St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-09
CAPTURING LINCoEN's AssAssINs
Ne,c Facts of the old Story Told by Ee-Pro-
rost Marshal Wells.
PHILADELPHIA Times.

Ex-Gov. H. II. Wells, who was provost
marshal in the district of Columbia following
the assassination of President Lincoln, gave
last night in the course of lecture at North
Road street Presbyterian church some inter-
esting "reminiscences of that exciting period
and the instances connected with the
conspiracy and its sequel. Some things he
told were entirely new or very little known
and others have been long forgotten. As he
had charge of ferreting ont the conspiracy it
was curious to hear him say that in his belief
the hand of providence aiding justice was
visible all through what occurred. Booths
spur catching in the American flag that
| draped the presidents box, causing him to
sprain his ankle he considered as circum-
stance of this order. He described the very
interesting capture of PAYNE, showing how
nearly he escaped, and also brought out the
singular fact that if it had not been for an
old, gray-headed negro, Booth and his COM
panion, Harold, might not have been cap
tured.
The lecturer was very emphatic in his dec
laration of the guilt of Mrs. Surratt and by
inference of her daughter He intimated
that Miss Annie Surratt, like Harold and
Payne, was strongly under Wilkes Booths
influence, and he described letter from one
of her girl friends, found in the house, on
which she had scrubbed in various forms his
name, then her own and finally 'tAlr. and
Mrs. j. Wilkes Booth.' He also told of two
letters from young lady of culture and high
social position in New York written to Booth
and found in his overcoat pocket, which
were returned to her father and never made
public. When Payne, with his arms in an
iron bar and ball and chain on his leg. was
ten feet under water on monitor, and when
everything had been taken from him and he
realized what was in store, he asked for one
favor which was granted him-the return of
lit lie embroidered pin cushion. The lee
turer had no doubt whatever of DR.. Mudd 5
compli city in theconspiracy. lie showed al
so, that Booth was traced entirely by the marks
of the hoOfs of his daintly-fOOted mare, to
! find which the soldiers crawled miles in the
mud on their hands and knees. When at last
they had lost the trail they encountered an
| old negro, who at first declared he knew
nothing. Not until lie knew that Massa
Lincum had been murdered and that it
was his murderer they were searching did he
consent to tell the way the two men went.
Elk Gov. Wells greatly deprecated the
shooting of Booth and said the soldier who
did it was a vain fellow, anxious for noto-
| ll6ly Dul nc dSSuIeu the uuuiCuCS ludl lltIc
was no foundation for the story that Booths
body was never found, as he was able to
testify OF his personal knowledge that the
principal mark OF identification on him was
cut from his neck and may yet be seen in
| Washington. The lecturer also declared his
emphatic conviction that Vice President
Johnson had no part in the conspiracy and
said he felt sure that if Atzerot had not been
quite drunk and mistaken the room in the
Kirkwood house, Mr.. johnson would in all
probability have been assassinated.