The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-08


small. black box. containing two car
bines, a monkey wrench, ammunition
and four pieces of rope. by the porter
of the National Hotel to our room at
Mrs. Van Tynes. Not wishing it TO re-
main in our room. O'Laughlln sent the
box TO an acquaintance of his in Wash
ington. This box was sent to our room
in the early part Of March. 1865, I
think, and was removed in about
week or ten days.
After Booth and Herold met
O'Laughlin and myself and made ar
rangements to go out to the perform
ance on Seventh street. Booth, Herold
and O'Laughlin went for the box con-
tanning the two carbines, etc. The I'M
Outstanding was that Herold was to
take the box with Booths horse and
buggy to either Surrattsville or T. B.,
and there meet us, in case the abduc-
ton was successful This was the last
time saw Herold until our trial.
! O'Laughlin returned and we took our
dinner at the Franklin Hotel, as usual.
After dinner we met Booth and accom-
panied him to the livery stable near the
Patent Office, at which place Booth OBJ
tanned horses for us. O'Laughlin and I
then rode to our room on D street and
made all our necessary arrangements,
each arming himself. O'Laughlin and
l then rode out to where the perform
ance was to take place.
| We stopped at a restaurant at the
| foot of the hill to await the arrival of
the other parties. They not arriving
as soon as we expected, we remounted
our horses and rode out the road about
mile. We then returned and stopped
at the same restaurant. Whilst in
| there Atzerodt came in, having just ar
rived with Payne. A short time after
Booth and Surratt came in and We
drank together. Booth had made in
quiries at the encampment where the
performance was to be held, and learn
ed that the president was not there.
After telling us this we separated,
O'Laughlin and myself riding back to
the city together Surratt and Booth
rode out the road towards the coun-
try. O'Laughlin and I left our horses
back of the National Hotel, at livery
stable.
! CONSPIRACY ABANDONED.
| ABOUT . y CLOCK IilGl bOULu anu our
raft near the stable. This was the last
time / ever saw Surratt, and I never
saw Payne after we parted on our ride
into the city until the day of our trial.
O'Laughlin and I left Washington on
March 20 and went to Baltimore. Booth
went to New York, and thus thought
the whole affair abandoned. I then
told my family had ceased business in
Washington and had severed my con-
nection with Booth.
My father told me that if I should
apply to J. w. Wharton for employ
ment I might obtain it, as Wharton
was looking for a clerk the last time
he came up from Old Point Comfort
Va, to Baltimore. I went to my broth
er's home at Hookstown, Baltimore
county, and I returned March % to
Baltimore. was informed at my
fathers that Booth had called to see
me, and left q card requesting me to
call upon him at the Barnum Hotel.
found a letter there, also, from him
for me, in which he stated he desired
to give it another trial the week follow
ing, and If unsuccessful, to abandon 1t
forever The letter found in Booths
trunk was in answer to this letter,
which innocently wrote to prevent his
undertaking it.
On the same day, March 27, 1865, I
applied to j. w. Wharton, at Old Point
Comfort for employment and received
q favorable answer to my application
on March 81, 1865 O'Laughlin came to
my fathers, to which place I had re-
turned from my brothers, and request
ed me to accompany him to Washing
ton to see Booth, for the purpose of
obtaining $500, which Booth had borrow
ed from him. | went with him that
morning and returned with him in the
early afternoon train of the same day.
At the depot at Washington we acct
dentally met Atzerodt. We drank to-
gether and then parted from him. I
never saw him from the 18th of March
until then, and never afterwards until
our trial.
SURRATT IN RICHMOND.
We saw Booth. During our CONVEX
sation he told us that the president was
not in washington. He also said that
surratt had gone to Richmond, as he
had understood through Weichman
tIEdL II MIS- ioldluE udu arrived from
Canada with dispatches, and that tho
party who had been in the habit of fer
rying persons across the river had been
arrested by the government, in conse-
quence of which Surratt offered his ser
vices to accompany her to Richmond.
I asked If he had received my letter of
the 9th, and he replied that he had
not. I asked him, when the letter was
received to destroy it. He told me he
would.
This interview on March 81 took place
in his room at the National Hotel
Booth, O'Laughlin and myself being
present. In this conversation Booth
stated that the enterprise was aban-
doned. He also stated that he intend
ed to return to his profession. 1t was
at this interview that I asked Booth
what should do with the arms | had
He told me to keep them, to sell them
or do anything l desired with them We
left him at his room at the hotel about
y o'clock in the afternoon, and after
that time l never received either a let
ter from him or any other communica-
ton, nor he from me; neither have !
seen him since.
We returned to Baltimore on the
early Afternoon train. I parted with
OLaughln and went to my fathers
there found a letter from Wharton, in
which he gave me employment. The
next morning l went to my brothers al