The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-19
lRHOLD's STORY OF
THE LINCOLN PLOT
The Only Survivor Of the
Conspirators imprisoned
at Dry TOrtugas Gives
His Confession to
the Public.
SILENCE OF YEARS BROKEN
THRILLING CHRONICLE OF THE
- FAMOUS CONSPIRACY.

Escape of Colonel Grenfeil and Other
Prisoners Causes Issue of Most String
emt RaIes-Harshest Measures Fail
Upon the ConspITators-AlI PardOned
by President JohnsOn-ArnOl Plea
ofInnocence-"WnI History Lies"
When the commanding officer found
that Grenfell and the other escaped
prisoners had not been overhauled he
issued the most stringent orders
against the remaining prisoners. No
one after retreat was permitted to
place his head out of the aperture Of
his casemate, under the penalty Of
having a,musket ball sent crashing
through his brain. All intercourse be-
tween soldiers and prisoners was
strictly prohibited a violation of such
order being at first severely punished,
and repetition leaving them open to
be arraigned before a court-martial
Many orders were issued without sense
Or reason in them.
The escape of Grenfell was another
blow struck at the commander, who felt
dubious about his commission. Con-
sequently, something had to be done to
exonerate himself from all blame He
communicated to headquarters that
Grenfel had been furnished with
means by outsiders, which had been
: used in bribing the sentinel; also that
he had considerable money in his pos
,xyIa h oSnano1 This NOT
so. Grenfell did not have in his pos
session at the time of his escape $25.
He could have gone without a dollar,
as the rule of the place was as dis
gushing to the soldier as it was to
those confined, and help at any time
would have been rendered to any man
who desired to escape, providing that
the soldiers in so doing were not COM
promised.
: The remaining prisoners had to bear
the brunt for the escape of Grenfell
and the others. They We're worked
from sunrise until sunset in the heat
of the broiling sun, a provost guard,
with the commanding officer and the
provost marshal, more frequently than
otherwise, standing over them and hur-
rying them up. Not a moments rest
was allowed during the day, excepting
at dinner hour and this continued I'M
til the Fifth Artillery was relieved, on
March TO- 1869.
Seven prisoners were sent there from
Eutaw, Ala, for the alleged offense of
threatening to ride a carpet-bagger on
a rail. One of them was centered a
deep hatred and prejudice. They were
termed Ku-Klux by the provost mar
shall for the purpose of engendering
hatred in the hearts of the soldiers
aginst them, in which it failed to some
extent. Their stay was short, owing
to the press of the country taking the
matter up, but their manner Of treat
ment was cruel, unjust and tyrannical
in the extreme.
When they were torn from their
homes and families supplies of every
kind were denied them. They suffered
from indignities heaped upon them all
along the route from Eutaw to Dry
Tortugas, weighted down in chains and
most spitefully used by those in charge
of them. AS a matter of course, they
were without money, land when re-
leased they asked for transportation
and subsistence to their homes, which
was denied them. They were taken tc
Key West, an island in the sea, ano
there, among strangers, We're left tc
make the best of the situation that
they could.
AIDED BY FRIENDS.
From them learned that they met
with friends GALL. being Freemasons)
and, without the assistance of the gov
eminent, safely arrived at their homes
But a short time after the departure
of the prisoners from Eutaw, Ala, il
was reported that some parties hat
been overheard to express an opinion
as to how easy a matter it would be
to break through their quarters into
one of the soldiers company quarter:
some night, seize their guns when thu
whole garrison, excepting those or
duty, was at the theater, overcome the
guard and seize the quartermaster''
schooner, Matchless, moored at the
wharf, raise anchor, cut ropes and pu
to sea.
. This rumor reached the ears of thu
provost marshal, so said, when in ;
trice the most stringent measures wer'
adopted to Illustrate the design Double
sentinels were placed over the prison
ers' quarters and every privilege for
merly granted was rescinded. Mysel
and companions became the recipients
of a necessity created only to parse
cute. From the first touch of the hant
of the military branch of the Unite'
States we had received the full weigh
of their cruelty and tyranny; we hat
been made to study the effects of par
tial and then of total darkness, o
damp and loathsome cells, of foul ant
filthy dungeons, of tortures, irons an
chains, of degradation of all kinds, AM
now we were forced to study branche
of more edifying nature, as we wer
boarded up and denied the pleasure o
looking upon mother earth and the few
green spots Of vegetation growing
within the enclosure of the fort, TIL
only visible parts Of crea ton left US t.
observe being the overhanging sky anC
the boundIess deep. They determined
by such procedure and action that w
should become learned in astronom,
and navigation.
This unjust proceeding on the part o
those ruling not only deprived gu
quarters of proper ventilation bu
caused the danlpness to increase, ant
at the same time had a tendency t.
cast odium upon us alone. Every per
son in and out Of the fort was con