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

them Of each and every particular is
not to be doubted, and with all these
infamous proceedings by detectives,
courts inside and inquisitions outside,
failure stamped itself in connecting me
in the assassination of Abraham Lin
+ coin, as the decision Of that drumhead
court-martial proved the truth of the
statement made in Marshal McPhalT s
office after my arrest.
SECRET CONVERSATIONS.
After June 10 I, with others, was per-
nlitted two hours recreation and eXer-
else in the outer yard attached to the
prison, where frequently, unobserved,
1 held converse in broken expressions
with Herold, Payne and Atzerodt. We
We're not permitted to speak, it is true,
being strictly and closely guarded by
armed sentinels, overlooked by the Of
1icers of the prison. David E. Herold,
in the presence of Colonel Mccall, Ma
jOr Frederick Herbert and the govern
| ment detectives, stated that John H.
Surratt was not in the City of Wash
ington at the time OF the assassination,
nor had he been seen by Booth since
his visit to Richmond, on March %,
| 1865.
! Herold and Payne also publicly eX-
pressed that Mrs. Surratt was an limo
cent 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
recreation from June 10 until our de-
parture from there on July IT, 1866.
Irons We're removed on these occasions.
but immediately replaced upon my re-
turn 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, I myself having made
the request to be permitted to apply tC
my father to furnish me a Testament
General Hartranft stated he would OBJ
tain them from the Christian Associa-
tion 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
hammers was distinctly heard as il
some repairing about the building was
being done l tried to concentrate my
thoughts in an attempt to unravel it!
meaning, never for an instant dream
ing that they were erecting the scat
fold to launch human souls into endless
eternity in such quick and sudder
haste. The hammerings continued
throughout the afternoon until late
when the noise from the hammer!
ceased. The next morning there wa
an unusual movement of feet hurryins
to and fro, the rafting Of chains ant
draggin of ponderous balls on the bricl
pavement in front of my cell.
l could not surmise the cause for al
these mysterious movements, and fin
ally concluded that fresh victims wer
being brought. Knowing the utter i'm
possibility to obtain information rela
tive to those proceedings, or what i
J could mean, became composed, as ia
as composure was possible, and anus
ed myself, as heretofore in count. Is
the number of small squares visible il
the iron door of my cell, the number o
layers Of brick in the floor, the he'gh
of the ceiling of my cell, the flies an(
other insects which had come to shar'
my narrow and cheerless domain.
About o'clock in the afternoon Gen
eral Dodd came to my cell, seatinl
himself upon small box. which hat
lately been granted me for use as ia
BILE, and asked if 1 had noticed any
thing of an unusual nature pervadint
the prison. ] replied in the affirmative