Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-12
LINCOLN CONSPIRACY AND ITS CONSP|RATORs.

| case he divuIged all the particulars and
| knowledge he possessed relative to the
parties connected with the assassination.
Ihat he informed then. of each and every
particular is not to be doubted, and with
all these Infamous proceedings by. detec-
ives. courts inside and inqufsitions out
! side, failure stamped itself in connecting
| me in the assassination of Abraham Lin
! coin, as the decision of that drum head
| court-martial proved the truth of the
| statement made in Marshal McPhail's
| Office after my arrest
SECRET CONVERSATIONS.
After June 10th I. with Others was
permitted two hours recreation and e,.er-
else in the outer yard attached to the
prison where frequently. unobserved, I
held converse in broken expressions with
Herold, Payne. and Iitzerodt. We were
not permitted to speak, it is true, being
strictly and closely guarded by armed
sentinels. overlooked by the officers Of the
| prison. David E. Herod. in the presence
of Colonel Mccall, Major Frederick Her
bert and the government detectives,
stated that John II. Surratt was not in
the city of Washington at the time of the
assassination, nor had he been seen by
Booth since his visit to Richmond, on
March %. 1865.
pressed tina It Mrs. Surratt was an innocent
woman, which was reiterated by Payne
in the presence of his executors, as he
assembled to the fatal trap which launched
his soul into eternity.
We were permitted this outside recrea-
ton from June 10th until our departure
from there on July II, 1865. Irons were
removed on these occasions, but inme-
diately replaced upon my return to my
cell. Bibles presented by some humane
heart during the trial to some Of the
prisoners were taken from them by the
officer in charge. they not being permitted
to gain consolation even from Gods holy
writings. Nor were they ever furnished
through their own good will, / myself
having made the request to be permitted
to apply to my father to furnish me
Testament. General Hartranft stated he
would obtain them from the Christian As
ISOLATION and deliver them to US. They
were furnished, as we'll as memory car
recall. about . o'clock in the afternoon
before the execution took place, as we
were returning TO our cells from the
prison yard.
MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS.
That same afternoon the noise Of ham
mers was distinctly heard. as if some re,
pairing about the building was being
done. ! tried to concentrate my thoughts
in an attempt to unravel its meaning,
never for an instant dreaming that they
were erecting the scaffold to launch hu-
man souls into endless eternity in such
quick and sudden haste. The hammer
ings continued throughout the afternoon,
until late when the noise from the ham
mers ceased. The next morning there
was an unusual movement of feet
hurrying to and fro, the rafting OF chains
and dragging of ponderous balls on the
brick pavement in front OF my cell
] could not surnise the cause for all
these mysterious movements, and finally
concluded that fresh victims were be-
ing brought knowing the utter impossi-
bilitv to obtain information relative tc
those proceedings. Or what it could mean.
! became composed. as far as conlposure
was possible. and amused myself. as here
tofore in counting the number OF small
squares visible in the iron door OF my
cell the number of layers of brick in the
floor, the Eleighth OF the ceiling of my
cell, the flies and other insects which had
come to share my narrow and cherries
domain.
About o clock in the afternoon General
Dodd came to my cell. seating himself
upon a small box, which had lately been
granted me for use as a table. and asked
iC I had noticed anything Of an unusual
nature pervas}inG the prison. ] replied III
the affirmative giving him an account
o
with the clanl5ing Of irons, etc. through
on: the morning. and that | judged from
these circumstances that other prisoners
lac arrived.
FOUR MEET, THEIR DOOM.
He replied no. and in q soft and feeling
manner Informed me of the execution of
four of our number. | completely
thunderstrucl and amazed. and felt with
III my own heart. from expressions gained
from Harold and Payne during our joint
incarceration. that q fearful crime had
been perpctrated by the United States
government in the execution OF an limo
cent women. That feeling has been veri
fec and her innocence has been public
~ proclaimed by thousands of the leading
men, not only of this but other nations.
a few days after the execution we were
all again allowed exercise in the outer
yard of the prison, which, on entering,
forced US to be confronted by that huge
machine OF death. and little to the south
side OF it the eye rested upon four mounds
of new heaped earth, testifyng the unde
niable fact that beneath those cold and
cherries hillocks rested in the quiet sleep
OF death all that but a few days before
were life and senSibilty. Day after day
We confronted that scene, the ScaffOld
remaining in all its hdeousness. involun-
tarly causing the eye to wander and gaze
upon the small mounds marking its feast
CT death.
Every day we passed through these cvo-
buttons. all anxiety to learn what decis-
i'm the court had arrived at in our own
respective cases. On the afternoon of
July II We We're summoned separately
to the presence Of General Hartranft,
the military custodian, who was seated in
the front end of the yard. and the SEN
tence of each was made known as found
by the military commission. failing. how
aya he fac ct I'm;
from each the sentence as modified by
Andrew Johnson, President of tho United
States.
ASSASSINATION AVENGED
The military commission had fulfilled
it's mission: the death of .tbra ham Lin