The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-08-01

hilties of its IN isinterprctation by the authori-
ties hourly assumed more formidable proper.
lions.
II laid the matter ut once before Gen. Sheri.
dan. He replied that in the present excited
state OF public feeling it might look dark, but
if he heard any unpleasant questions he thought
he could satisfy the authorities. Fortunately,
however, never heard anything more of the
matter.
lone day while in Washington I called on
Mrs. Harold. She said that she never saw David
after his arrest although her daughters bad
been permitted to visit him.
"She. according to her account, had sent hin,
into Maryland to collect rents and he was seen
there by at least two reputable and respected
citizens at time that would utterly preclude
the possibility of his presence in Washington
when the deplorable event occurred.
david, continued Mrs. Harold, was on
the Anacostia bridge on his way home from
Maryland that awful night. and there acct.
dentaly met Booth who told him that he had
just killed the President, but had broken his
leg while making his escape.
=" He insisted that David should accompany
him in his flight. not only because he stood in
need of his assistance, but because il was the
safest and. indeed, the only plan to pursue.
David at first declined, but was told by the
assassin that all his papers would soon be in the
hands of the authorities aud were of so in
eliminating nature that he would be hanged
anyway. Ny boy then cast his fortunes with
the man whose influence was then. as it had
been ever since they met paramount to every
other Harold solemnly assured his sisters,
when convinced that there was no possibility OF
his life been saved, that the subject Of killing
the President had never been mentioned he
tween him and Booth. and that he believed that
the assassination was the result Of sudden
mad impulse rather than premeditated plan.
Mrs. Harold told me, however, that her son
acknowledged to her daughters that he was in
a conspiracy to kidnap President Lincoln
Booth was tho leader of this nefarious
plot.
There stood at that time. and. in fact.
stands TO day, in an unfreguented part of
Washington, near the river front a rambling
old structure, surrounded by extensive grounds,
and known AS the Van Ness Mansion. For
some reason the original owner and builder of
this Mansion had constructed an extensive
system of communicating vaults beneath his
house, which had, it was said, suberranean
passage or outlet TO the Potomac River, a short
distance away.
1t was within these vaults practically in
accessible and comparatively unknown or even
suspected at the time. that Harold declared the
conspirators intended TO hold President Lincoln
as hostage for such concessions they saw fit
TO demand.
did Harold tell the truth when, on that
Spring morning awaiting the execution of the
laws just sentence. he solemnly protested TO
those he held nearest and dearest his ignorance
of all knowledge Of an attempt to be made on
the Presidents life?
Did Harold, standing in the shadow of his
awful doom. speak an untruth when he re-
vealed to his sisters the details of the gigantic
conspiracy which, if successful, would have ex-
ertcd a tremendous influence on events closely
following the surrender?
Whether guilty of one or both he unques.
tionably deserved the punishment he received.
Il have related this story just as / had it
from the lips of David f. Harold's mother.
She undoubtedly truthfully detailed to me her
sons statements. but which of Harod's two
statements il either, can be believed"