Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-09

tions were established against prisoners.
WAsHIN GToN, April 8.-During the ex-
citing times Immediately following the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the pris-
oners who were arrested in connection with
that AFFAIR." were confined on board of
United States monitors anchored IN the
Potomac river, opposite the navy yard. A
history of the Washington Navy Yard,
written by Chaplain Henry B. Hibben.
which has just been issued as an executive
document by the Senate, contains the orders
given to the commandant of the navy yard
as to the care of those important prisoners,
and these orders reveal one or two features
of their treatment, which, it is believed,
have never before been made public.
The first order was from the Navy Depart
ment to Commodore ]. B. Montgomery, COM
mandant of the yard, and dated April Is, 1855,
the day of Mr.. Lincoln's death. 1t read as fol-
lows:
THE OFFICIAL ORDER.
III the military authorities arrest the muir
derer of the President and take him to the
navy yard, put him in a monitor and anchor
her out in the stream, with strong guard on
vessel, wharf and in navy yard. Call on com
vessel Immediately prepared, ready to receive
the criminal at any hour, day or night. He
will be heavily ironed and SO guarded as to
prevent escape or injury to himself"
Two days later the department notified the
commandant that 1.-The War Department
wishes special attention called this afternoon
to order of Saturday, 18th inst. Keep a boat
in constant readiness and have guard at the
gate, that the prisoner can be safely got on
board"
The first prisoners were received at the navy
yard that night and the following day Commo-
dore Montgomery reported that Mike O'Flaher-
ty and Lewis Payne had been delivered during
the night and were confined on board the
monitor Saugus, in double irons and under
strong guard.
April 20 two more prisoners were received at
the navy yard. They were James Andrew Atze
rott and Ernest Hartman Ritchie, his brother
in-law. April % the Assistant Secretary of
the Navy sent this order to Commodore Mont
gomery:
THE Secretary of War wishes Atzerott sepa-
rated from his brother-in-law, Ritchie, by put
ting the former In another vessel, unbeknown
to the other prisoners; also that ball and
chain be put on each ankle of Payne"
BAGS FOR PRISONERS HEADS.
On the following day the commandant re-
ceived directions which showed that Secretary
of War Stanton proposed to neglect no pre-
caution toward preventing any sort of COM
munication between the prisoners. These di-
THE Secretary of War requests that the
prisoners on board ironclads belonging to his
department for better security against conver-
sation shall have a canvass bag put over the
head of each and tied around the neck with
hole for proper breathing and eating, but not
seeing, and that Payne be secured to prevent
self-destruction."
To:this order. which is now brought to light
for the first time Commandant Montgon cry
replied on the same day:
'The hoods were made, and have been ap-
piled as directed. The prisoners are in all re-
Ned Spangier was taken from the old Capitol
Prison that day and confined on one of the
monitors. Three days later, April q, the CON-
mandant reported to the Navy Department as
follows:
David G. Harold, prisoner, and the re-
mans of Wilkes Booth were delivered here at
1:45 this morning. The body of Booth is chang
it? 1t is now on board the Ironclad Montauk."
SECRETARY srANToN's FEARS.
Later in the day the commandant was handed
an order, signed by Secretaries " elles and Stan
ton, directing him to permit Surgeon General
Barnes, Judge Advocate General Holt. and GER
tain other officers and civilians, including
photographer, to 60 on board the Montauk and
see Booths body. The order also directed that,
after the Surgeon General had made an autop-
sy, the body should be placed in strong box
carefully sealed, and delivered to the charge of
Col. l.. c. Baker.
A letter sent to the Secretary of the Navy
the following day by Commandant Montgom-
cry shows that he had no chance to carry out
part of this joint order. The writer COM
plains that the body of Booth was suddenly and
Unexpectedly removed by Colonel Baker TO
tug and taken away before the marine officer
had any opportunity to report the proceedings
to the commandant. The box prepared
for it was left on the Montauk, and
Commandant Montgomery reported that
it was ready for delivery when
called for Other correspondence shows that
the navy officers at the yard felt that they had
not been properly treated by the higher au-
thorities, and were disposed to criticise the
military authorities for the informal and un-
military" way in which Booths body was
taken from their custody, without any written
authority for SO disposing of it having been
shown to any officer of the vessel The orders
leave no doubt of the great fear which beset
Secretary Stanton that the prisoners would es-
cape. or be rescued, and this fear seems to have
extended even to the dead body of the assassin.