The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-07

1.-THE cloud which for nearly forty years
had hung over my head prevented me from
obtaining lucrative employment, besides ii
so Swallowed my life that 1 had almost
become .misanthropist / was never bet
ter satisfied than in my own seclusion and
retirement. Ny treatment had been of
such a nature that / had no desire 10 mix
with mankind. had lost all confidence in
the human race. Now going on sixty-nine
years of age. my health is shattered and
crippled from rheumatism contracted dur
ing my incarceration. / have passed the
age to ever find employment to bridge over
the short span between the present and my
death"
PLOTS THAT FAILED.
The manuscript of Arnold, in relation TO
its preparation, extends over a long period
OF years. That portion in which a most
interesting account is given of the incep-
ton of the plots to kidnap President Lin
coin, with their successive failures and the
reasons therefore. giving names dates and
locations connected Herewith, was written
in the year 1867 while Arnold was confined
in the Dry Tortugas. Fla, and attested
before a notary Of the public and a special
commissioner appointed by the congress
sional commission to investigate into the
circumstances surrounding the assassina-
ton of the President A second portion
of the same document gives a succession
of questions put to Arnold to his Iife
etc., by the notary public.
At that time the writings stopped for
many years, but in the early nineties Mr..
Arnold began the task Of writing the en-
tire story of his life. With painstaking
efforts he placed in black and white
graphic story. dealing with the entire sub
Ject at hand, and recorded events that to
the mind Of the present seem too terrible
to be real The clear cut, even and legible
chirography, together with the nature Of
the subject matter, with it's plainly. care
fully weighed, yet pointed construction, all
give key to the character of the writer.
After his release from the Dry Tortugas.
Arnold, seeking seclusion and retirement,
dropped from the public eye, and even in
Baltimore but little was known of him in
recent years. Until six years ago he re-
sided in this city, and to those who did
find aim he always refused to open his
lips. The knowledge that he had prepared
statement of his experiences to be given
out after his death was prevalent in a
narrow circle at first, and gradually, with
out even knowing where Arnold was to be
found, it extended to other parts of the
country.
RECALLED BY A DEATH.
Some weeks ago another Samuel Arnold
died in Anne Arundel county, Maryland,
and the story was enormously published in
some parts of the country that the Arnold
of the Lincoln conspiracy had passed away.
kilograms Immediately reached the Ameri-
| can from every part of the country asking
that the last statement of Arnold be for
warded to various papers, and this pro-
| duced inquiries which led to the establish
ment OF the fact that Samuel Bland Arnold
was still alive, living quietly on a farm
| in out-of-the-way portion of Maryland.
or the eight men who, according to the
story of Arnold. conspired together to abb
| duct President Lincoln, but two now live
Arnold and Mr. John H. Surratt, who now
| lives in this city. Mr.. Surratt is the son of
Mrs. Mary E. Surratt, who was one of
| those hanged in the arsenal at Washington
| for the murder OF the martyred President,
and who Is now generally looked upon as
| having been innocent of the crime for which
she suffered the death penalty
John Wilkes Booth. the actual murderer
/ of Lincoln, was shot and killed when cap
| tured in barn in northern Virginia. David
| Z. 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.. Sam
| uel A. Mudd, Michael O'Laughlin and Ed
| ward 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 were pardoned by President
| Johnson in 1869.
Surratt, the only other living conspirator
according to the story of Arnold. fed the
/ country after the assassination of Pres
ident Lincoln. Surratt was in Elflira, N
Y, when the assassination took place and
| he vanished from sight in spite of the ut
most endeavors of the government detec-
tives to arrest him and was not heard OF
again for two years. Without a cent In
his pocket Surratt, with an unknown com.
panion. reached st. Adams, VT, and Their
walked to Franklin, on the other side OF
| the line.
SURRATT IN CANADA.
Once having found an asylum i'm Canada
Surratt secured funds and remained in
Montreal for some time. Feeling that hi
could not long remain secreted with the
American detectives swarming in Canada
Surratt took passage for England and from
there went to Rome. He enlisted in tn,
sThis statement is doubtless correct wher
applied to Baltimore and Maryland. but il
| Indiana the number of people who so be
lieve is very limited.-Editor Journal.