The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-08
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.
SILENCE OF YEARS BROKEN
THRILLING CHRONICLE OF THE
FAMOUS CONSPIRACY.


John Wilkes Booths First Suggestion
of the Plot TO ArnOId-The Abduction
of Lincoln Its Sole Object-AssassIna-
ton Never Mentioned in ArnOId's
Presence-Movements of Booth and
Other Conspirators-ArnOId Attempt
ed In the End to DIssuade Booth De-
cInres Mrs Surratt Innocent
Samuel Bland Arnold, one of the con-
spirators in the plot to kidnap Presi-
dent Abraham Lincoln that terminated
in the latters assassination by John
Wilkes Booth, in a box at Ford S
theater in Washington, D. c., on April
IA, 1865, has recently made a written
confession of all he knows of that sad
affair. Arnold for many years declar-
ed he would never utter a word to a
human being of the plot that wrecked
his life but would leave behind at his
death a written confession. Only as
late as October II last he was firm and
determined not to give the manuscript
for publication and on his secluded
farm in one of the counties of Mary
land he has persistently avoided all in
terviews. He is 6S years old and is try
ing to spend his declining years in
peace.
In his own minds eye the cloud that
had hung for nearly forty years over
his life had never been lightened nor
Iessened and it was not until recently
that he reached the conclusion that his
story could and would now be read and
digested without passion and each
Judge fairly of it's merits or dement's.
With this determination Arnold, con-
sented to make the Baltimore Ameri-
can his publishers and by special ar
rangement with them the Journal and
Courier will print this document which
will form an important part of the his
tory of that great crime which shook
the hearts, hopes and souls of the peo-
pie of the north in the trying and I'M
certain period of the civil war when
Lincoln fell,
John Wilkes Booth, the actual muir
derer of Lincoln, was shot and killed
when captured in a barn in Northern
Virginia. David E. Herold, who was
captured with him, and Lewis Payne
and George A. Atzerodt, went to their
death on the scaffold with Mrs Surratt.
Samuel B. Arnold, DR.. Samuel A.
Mudd, Michael O'Laughlin and Edward
Spangler were tried for the murder of
the president with the others, and were
sentenced to life Imprisonment in the
Dry Tortugas. Arnold alone lives of
these men, all of whom We're pardoned
by President Johnson in 1869.
Surratt, the only other living con-
spirator, according to the story of Ar
mold, fled the country after the assas-
sination of President Lincoln. He was
captured two years later in Egypt and
brought back to United States but pub
lie indignation had Gained down and
he was neither executed nor had to
suffer the same punishment as those
of his confederates who were sent to
Dry Tortugas.
Arnold in his confession declares
that Mrs Surrat was innocent and that
his own guilt was but a thought. He
acknowledges that he plotted with
Booth to kidnap Lincoln but finally
dropped out of the conspiracy and upon
being urged to re-enter the plot wrote
the fateful letter to Booth which was
found in Booths trunk and which re-
suited in Arnold's arrest. This letter
Arnold swears was written to induce
Booth to drop the whole conspiracy.
The letter as recorded at the trial,
was as follows:
Hookstown Baltimore County,
March II, 1865.
Dear John:
Was business so important that you
could not remain in Baltimore till ]
saw you? I came in as soon as I could,
but found you had gone to W-n.
called also to see Mike, but learned
from his mother he had gone out with
you, and had not returned. 1 conclud-
ed, therefore, he had gone with you.
How inconsiderate you have been!
When I left you, you stated we would
not meet in a month or so. Therefore,
I made application for employment, an
answer to which l shall receive during
the week. I told my parents 1 had
ceased with you. Can I, then, under
existing circumstances, come as you re-
quest? You know full that the Ct
suspicious something is going on there;
therefore, the undertaking is becoming
more complicated. Why, not, for the
present, desist, for various reasons,
which if you look into, you can readily
see, without my making any mention
thereof.
You, nor anyone, can censure me for
my present course. You have been its
cause, for how can / now come after
telling them l had left you? Suspicion
rests upon me now, for my whole fam
lily, and even parties in the county.
will be compelled. to leave my home
anyhow, and how soon, I care not
None, no not one, were more in favor
of the enterprise than myself and to-
day would be there, had you not done as
you have-by this l mean, manner of
proceeding. I am, as you well know, in
need. I am, you may say, in rags
whereas, to-day I ought to be well
clothed, I do not feel right stalking
about with means, and more from ap-
pearances beggar I feel my depend
ence, but even all this would and was
forgotten, for I was one with you
Time more propitious will arrive
Do not act rashly or in haste.
would prefer your first query, go and
see how it will be taken at I'd, and
ere long / shall be better prepared to
again be with you. I dislike writing;