The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-03
WAS NOT A PARTY TO THE DEED
BUT TALKED WITH BOOTH ABOUT
ABDUCTING THE PREsIDENT.
Surratt's Flight to Europe, Service In
the PapaI Guard, Betrayal, Arrest,
and Subsequent Trial.
Special to the indianapolis journal.


Abraham Lincoln was shot to death by
John Wilkes Booth in the old Ford's The
alter, Washington and of the eleven indi-
viduals who were connected, directly or in
directly, with that tragic and unhappy
event but two are yet living. One Of these
is Lewis j. Weichmann, now a resident OF
Philadelphia, whose testimony was the
foundation stone on which the government
rested its hopes of convicting Mrs. Mary +.
Surratt and her son, John III. Surratt, and
on which history and the light Of subse-
quent events have since cast a grave
shadow. The other living actor in that IA
nous tragedy is John Harrison Surratt, a
resident of this city, trusted and honored
official in the Old Bay line of Chesapeake
steamers, whose life story from the time he
ran away from school as a mere lad of six
teen and joined the secret service bureau
of the Confederacy until the last day of his
lengthy and highly sensational trial reads
like fairy tale, and it is but another evil
dence of the oft-proven adage that Truth
is stranger than fiction" For third of a
| century prominent writer's for newspapers
| and magazines in every section of the Union
| have realized that could John II. Surratt
| be induced to tell his story freely, unre-
servedly and fully, it would rival in ro-
mantle interest and dramatic detail any
! thing hitherto published concerning the
| landmarks of the war between the States.
Countless efforts-over a thousand, in fact
have been made to get MIN to tell his story
| and make statement of his true relations
with Wilkes Booth. Weichmann, DIR. Mudd
and the other actors who figured in that
long train of stirring events which culmi-
mated in the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln and the execution of his mothe,
but prior to the three interviews granted me
| for the Sunday Journal, in which he told me
| every detail of his life, he has returned but
one answer to all. The wound was too deep
and ranking to tear open at this late day
and expose to the critical gaze of an I'M
| sympathetic public. He feels now, how
| ever, that after a lapse of a third OF GEN.
tury the bitterness Of feeling, rancor ana
hate engendered by four long years of in
ternecine strife has passed away and given
| place to a more fair and liberal feeling con-
corning his reputed connection with an
event which shocked the world and thrust
a nation into mourning.
''I feel that owe it to those who have
passed away, as well as to myself, to make
a statement concerning what know Of that
event." he said. His statement places him
in very different light before the people of
| the country.
Captain Surratt is very different from the
| ignorant and bloodthirsty Southerner pic
| tured by an angry press during his trial.
| On the contrary he is refined, highly edu-
| Gated and polished. His manners are state
| ly and dignified. He is a brilliant talkers
| and every word he utters conveys the exact
I meaning he intended. He is above the
medium height, straight and slender, and
has iron gray hair and mustache and two
piercing gray eyes set deep in his head be-
meath heavy eyebrows. He talks in low
tone Of voice, never hesitates for a word,
and only twice during my talks with him
did he become excited, although dwelling
for the first time in over thirty years on
| matters which must have stirred his feel
| ings to their core. Once was when he spoke
of Wilkes Booth and the other time was
| during his terrible arraignment OF WEIGH
mann. He is only fifty-five years old, al
though he looks seventy He told me he
lived fifty years from the time he entered
the Southern army until he was liberated
on bail after his two months trial.
IN THE SECRET SERVICE.
AS the substance OF this interview is OF
considerable historical importance in that
it is the first purely voluntary statement
Of any one who had aught to do with
Wilkes Booth, will give his statements,
word for word. as they left his mouth
merely preserving historical sequence
when the war broke out" said he. II was
| a small boy of sixteen, studying at st.
Charles College, in Carroll county, Mary
| land. and like all Southern boys at that
| time was red-hot rebel and dearly loved
| my native State. At the college it was
| strictly against the rules to discuss even
in the most casual manner any of the
| political questions then agitating the coun-
| try I remember one afternoon we were
all on the campus, which directly faced
| Charles Carroll, of Carrollton's beautiful
estate, Dourehegan Manor, when there is
sued from the main driveway opposite, a.
/ troop of Confederate cavalry on their way
to join the Army of Northern Virginia. The
troop had been recruited and was led by
| young Charles Carroll. They were a mag
nihce]t set Of young men, full of fire, dash
and vim, and presented a splendid appear
ance. 1 was fired with martial ardor at
the sight, and tossing my cap into the air,
1 cheered and cheered again In fact, I
cheered myself hoarse. When the troop had
disappeared behind cloud of dust my COM
rades assured me that 1 would certainly
be expelled, and taking the bull by the
horns, as it were, went direct to the prin-
cipal and told him what had done. He
was very angry at first, but finally soften
| ing, said 1t might prove a good thing after
all, adding, We may have use for those
young men yet. 1t was at this college that
/ first met Lewis ]. Weichmann, my Mem
esis. a man who has done more than any
one living or dead to bring disgrace on me
and my family. He is living proof that
the child is father to the man.
After staying az the college q few
months ! became convinced that my placa
was In the ranks Of the Southern Confed-
eracy. and suiting the action to the thought
went direct TO Richmond and entered the
Secret Service Bureau under General VIII
der. one of the finest Americans that ever
lived 1t would take every column OF space
you represent to detail all my experiences
while travelling the underground route be-
tween Richmond. Washington, Baltimore
and Montreal. ! had innumerable hEsr-
breadth escapes. When look hack on thu
1 risks ran and the desperate chances
took. 7 tail Ga 80 Low could hnpa haE*