National Republican., 1883-04-11
rnE rRurn on 11rsroRY
Slightly Perverted ny a New York News
paper writcr-Booth ana Harold the
Assassius.

slightly Perverted ny New York News
pnper Writer-Booth and Harold thc
Assessins.
"The New York Sun illustrates how false
history is made" said gentleman to RE-
PUBLICAN reporter yesterday.
"How soY" said THE REPUBLICAN,.
ain speaking of our old criminal court room
at the city hall IL recently said
In that dirty and dingy old court room. were
teau's trial. Before that I'm the same court room
had occurred the trials OF the persons who were
charged with tho assassnation oi Linc9in--paine ,,
were convicted and sentenced TO execution, so
that this room has been the scene OF three im'
portant state trials.
"Now, this is Imaginable TO Washington peo-
pie. II Is well known that the trials Of the
conspirators occurred at the government PEN
itentiary where the prisoners were confined.
1t was down at the arsenal, or what Is now
known as the Washington barracks, and two
splendid residences, used as officers quarters
now, represent two wings Of that old institu-
tion. In tho space between these two houses
the four conspirators were hanged"
Did you know any of the eonspirators ~
"Yes. knew Dave Harold intimately, and
with John Wilkes Booth / had q speaking ac-
quaintance. Harold was o drug clerk on
Eighth street southeast, between l aud X
streets. His mother lived in the neighborhood.
DIR. Francis S. Walsh kept the apothecary
store, and was also an old clerk in the quar-
tormaster's department Of the marine corps,
whose headquarters was one block north. Har-
old was n harum- -scarum young fellow fond OF
his dog and gun. He was good fellow to go
with down into Maryland on hunt"
WAS he crazy young fellow, as some peo-
pie represented him to beY'
mo I'm glad you mentioned that. John
Clampitt, who with Fred A. Aiken, defended
Mrs. Surratt published an article in the North
american ReUieW two or three years ago. in
which he did injustice to Harold and his
family by stating that he (Harold) was half
witted fellow Half witted fellows were not
acting rs drug clerks then or now. Harold
was not half witted by long shot. The
meanest' thing about him was his politics.
He was a young copporhead. Clampitts arti-,
Gle was laborcd production written to show
that Gen. Hancock had nothing to do with
the death of Mrs. Surratt"
did anybody ever suppose he had2"
"Oh, yes. You know he gave the signal
for the trap TO fall which launched tho four
conspirators into eternity but he was obey
ing orders only and could not stop the exeou-
tion any more than could"
"Did you SEQ Harold or Booth after the
tragedyT
1cs, DOUn OF IUcms bNW Huu bUOkS W
Harold on a monitor at tho navy yard. He
was heavily ironed down in tho hold of the
vessel. He looked up, and laughingly called me
by name. Booths body lay OIL the upper
deck of the same vessel His handsome face
had cloth over it. The body was there but
a few hours when II was taken down TO the
penitentiary. Everybody knew Harold at
the navy yard section of the city and many
of the workmen saw him while II prisoner on
the monitor. His father had been n clork in
the naval store in the yard some years be-
| fore"
"were Booth and Harold together fire.
quently?"
"Yes. Harold thought II was great thing
to enjoytan intimacy with an actor Of Booth s
reputation. They often were on horseback
together, frequently passing 7er the Union
town bridge into Maryland. This was the
same bridge they passed oyer the night Booth
shot the president"
"Was Booth u companionable manP
He was n very attractive man in conversa-
tion and disposed TO bo convivial. Next
door to Ford's theater, previous to and ut tho
time of the assassination, was u first class
restaurant kept by Taltavull and Grillo, two
members of the marine band who were also
attached to the orchestra of the theater.
was in that restaurant the New Years night
| previous 10 the assassination with Frank
Collinsworth, the billiard player; Frank
Drew, Ned Brink, and several others. Drew
and Brink were actors, Booth was also
there. AT the hour (midnightl when the
new year was ushered in, Roth made the
colored oyster bartender, who was quite ia.
vorite, mount the bar aud with we'll filled
glasses all hands drank to BasiPs" health as
the clock struck 12. was talking to Col
linsworth about the incident some time age
and he remembered 1t we'll. / never heard
Booth discuss politics. l saw him play Pes
cara in Shiels's tragedy of The Apostate" q
| few weeks before the assassination,