Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-04-03

told them that I was an Americana. a de.
serter from the Papilo Guardo and wanted
to get to the coast. they treated me. with
have been kinder. i hall remember these
honest relocated men with deepest graft
tude as long as live. They entertained
me for a week and when / decided to go
to Naples they made it possible for me to
do SO with safety.
"As / was travelling under English pass
ports. I went direct to the English consul
unmingled surprise at my red fez: basgy
trousers and leggings Of the Papal Zouaves,
he said to me: DO you realize for a mo-
ment. man the risk you run? Don't you
Gariba;di and that you might have a knife
run in your back at any moment?
II told him that the Garibaldi were the
very best friends I had. the only friends.
in fact, and thai the zone 1 had in my
pocket was given me by them. I remained
in Naples several days and the entire time
l was there I was Swallowed by two de-
t~ectives. They never lost sight of me-"
That must have been cheerful. Who did
they representa-"
II don't know. and as a matter Of fact /
did not care. Coming face to face with
them on one OCCASION, / said to them:
You stick to me nobly. brothers. I feel
deeply moved at you kin attention. They
made no reply. but they did not dare to
Garibaldian friends. 1t became known that
I was going to Alexandria, and by a sim
guar coincidence the very ship which took
me there also carried dispatches to Consul
Hale at that point to arrest me and keep
me in close confinement until the arrival Of
Commodore Jeffrey. When We were a few
days out from Naples it became known OF
the vessel who l was. OF was supposed to
be. 1t was reported that I had killed the
president of the United States. When this
became noised around the ship there was
the greatest excitement at once. The cap
tain of the vessel came to me and said:
Your presence is kicking up a great
fuss on this ship. Who are you anyway
Arrested by Consul Hale.
st told him frankly the truth, and while
he was most kind he refused to land me
anywhere else than Alexandria. I was by
this time completely tired of being a man
without a country. and determined that on
reaching Alexandria 1 would place no more
obstacles In the way of my capture and re-
turn to the United States. Accordingly,
when I reached that city I went to a hotel.
signed my correct name and sat quietly on
the porch smoking a cigar, waiting for some
one to come and arrest me. On the after
noon of the day after my arrival. glancing
down the street, I saw coming up towards
the hotel, an p carriage. containing one
man and followed by a squad Of cavalry.
1 knew at once who they were. The cav
alcade stopped in front of the hotel. and
the gentleman got out-he was Consul Hale
and coming up to me asked me IL I were
John II. Surratt. 1 told him that such was
the case. He said he had orders for my
arrest. When the carriage drove of there
were two in it and l was the second occu-
pant. 1 was placed in the city prison,
awaiting the arrival of the man-of-war, and
visited daily by Mr.. Hale. He treated
me as a son. While he gave me plenty OF
reading matter. hewould never tell me when
and how l was to be taken back to the
United States. One day l heard a great
fuss in the yard Of the prison where the
was swearing like a trooper in English. I
went into the yard and found a United
States man-of-warsman. On my asking
him what the trouble was, between his
oaths he stated that he belonged to a
United States war vessel. which had ar
rived the night before, and. getting drunk.
he had BEEN jagged Said he:
".Here we nave been chasing all over
Europe for a fellow named Surratt, and
blankety-blanked II he hasn't given us a
slip three times. We have come here to get
him now. and blankety-blank II I believe
we will ever see him. 1 smiled grimly. He
said the vessel was in command of Commo-
day 1 asked him when I was to be deliv-
cred to Commodore jeffrey. To say that
he was surprised was putting It mildly.
He never learned how I found out. / was
placed on board the vessel, heavily chained
and h~andcufed. and taken to MarsefIles,
where a United States feet was lying, in
command Of Admiral Goldsborough. When
of splendid vessels, with the stars and
stripes flying from every ship I could rave
cheered. / was proud Of my country. The
bands were playing Star SpangIed Ban
ner.' Hail Columbia Maryland, My Mary
land and Dixie I was taken aboard the