The National tribune., 1885-10-29

the cold hands they extend to me, God cam
not pardon me if / have done wrong; yet |
cannot see any wrong, except IN serving a de-
generate people. The little, the very little,
left behind to clear my name, the Government
will not allow to be printed. So ends all! FOR
my country have given IN all that makes lie
sweet and holy. brought misfortune upon my
family, and am sure there is pardon for me
i'll the heavens, since man condemns me so.
i have only heard of what has been done lex
cept what | did myself, aud it fills me with
horror. God, try and forgive me and bless my
mother. Tonight / will once more try the
river with the intention TO cross; though l
have a greater desire and almost mind to re-
turn TO Washington, and in a measure clear my
name, which | feel can do. | do not repent
the blow | struck. ! may before my God, but
not to man. ! think | have done well, though
/ am abandoned, with the curse of Cain upon
me, when, if the world knew my heart, that
one blow would have made me great, though
did desire no greatness. Tonight | try once
more to escape these boodhouuds Who who,
can read his fate Gods will be done | have
too great care todie like criminal. oh, may
He spare me that and let me die bravely. |
bless the entire world. / have never hated nor
wronged any one. This last was not wrong,
unless God deems it SO, and it is with Him to
damn or bless me. And for this brave boy,
Herold, here with me, who often prays (yes
u
was it crime in him? If so, why can he pray
the same? / do not wish to shed drop of
blood. but / must fight the course. lis all
that's left me-"
THE OLD FORDs THEATER,
in which President Lincoln was shot, is on
10th street. between L and +. Once after the
fatal night theatrical performance was adver-
tised to take place in it, but 1t was forbidden by
the authorities. 1t was then bought by the
Government, and is now used as National
Medical Museum.
John H. Surratt has been some years en- gagged
rs clerk in the freight office of a steamboat line
in Baltimore For consd time during the
war he was one of the secret agents of the Con
federacy and in that capacity made repeated
trips between Richmond and Canada In a re-
cent interview, speaking of those trips, Surratt
said
"There were not many difficulties. The fact
is that the North was so honeycomhcd by latent
rebellion and resident sympathi2ers that the
difficulty was how to avoid hospitality and
accept the best aid III traversing 1T. There was
no trouble. Once on the Maryland side, COM
ing North, and the rest was as easy rs travelling
now. The same was true on the return jour
ney, but the Potomac was closely guarded, and
ii was a serious matter to get across. Our dis
guses were manifold. however and whatever
dispatches we had were towed and weighted
astern of the boats so that in case Of capture we
could dispose of them eiiectually. We we're
at least | was, and so were all the people en-
gagged as agcnts-fired at score of times. both
by cannon and rifle, but was not hit. Other
people were occasionally less fortunate. We
used to choose dark, rainy nights for our expe-
ditions and usually managed to avoid the pa
troll boats. Travelling on this side was easy
enough. We simply bought railway tickets
and travelled as other people did. and, like
other people, we were let alone. 1t was nasty
business, though, because of the apprehension
we dwet in you can imagine that. remember
/ used to take, as rule, an evening train to Bal
timore and one at o'clock or so from there to
Harrisburg Then l had to wait for train
West or North sometimes. l went TO the bridge
sometimes by way of the Reading Railroad to
New York via Easton and up Lake Champlain,
and at others to Detroit But we used to go
regularly to Harrisburg, and we had 10 wait
there where the detectives were thicker than
any other kind of passengers. L never made
any disguises, but went about my business as
one who had legitimate errands in travelling"
Speaking of his mother Surratt said: "Now
let me socmnly say that | never knew that my
mother was in serious danger. deemed 1t only n
matter oftime-a few months-when she should
by reason of the revulSion of public feeling,
be released. In that belief was confirmed by
those about me- who insisted that she was to be
discharged and kept the newspapers away from
me. When heard that she was sentenced to
death was absolutely crazy. l was restrained
by force-physical force, which | tried to over
come-from coming to the States if not to save
to die with her. Alas, l could not do it. |
fought and plead, but those about me had
their lives at stake and my return might be
clew to their place of living and they stopped
me- If l had known earlier; but l did not
know. l have had every conceivable unkind
thing said of me. They have said that had l
come forth from hiding and said, Here am L.
would have saved her and myself. / do not
believe that the temper of the people would
have allowed any one to be saved; but that
would not have mattered in tIiB1east. / would
have come had l known. l would, as God is
my judge"