The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-12-30
The Story of the Assassination of
President Lincoln.
JOHN Fl. SURRATT'S LECTURE.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.-JoHN II.
SURRATT, last night, at Rockville, Il
village in Montgomery county, Mary
land, some sixteen miles northwest of
this city, made his debut. Since his
trial and discharge in this city, Surratt
has spent portion of his time in low
err Maryland, has been in the commits
sion business in Baltimore, and now has
turned up as a school-teacher in Rock
vile, where he has availed himself of
leisure hours to prepare, in the shape of
a lecture, history of the events which
brought him so prominently before the
public. He has a good voice and easy
delivery, to which he occasionally al
ded great warmth of feeling, particu-
larly when he referred to his mother
and his alleged desertion of her in her
darkest hour:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: Upon
entering that door "A few moments ago
the impression on my mind wa7 so
strong as to vividly recall scenes of three
years ago. am not unacquainted with
courtroom audiences. | have stood be.
fore them before; true, not in the char
acter of lecturer, but as a prisoner at
the bar, arraigned for the high crime
of murder. In contrasting the two pO-
sitions l must confess / felt more ease
us the prisoner at the bar than | do as a
lecturer. Then | felt confident Of sue
cess now do not. Then | had gen
tlemen of known ability to do all my
talking for me; now unfortunately,
l., 10. IL, Gov, ,,I f.gf L.,
capable of performing the task; still
hope you will all Judge me kindly. !
am not here to surprise you by any or
atOrical etfOrt-not at all-but only to
tell simple tale. | feel that some eX
planntiOn, perhaps, indeed, an apology
is due you for my appearance here this
evening. In presenting this lecture be
| fore the public | do it in no spirit O
| self Justification. In trial of siXty-OnC
days | made my defence to the world
and | have no need or desire to rehearst
it; nor do l appear for self glOrification
| On the contrary, | dislike notOriety
and leave my solitude and ObscuritS
unwillingly. Neither is it an itching
for notOriety and fame. My object il
to present simple narrative of event,
as they occurred. | stand here through
the force of that which has OBLIGED ma
ny other men to do things quite rs dis
tasteful-pecuniary necessity, for thu
supply of which no more available
channel presented itself This is rea
son easily appreciated. So you will take
it kindly, / trust, and the ground W.
will have to 90 over together will guar
antee sufficient interest to repay you
kind attention. In this my first lecture
! will speak of my introduction to j
Wilkes BoOth-his plants failure
our final separatiOn--mY trip from
Richmond, and thence to Cana la-thei
my orders to Elmira-what was don,
there-the first intimation | had o
Lincoln's death-my return to Canadi
and concealment there and tiaal depart
ure for Europe.
At the breaking out of the war | wa
a student at st. Charles College, in Ma
ryland, but did not remain long Their
after that important event. / left il
July, 1861, and returning home com
| menced to take an active part in tht
stirring events of that period. / wa
not more than eighteen years of age
and was mostly engaged in sending in
formation regarding the movements o
the United States army stationed il
Washington and elsewhere, and carry
ing dispatches to the Confederate boat
on the Potomac. We had reguarl!
established line from Washington t,
the Potomac, and l being the only un
married man on the route, had most O
the hard riding to do. / devised vari
Gus ways to carry the despatches-some
times in the heel of my boots, some
times between the planks Of my buggy
/ confess that never in my life did
come across more stupid set of detect
| ixTaG than thnGA tranaTal liNy nnl1,l .Nn1 hl
the United States Government, The.
seemed TO have 40 idea whatever hoy
TO search men. In 1864 my family lief
Maryland and moved TO Washington
where / took still more active part il
the stirring events of that period. |
was fascinating life TO me II SCENE,
as If could not do too much or run to-
great risk.
In the fall of 1864 was introduced