Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-04-18

got upon his feet, and had to hop on one
foot TO the stage door, where he was nearly five
minutes las he Afterwards told David Herold)
mounting his horse The pain from his frate
ture then was of the most intense character.
He rode away. He met Herold; the other con-
Spirators-Payne and Atzerott-failed to keep
the rendezvous, and he and Herold went on. He
would have taken the direct road to the lower
Terry, but the agony occasioned by the fracture
was too great, and he turned aside and went
that night to DIR. Mudd's residence to have his
surgical aid. and this was how the doctor was
involved. Booths after movements came TO
me after much study and inquiry from fellow
prisoners-at the CarrOll-and others, about
which may write again. but now am only
telling the history of one day.
MRS. sURRATT AND THE WITNESS wEICHMAN.
To return to Mrs. Surratt, II had never heard
Of or met that lady. or any of her name, until
after April 18th, 1865. noted her in prison
after April 18th, and the week following. Louis
j. Weichman who was my fellow prisoner. and
frequently conversed with me. said "she was
an exemplary, christian woman, to him she had
fully filled the place of his mother, and In every
relation of life She was eminently a consistent,
pious lady" The tribute to her character by
one who was afterwards the chief witness
against her, did more to impel me to search
out the truth than any other cause. So much
in parenthesis She, Mrs. Surratt, went to Sur
r ar Ley with Weichnan remained near him
until Weichman had turned the buggy around,
facing Washington, as a light rain began to fall
when Lloyd came up much in liquor. He had
been to the county court during the day. What
Mrs. Surratt said to him was said while seated
in the buggy with her escort, and 1t was mainly
as to the business of collecting what was due
her, SO as to meet her obligation to the Calvert
estate.
Mr.. Weichman drove her to Washington and
TO her home. He boarded there with her; he
had been her sons schOOlmate at Charlotte
Hall, and to use the language of a then young,
motherless girl, Miss Fitzpatrick, recall her
name when in prison,}-who was also under
Mrs. Surratts care-that she Mrs. So carried
her motherly care so far as to darn Weichman' s
hose and mend his linen, as she did for her own
son. There is no evidence, no probability, that
Mrs. SuTratt ever met again John Wilkes Booth
alter he left her on the pavement OF her house
on II street at midday on the 14th of April,
1860. He then had no information that would
have caused him to contemplate his terrible
crime OF that night.
BOOTHS ABDUCTION PLOTS.
He had determined on and arranged for the
abduction of the President some months pre-
vious, but the thought Of murder only came to
him when he heard of the intended visit to- the
theater that fatal evening. He knew both thea
tiers well, and would have probably attempted
the capture of the President at either but his
plans did not work well, and they had been
given up. Some of his cO-conspiratOrs had left
Washington; then this murderous temptation
came. Brutus was recalled to him; 1t stimulated
his already fevered brain, and he proceeded to
arrange to initiate the great Roman regicide,
made a patriot and a hero, but whose terrible
crime brought from the great Caesar the fearful,
despairing cry of "Et tn, Brute" as he recog-
Mrs Surratt reached her home, passed the
evening of Good Friday with her household,
and Just before retiring the fearful news of the
assassination of the President reached her and
that the name of the assassin was that of the
young man she had met and talked with at her
front door at midday, and who had previously
and frequently visited her son and other in
mates OF her clearinghouse.
April 18th, 1885.