever how to search men. In 1864
my family left Maryland and moved tc
Washington, where [ took still more ac-
tive part in the stirring events of that Pc
riod.a e
Meets Wilkes Booth.
In the fall of 1864 | was introduced to
John Wilkes Booth, who, | Was given te
understand, wished to know something a
bout the main avenues leading from Wash.
ington to the Potomac We met severa
times, but he seemed to be very reticen
with regard to his purposes, and very anx
ious to get all the information out Of mt
he could. without telling me anything. =
At last said to him: 1T is useless fo
you, Mr.. Booth. to seek any information
from me at all; know who you are ant
what are your intentions" He hesitate'
some time. but finally said he would max
known his views to me provided [ woul
promise secrecy. [ replied. Il will d
nothing Of the kind. You know we'll
am Southern man. If you cannot trus
sne we will separate" He then said -
II will eonfde my plans to you; but be
fore doing SO l will make known to yo
the. motives that actuate me. In th
Northern prisons are many thousands G
our men whom the United States Govern
rnent refuse to exchange. You know a
yell as [ the efforts that have been mad
to.bring about that "a uck desired exchange
We are sadly in want of them as soldiers
We cannot spare oae man, whereas tn
United States Government is willing
let their own soldiers remain in our pris
ons because she has no need of men.
have proposition to submit to you, whic
! think If We can carry out will bring ;
bout the desired exchange"
A Plot to Kidnap the President.
.''Well, sir. what is your proposition
He sat quiet for an instant, and then. b.
f ore answering me, arose and looked VI