Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-19
Lincoln Conspiracy
and It's COnSpiraf0rs.
who
1902
who was Imprisoned at tue Dry Tortugas.

! 3ftCrW3rd ASKING any questions ieiaeiNS
| 10 II. This continued until a few Gays oe-
! tor. our departure from the island. When
| it bees mo known that Or. Mudd had been
| hardened and the Fifth Artillery had
! been relieved Spangler requested that the
| portion of the fence directly III front OF
our quarters be removed, so that we
could obtain light and proper ventilation
! to our room. the side walls OF winch were
! hung with deep masses of slime ana
spongy substances, created through OK
| trcr,c dampness.
OBSTRUCTION REMOVED.
| The provost marshal said that he would
! consult General Hill. then commanding,
! III regard TO his request. He did SO, and
| The following day the obstruction was re
moved. Very soon afterwaTd we received
tic news Of our pardons. when we be-
came calious to all surroundings, feeling
that their tenure Of persecution and in
tense hatred which had existed for four
years was drawing to close. Before the
departure of the Fifth Artillery we re-
cciyej a telegram notifying us of our
pardon, whcreupon we received the con-
CALCULATIONS Of each officer Of the post,
whether real or fictitious it is beyond my
power to state.
On March 20. 1869, having received my
release from their custody by virtue Of
the official pardon granted by Andrew
Johnson. president OF the United States.
issued in our respective cases we depart
ed from the fort. transportation alone be-
Ing furnished as far as Key West, Fla.
The government had deported us far from
our homes to a strange land and had dis
charged US with no means at command
to return. Had it not been for my father,
who came for me. I would have been LEI,
penni!ess among strangers, without mean3
to reach my home or TO purchase subsis-
tence to alleviate hunger. Like justice
followed my footsteps from its beginning
to its end.
THE OFFICIAL PARDON.
Armed with the official authority which
restored ME again to the world a free
man. pardon granted by the United
States government. copy OF which is
herewith appended, TO wit:
Andrew Johnson.
President of the United States Of Ameri-
ca. To all to whom these presents shall
come. greeting:
Whereas On the 30th day of June. in
tine year 1855. one Samuel &. Arnold was,
by the judgment Of 4. military commits
sion. convened and holden in the city Of
Washington, declared guilty of the spe-
cifica ton wherein he was charged in the
words and figures following, to wit: And
In further prosecution Of said conspiracy
the said Samuel Arnold did within the
military department and the military lines
aforesaid on or before the 9Th day OF
March. A Z. 1865. and on divers other
days and times between that day and the
18th day of April. a. D. 1855, combine,
conspire with nlu. counsel, ;Ibet, comfort
and support the said J,lin Wilkes Booth,
Lewis PAYNE. George 4. .Atzerodt,
Michael O'Lauslllin and their confeder
ates in said unlawful, murderous and trail
torous conspiracy and the execution there
OF aforesaid; and
Whereas. The sentence imposed by said
military commission upon the said Samuel
Arnold was that he be Imprisoned at
hard labor for life, and the confinement
under such sentence was directed to be
had in the military prison at Dry Tortu-
gas, Fla, and the said Samuel Arnold
has been for more than three years and
six months. and now is suffering the in
fiction of such sentence: and
ROOM FOR UNCERTAINTY.
Whereas. The evidence adduced against
said Arnold before the said military COM
mission leaves room for uncertainty as to
the true measure and nature of the COM
plicity of the said Arnold in the said n1ur
derous and traitorous conspiracy, and it
is apparent that the said Arnold rendered
no active assistance whatsoever to the
said Booth and his confederates in the
actual execution Of said abominable
crime: and
Whereas, The pardon of the said Ar
mold is strongly recommended by the City
Council and more than two hundred other
citizens Of Baltimore and vicinity:
Now, therefore. be it known. that ].
Andrew Johnson, President OF the United
States of America, in consideration of the
premises. divers other and sufficient
reasons me thereunto moving. do hereby
grant to the said Samuel s. Arnold a full
and unconditional pardon.
In testimony whereof I have herountC
signed my name and cause the seal of the
United States TO be affixed.
Done at the City of
Washington this first
day of March, \. D..
tSEAL> 1869. and in the hide
denience of the
United States the
Ninety-third
tSignedD ANDREW JOHNSON.
President Of the United States.
WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
Secretary OF State.
I was at last free man.
TRUTH NOT MALICE.
l have in the foregoing pages strictly
confined myself to the truth, compiled
from diary as daily taken, not by me.
It has not been written through malice
nor vindictiveness on my part, but solely
for the purpose of giving to the world
the manner OF treatment ADOPTED ana Dur-
sued in my respective case. both during
the period awaiting trial throughout the
trial itself, and even after the sentence
had been imposed. Also relative to the
treatment of others undergoing sentence
and confined at Dry TortuGas, Florida.
The hatred cngendered by the civil war
had not yet abated. The crime in which
| was supposed to have been connected.
and for which I was imprisoned was Of
such an abomina BILE and atrocious ma
ture that the hatred which al first had
been instillcd into the hearts Of the en-
tire nation did not subside during my
entire incarcerat on. They looked upon
me Il monster, from the sentence i'm
posed by the military commission. and
nothing could be brought to bear to
change or modify their deep-rooted con-
victions.
Not even the government nor those in
high authority could be appeased, and
they still persecuted. even after sentence
had been imposed. and would have con-
tinued to do SO had ! remained under
their charge. To have obtained justice
at or about the period Of my trial was
an impossibilitH. as Well as frtlitless I'M
dertaking, whilst the public mind was in
such chaotic excitement and frenzy. Evi-
dence was hardly necessary to convict.
The desire was only to crafty and APP
pease the public mind and to avenge the
death of Abraham Lincoln.
WILL HISTORY LIE?