m-mmm
('lass
'-k
>RESENTED ISY
fhe Suppressed Truth
ABOUT THE
Assassination
OK
a
ibraham Lincoln
Written and Compiled by
BURKE McCARTY, Ex-Romanist
Address
Burke McCarty Publisher. Lock Box 1618
Washing-ton, D. C.
•er cover $1.00 Cloth bound $1.50
1 922
;
Dedicated to
The Voters of To-morrow.
Copyright
— by —
Burke McCarty,
Lock Box 1618, Washington, D. C.
1922.
. -J,
>M
(Copyright)
By the "Leaden Bullet"
April 14, 1865.
PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 9
Chapter I. Destruction of this Republic
Plotted by European Monarchists 11
Chapter II. The "Society of Jesus", the En-
gine of Destruction 20
Chapter III. "The Saint Leopold Foundation"
Spy System 30
Chapter IV. The Turning Point in Lincoln's
Life 43
Chapter V. When the Pope was King 64
Chapter VI. Lincoln Takes up the Burden 76
Chapter VII. Assembling the Chosen Assassins 97
Chapter VIII. The Blackest Deed in American
History 126
Chapter IX. The Trials of the Assassins by
Documentary Evidence 140
Chapter X. The Trail of the Arch Conspira-
tor—John H. Surratt 167
Chapter XL The Trial of John H. Surratt 203
Chapter XII. Summing it all up: Two and Two 231
LINCOLN MEMORIAL, POTOMAC PARK, WASHINGTON,
D. C.
One of the most magnificent monuments in the world, dedi-
cated Memorial Day, 1922, to the great American the Jesuit?,
thought they had destroyed on April 14, 1865.
The Conspiracy of Silence on the Death
of Abraham Lincoln
INTRODUCTION
In all the bloody history of the Papacy, perhaps
in no one man, as in Abraham Lincoln, was there
concentrated such a multitude of reasons for his an-
nihilation by that system.
In all the history of the political assassination
plots by the enemies of freedom, which for cold cal-
culation, malicious methods, relentless pursuit, subtle
cunning, and cowardly execution, nothing can exceed
the cruel murder of this greatest of all Americans, —
for President Lincoln was the living, breathing type
in which was fulfilled the triumph of the New Con-
cept of Popular Government, the central postulate of
which is, the consent of the governed. It was the
life of Abraham Lincoln which placed this form of
government forever outside an "experiment" where
its enemies persisted in endeavoring to keep it.
That a barefoot, nameless boy on poverty's path
could, by his own efforts, reach the highest office
in the gift of the American people, gave the lie to
the "Divine Eight" croakers, and merited their most
unceasing hatred.
Barring the martyrdoms of Jesus Christ and
Joan D' Arc, the methods used in Abraham Lincoln's
assassination will stand pre-eminent in point of
malice and cruelty, and strange as it may seem, the
same diabolical cunning which nerved the hand of
the assassin has pursued Lincoln beyond the grave,
and has been largely successful in hiding from the
public all details of his physical destruction, a crime,
in the eyes of the writer, which almost outstrips the
first, for by this conspiracy of silence on his death,
the youth of America are being deprived of the knowl-
edge of the details of the greatest tragedy in their
country's history.
10 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
This appalling fact has been the one big urge
which inspired the writing of this book, the contents
of which represent only a part of the result of leisure
hours spent in public and private libraries in the va-
rious cities, covering a period of the past seven years,
— gathering a fact here and one there, from books,
magazines, newspapers and court records, filing them
away, and finally condensing the salient points be-
tween the covers which you now hold in your haiid.
I feel safe in stating that nowhere else can be
found in one book the connected presentation cf the
story leading up to the death of Abraham Lincoln,
which was instigated by the "Black" pope, the General
of the Jesuit Order, camouflaged by the "White" pope,
Pius IXth, aided, abetted and financed by other "Di-
vine Righters" of Europe, and finally consummated by
the Roman Hierarchy and their paid agents in this
country and Canada on "Good Friday" night, April
14th, 1865, at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D. C.
I am convinced that if this knowledge can be
given adequate distribution and placed in possession
of the boys and girls of the public elementary schools,
for whom it is especially designed to reach, that the
wicked boast of the Jesuits and their lay agents, the
Knights of Columbus, to "MAKE AMERICA CATHO-
LIC" can never be accomplished.
THE GREAT SPIRIT OF THE MARTYRED LIN-
COLN WELL RISE UP AND DEFEAT HIS SLAY-
ERS AND THEIR SUCCESSORS!
In closing, I only ask each reader whose heart
beats in unison with those of us who love our country
and all that it represents, to assist in the sale of this
little book, by giving it all the publicity possible, there-
by joining in President Lincoln's expression of loyalty,
"If ever my country is destroyed, it shall be my proud-
est plume, not that I was the last to desert her, but
that I NEVER DESERTED HER!"
Yours Truly.
Burke McCartv
Chapter I.
Destruction of this Republic Plotted by
European Monarchists.
The death of President Lincoln was the culmina-
tion of but one step in the attempt to carry out the
Secret Treaty of Verona, of October, 1822, a pact
entered into by the "high contracting parties" of the
former Congress of Vienna, Austria, which had held
its sessions secret, covering the whole year of 1814-15.
Simultaneously with the calling of the Congress of
Vienna in 1814, Pope Pius Vllth restored the Society
of Jesus (Jesuit Order) which had been abolished by
Pope Clement IVth, July 21, 1773, on the grounds
that it was immoral, dangerous and was a menace
to the very life of the papacy. Clement was promptly
.poisoned for his act.
With the restoration of this order, the execution
of the Secret Treaty of Verona was placed in their
keeping.
The Congress of Vienna was a black conspiracy
against Popular Governments at which the "high con-
tracting parties'" announced at its close that they
had formed a "holy alliance." This was a cloak under
which they masked to deceive the people. The par-
ticular business of the Congress of Verona, it de-
veloped, was the RATIFICATION of Article Six of
the Congress of Vienna, which was in short, a prom
ise to prevent or destroy Popular Governments wher
ever found, and to re-establish monarchy where it
had been set aside.
The "high contracting parties" of this compact
which were Russia, Prussia, Austria and the Pope
Pius Vllth, king of the Papal States, entered intc
12 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
a secret treaty to do so. That the reader may get
some idea of the villainy of these two Congresses
and their relation to our government, and to the
death of Abraham Lincoln, I quote excerpts from
that document below, as it appears on the Congres-
sional Record of April 25, 1916, placed there by Sena-
tor Robt. L. Owen and as it is recorded in the Diplo-
matic Code, by Elliott, page 179:
SECRET TREATY OF VERONA
The undersigned specially authorized to make
some additions to the treaty of the Holy Alliance,
after having exchanged their respective creden-
tials, have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1. The high contracting powers be-
ing convinced that the system of representative
government is equally as incompatible with the
monarchial principals as the maxim of the sov-
ereignity of the people with the divine right,
engage mutually, in the most solemn manner to
use all their efforts to put an end to the system
of representative governments, in whatever
country it may exist in Europe, and to prevent its
being introduced in those countries where it is
not yet known.
ARTICLE 2. As it cannot be doubted that
the liberty of the press is the most powerful
means used by the pretended supporters of the
rights of nations to the detriment of those of
princes, the high contracting parties promise re-
ciprocally to adopt all proper measures TO SUP-
PRESS IT, NOT ONLY IN THEIR OWN STATE
BUT ALSO IN THE REST OF EUROPE.
ARTICLE 3. Convinced that the principles of
religion contribute most powerfully to keep na-
tions in the state of passive obedience which
they owe to their princes, the high contracting
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 13
parties declare it to be their intention to sustain
in their respective states, those measures which
the clergy may adopt with the aim of amelior-
ating their own interests, so intimately connect-
ed with the preservation of the authority of the
princes; and the contracting powers join in offer-
ing THEIR THANKS TO THE POPE FOR
WHAT HE HAS ALREADY DONE FOR THEM,
AND SOLICIT HIS CONSTANT COOPERATION
IN THEIR VIEWS OF SUBMITTING THE
NATIONS.
ARTICLE 4. The situation of Spain and Port-
ugal unite unhappily all the circumstances to
which this treaty has particular reference. The
high contracting parties, in confiding to France
the care of putting an end to them, engaged to
assist her in the manner which may at least
compromit them with their own people and the
people of France by means of a subsidy on the
part of the two empires of 20,000,000 of francs
every year from the date of signature of this
treaty to the end of the war.
ARTICLE 5. In order to establish in f he
peninsula the order of things which existed be-
fore the revolution of Cadiz, and to insure the en-
tire execution of the articles of the present
treaty, the high contracting parties give to each
other the reciprocal assurance that as long as
their views are not fulfilled, rejecting all other
ideas of futility or other measure to be taken,
they will address themselves with the shortest
possible delay to all the authorities existing in
their states and to all their agents in foreign
countries, with the view to establish connections
tending toward the accomplishment of the objects
proposed by this treaty.
14 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ARTICLE 6. This treaty shall be renewed
with such changes as new circumstances may g've
©ccasion for, either at a new congress, or at the
court of one of the contracting parties, as soon
as the war with Spain shall be terminated.
ARTICLE 7. The present treaty shall be rati-
fied and the ratifications exchanged at Paris within
the space of six months.
Made at Verona the 22nd of November, 1822.
For Austria: Metternich
For France: Chateaubriand.
For Russia: Bernstet.
For Russia : Nesselrode."
When Senator Owen was questioned by members
of Congress upon the meaning of the Treaty, the
Record shows his reply in part as follows:
"This Holy Alliance, having put a Bourbon
prince upon the throne of France by force, then
used France to suppress the condition of Spain,
immediately afterwards, and by this very treaty
gave her a subsidy of 20,000,000 francs annually
to enable her to wage war upon the people of
Spain and prevent their exercise of any measure
of the right of self-government. The Holy Alli-
aiice immediately did the same thing in Italy,
by sending Austrian troops to Italy, where
the people there attempted to exercise a like
measure of liberal constitutional self-gov-
ernment; and it was not until the printing press,
which the Holy Alliance so stoutly opposed,
taught the people of Europe the value of lib-
erty that finally one country after another seized
a greater and greater right of self-government,
until now it may be fairly said that nearly all the
nations of Europe have a very large measure oi
self-government.
"However, I wished to call the attention of the
Senate to this important history in the growth
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1ft
of constitutional popular self-government. The
Holy Alliance made its powers felt by the whole-
sale drastic suppression of the press in Europe,
by universal censorship, by killing free speech and
all ideas of popular rights, an£ by the complete
suppression of popular government. The Holy Al-
liance having destroyed popular government in
Spain, and in Italy, had well-laid plans also to de-
stroy popular government in the American Col-
onies which had revolted from Spain and Portugal
in Central and South America under the influ-
ence of the successful example of the United
States."
"It was because of this conspiracy against the
American Republics by the European monarchies
that the great English stateman, Canning, called
the attention of our government to it, and our
statesmen then, including Thomas Jefferson, who
was still living at that time, took an active part
to bring about the declaration by President Mon-
roe in his next annual message to the Congress
of the United States that the United States would
regard it as an act of hostility to the government
of the United States and an unfriendly act, it
this coalition, or if any power of Europe ever
undertook to establish upon the American con-
tinent any control of nny American republic, or
to acquire any territorial rights.
"This is the so-called Monroe Doctrine. The
threat under the secret treaty of Verona to sup-
press popular government in the American repub-
lics is the basis of the Monroe Doctrine. This se-
cret treaty sets forth clearly the conflict between
monarchial government and popular government,
and the government of the few as against the gov-
ernment of the many/'
The above comments of our United States Senator
before Congress in 1916, clearly defines the object and
intent of these "Divine Righters" in Europe.
16 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
It will be well for the reader to understand that
the church of Rome with its sixteen centuries of in-
trigue, plans fifty or a hundred years ahead. The ulti-
mate goal of the GREAT SCHEME is to throw the
lever of time back by restoring- the Pope as the "uni-
versal arbiter" from whom all the rulers of the earth
must receive their authority to rule, as during the
Dark Ages.
The BIG IDEA of democracy, taught by Jesus
Christ when he proclaimed the spiritual equality of
all men, has always been hated and feared by the Je-
suit System, and made the target of their venom, de-
spite all their protestations of Christianity
The IDEA of spiritual equality, logically and in-
evitably leads to social equality which has been made
practical by Popular Governments.
The central Idea of Popular Government is "con-
sent of the governed. ,,
The first real social freedom resulted from the
Protestant Reformation, led by the little German
monk, Martin Luther, in 1517. This was an unpardon-
able sin, — this was the death blow to the Papacy.
Protestant Germany, Protestant England, and of
course, Protestant United States, have been from the
beginning marked by them for destruction. Ex-Cath-
olic Italy and Ex-Catholic France are next in this
"rule or ruin" , policy. In Protestant Denmark, Sweden
and Holland, the same process of "working from
within," is being pursued as it is in this country and
Canada.
The seeds of hate between Germany and England
were planted in those two glorious Protestant coun-
tries by the Jesuits so that they might develop in
time to block the celebration of the Protestant Refor-
mation on its four hundredth Anniversary, — an event
which was planned to surpass anything of the kind
the world has ever seen, a celebration which would
have set Protestantism fifty years ahead.
The Jesuits, anticipating this, staged the World
War which completely sidetracked it.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 17
For over sixty years the Great Scheme the Vati-
can and its Jesuits have been working on is, in a nut-
shell, to form an ECCLESIASTICAL EMPIRE, unit-
ing French Canada with our Atlantic States, Maine,
i\ew Hampshire, Vermont, Massachesetts, Rhode Is-
land and Connecticut, 'mis is to oe aone by annexa-
tion, manipulated through corrupt politicians at vVash-
ington, D. C, in much the same method as the annexa-
tion of Texas was accomplished, over sixty years ago.
The next big card being played by Rome is the
unification of the French Canadian and Irish-Catholic
vote in the New England States where the influx of
Catholic Canadians is of such proportion as to cause
serious consideration of loyal Americans right now.
-The Church is meeting with some difficulty, owing
to the deep seated dislike between the French and
Irish Catholics. This, however, is being rapidly over-
come by two methods: intermarriage and through the
work of the Knights of Columbus which is by far the
most dangerous lay organization in this country.
The "Tragedy of Quebec," a book written by
a Protestant Canadian, exposes the PLAN in detail,
and the facts and figures given by this writer who has
been a close student of the subject for many years are
startling. It would be illuminating to the reader who is
not familiar with this book to read it. The full plan of
extending the Pope's empire on the Atlantic coast will
be done by Latinizing our Southern States, a process
which was begun very early in our history, prior
to the Civil War.
The big efforts of the Catholic Church to papalize
the negro in the South should not be overlooked where
great strides have been taken in that direction.
The next step in the Vatican's Great Scheme is
to make war between this country and Japan after
the latter country has been placed under full domi-
nance of the Jesuits. The priests, monks and nuns of
the Roman Church have been pouring into Japan from
18 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
all over the world now lor many years with that
purpose in view. The writer was tola by a Christian
Japanese minister in charge of a Protestant mission
in Los Angeles in reply to tne question as to why the
Jesuits, who had been barred lor years from Japan,
had now been permitted to enter. Jle answered that
the Roman church had gotten into his country under
tne guise of Mohammeuamsm, and that after it was
well entrenched threw off its disguise, and his coun-
try learned to its astonishment that it was to the
Koman Church and its monastic orders it had opened
its doors.
That the Roman-Catholic-controlled trade unions
in California are at the bottom of most of the agitation
against the Japanese in that State is a fact; that the
Roman Catholic politician, James Phelan, was sent to
the United States Senate in 1913 by the solid Roman
vote, and has been the prime mover in the anti-Jap
agitation, is also a fact.
There are many Californians, of course, outside
the Roman church, who fear the Japanese menace on
account of their prolific propagation, and their non-
assimilative proclivities, but it is only since I have
realized the activity of the Jesuits to papalize Japan,'
that the real horror of the "yellow peril" has impressed
itself upon me. Add Romanism to Japan, and it cer-
tainly becomes terrifying in its aspect.
j. am not presenting these things as a calamity
howler, but I believe with careful consideration and
immediate intelligent activity, the danger can be avert-
ed. We must be alert and doing.
And now we will take up the Roman question
which is the big, overshadowing world question to-
day, and it will continue to be until the Papacy is
finally uprooted. We will have to take cognizance
of it in Europe frequently through these pages in
order to get a clear view of the impending danger
to ourselves. I ask the reader to be patient and
follow me closely in my hurdling of the Atlantic,
back and forth, at various times which I have been
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 19
obliged to do. It is a big and perplexing question to
try to simplify sufficiently for the busy non-Romanist
who is so absorbed in his own affairs and who so little
understands that pernicious system.
The great mistake which the American non-Cath-
olic people make is that they judge the Papacy by the
Roman Church as they find it in this country. One can-
not gauge it from this standpoint, for we must re-
member that it is operating where more than five-
sixths of the people are non-Romanists — in a Prot-
estant country. In order to get an accurate estimate
one must survey it in its native state, so to speak, —
in Catholic countries where it has held sway for cen-
turies. On this side of the Atlantic, for instance, we
will have to contemplate it. as it is in Mexico, or Cen-
tral and South America, in order to get a true esti-
mate.
I shall quote through these pages copiously from
several books, some of which are out of print, in or-
der that their messages may not be entirely lost.
Chapter II.
The "Society of Jesus" the Engine of
Destruction.
The "Society of Jesus" the members of which are
referred to as the Jesuits, has absorbed the Papacy.
This Society was founded by a fanatic, one Ignatius
Loyola, in 1541; its object being to combat the Prot-
estant Reformation of Martin Luther of 1517.
Loyola was the son of a prominent Spanish family
who had distinguished himself as a soldier, and by the
immoral excesses of his private life, but who, owing
to an accident which maimed him, was supposed to
have become "converted," and during the illness which
followed, the Society of Jesus was conceived in his
brain, fertile with deviltry.
The Society of Jesus is under the strictest mili-
tary discinline, due to the military training and psy-
chology of its founder. It is absolutely commanded by
the "General" its head, also known as the "Black"
Pope. The garb is always a plain black cassock. But
here permit me to present the definition of one of its
eminent "Generals" of the seventeenth century and
which aptly describes it today:
"The members of the Society are dispersed
in every corner of the world, and divided into as
many nations and kingdoms as the earth has lim-
its; divisions, however, marked only by distance
of places, not of sentiment ; by the differences of
languages, not of affections ; by the dissemblance
of faces, not of manners. In that family the Latin
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 21
thinks as the Greek, the Portugese as the Brazil-
ian, the Hibernian as the Sumatran, the Spanish
as the French, the English as the Flemish; and
amongst so many different geniuses, no contro-
versy, no contention, nothing which gives you a
hint, to perceive that they have more than one.
Their birthplace offers them no motive of
personal interest. The same aim, same conduct,
same VOW, which like a conjugal knot, has tied
them together. At the least sign one man, the
General, turns and returns the entire society and
shapes the revolution of so large a body.
"It is easy to move, but difficult to shape."
(Imago Primsaeculi Societas Jesu," published by
the authorisation of Mutto Vittelschi, General
in 1640.)
With the above authentic illumination you will
be able to somewhat grasp the reason that the execu-
tion of the mandate of the Holy Alliance and. secret
treaty of Verona was entrusted to the members of the
Society of Jesus. God save the mark!
THE JESUIT OATH
As a further item of interest we quote the fol-
lowing excerpts of this oathbound organization. It is
the oath taken now by practically all priests of the
Church of Rome, and has been charged as the one tak-
en by the members of the Fourth Degree in the
Knights of Columbus. (See Congressional Record,
House B^l 1523. Contested election case of Eugene C
Bonniwell, against Thos. S. Butler, Feb. 15, 1913,
pages 3215-16.)
"I , now in the presence
of Almighty God. the Blessed Virgin Mary, the
Blessed Michael the Archangel, the Blessed St.
John the Baptist, the Holy Aoostles, Peter and
Paul, and all the Saints, sacred hosts of Heaven,
and to you. my ghostlv Father, the Superior Gen-
eral of the Society of Jesus, founded by St. Ig-
22 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
natius Loyola, in the Pontification of Paul the
Third, and continued to the present, do by the
womb of the Virgin, the matrix of God, and the
rod of Jesus Christ, declare and swear that his
holiness, the Pope, is Christ's Vice-regent, and is
the true and only head of the Catholic or Univer-
sal Church throughout the earth ; and that by the
virtue of the keys of binding and loosing, given to
his Holiness by my Savior, Jesus Christ, he hath
power to depose heretical kings, princes, states,
commonwealths and governments, all being illegal
without his sacred confirmation, and that they
may be safely destroyed.
"Therefore, to the utmost of my power, I
shall and will defend this doctrine and his Holi-
ness* right and customs against all usurpers of
the heretical or Protestant authority, whatever,
especially the Lutheran Church of Germany, Hol-
land, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and the
now pretended authority of the Church of En-
gland and Scotland, the branches of the same, now
established in Ireland, and on the continent of
America and elsewhere .... I do now renounce and
disown any allegiance as due to any heretical king,
prince or state named Protestant or Liberals, or
obedience to any of their laws, magistrates or
officers.
"I do further declare, that I will help and.
assist and advise all or any of his Holiness* agents
in any place wherever I shall be, and do my ut-
most to extirpate the heretical Protestant or Lib-
eral doctrines and to destroy all their pretended
powers, legal or otherwise.
"I do further promise and declare, that not-
withstanding I am dispensed with to assume any
religion heretical, for the propogating of the
Mother Church's interest, to keep secret and pri-
vate all her agents' counsels, from time to time
as they may instruct me, and not to divulge di-
rectly or indirectly, by word, writing, or cir-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 23
cumstances whatever; but to execute all that shall
be proposed, given in cnarge or discovered unto
me, by you, my ghostly lather
"I ao further promise and declare, that I will
have no opinion or win oi my own, or any mental
reservation whatever, even as a corpse or cadaver
(perinde ac cadaver) but unhesitatingly obey
each and every command that I may receive from
my superiors in tne Militia of the fope and Jesus
Christ.
"That I will go to any part of the world,
whatsoever, witnout murmuring and will be sub-
missive in all things whatsoever communicated
to me I do further promise and declare,
that I will, when opportunity presents, make and
wage relentless war, secretly or openly, against
all heretics, Protestants and Liberals, as I am
directed to do to extirpate and exterminate them
from the face of the whole earth, and that I will
spare neither sex, age nor condition; and that I
will hang, waste, boil, flay, strangle and bury
alive these infamous heretics ; rip up the stomachs
and wombs of their women and crush their in-
fants' heads against the wall, in order to anni-
hilate forever their execrable race.
"That when the same cannot be done openly,
I will secretly use the POISON CUP, THE
STRANGULATION CORD, THE STEEL OF THE
POINARD, OR THE LEADEN BULLET, RE-
GARDLESS OF THE HONOR, RANK, DIGNITY
OR AUTHORITY OF THE PERSON OR PER-
SONS WHATSOEVER MAY BE THEIR CONDI-
TION IN LIFE, EITHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE,
AS I AT ANY TIME MAY BE DIRECTED SO
TO DO BY ANY AGENT OF THE POPE OR SU-
PERIOR OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE
HOLY FAITH OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS."
24 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The late Edwin A. Sherman, a 33rd Degree Mason
of Oakland, California, in his book entitled, "The En-
gineer Corps 01 Hell," quotes Chas. Sauvestre, whose
work he translated from the Spanish, whicn says in
part :
"Such are the Jesuits. Always expelled, for-
ever returning, and little by little, clandestinely,
and in the darkness, tnrowing out its vigorous
roots. Its wealth may be confiscated, its losses
cannot be detained for they are covered. . . Con-
fessors, negotiators, brokers, lenders, peddlers of
pious gew gaws, inventors of new devotions to
make merchandise. At tunes, mixing in politics,
agitating states, and making princes tremble up-
on their thrones, for tney are terrible in their
hate. WOE UNTO HIM WHEN THEY TURN
UPON HIM AS AN ENEMY! Its society
grows and increases in riches and influence by
all sorts of means; and no one can attack them,
for everywhere we find men prompt to serve
them, to obtain from them some advantage of
position or pride .... For themselves, they are
nothing, not having pompous titles, no croziers,
no mitres, no capes of the prebendaries, but per-
tain to that one ORDER, everywhere governing
and directing ... In whatever place of the Catho-
lic world a Jesuit is insulted or resisted, no matter
how insignificant he may be, he is sure to be
avenged, — and this we know."
"The General is always surrounded by coun-
sellors, professors, novices and graduates," says
Michelet . . . 'prescribing friendship in the semi-
naries and being prohibited to walk two by two, it
is necessary to be alone, or three together, but not
less, for it is well known that the Jesuits never
establish any intimacy before a third, for the
third is a spy ; for when there are three, which is
indispensable, there cannot be found a traitor."
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 25
THE JESUIT OATH TAKEN BY THE FIRST ARCH-
BISHOP OF BALTIMORE (1769) LEAVES
ITS IMPRESS
The papal church when expedient, follows the
rule of pagan Rome to hold a conquered country in
leash, and make it yield its pound of flesh, by placing
over it native rulers, which is the easy way to ap-
proach the people on their blind side.
In 1753 an American-born boy of eighteen, one
John Carroll, from Upper Marborough, Maryland, en-
tered the College of the Society of Jesuits at Watteau,
Flanders, to study for the Romish priesthood in that
Order. The time required ordinarily for the training
in that Society, is fourteen years, and, as John Carroll
was not ordained until he had served sixteen years in
preparation, it is safe to conclude that this American
born youth was an especially well grounded "Cadaver"
upon his return to the Colonies in 1769, and that his
Society was justified in feeling that its interests would
be competently administered.
John Carroll had taken the oath from which we
quoted some pages back, to "When opportunity pre-
sents, make and wage relentless war, secretly or openly,
against all heretics, Protestants and Liberals/'
It is interesting to note that John Carroll was a
first cousin to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only
Romanist who signed the Declaration of Independence.
The officials of Maryland Colony sent a committee,
of which Beniamin Franklin was a member, to visit
French Canada to see if help could be had from that
source in the interest of the Colonies in the coming
conflict with England.
It was recommended by Congress that Charles
Carroll ask his cousin, John Carroll, the Jesuit priest,
to accompany them, honing that he would use his in-
fluence in securing the assistance of the French priests
in the Cause of the Colonies, an act which showed the
26 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
lack of understanding of the fundamentals and disci-
pline of the Jesuit Society, by the Colonists.
Of course, the expedition utterly failed, owing to
the influence of the French priests and the people of
French Canada, over whom "Father" John Carroll was
supposed to have had the power of persuasion. Though
England was an "heretical" country, the exceedingly
liberal and the independent spirit of defiance in the
American Colonies, was far more menacing, in the eyes
of the priests, to the interests of t v e church and the di-
vine righters, and Priest Carroll's Jesuit Oath pre-
cluded the possibility of his having any interest in his
native country, consequently he had to think in the
same channel as his French compatriots in religion.
That he, a few years later, merited the distinction from
his church to be made the first Archbishop of Balti-
more, and was permitted to live to the ripe old age
of four score years, is proof positive that he served
his church faithfully by strictlv adhering to his Jesuit
Oath. The first Archbishop of Baltimore left his indeli-
ble stamp on that diocese as was clearly demonstrated
during the Civil War, for every plot to assassinate
President Lincoln, and there were many, was hatched
in Baltimore, — in fact, Baltimore i? the Vienna of
America.
The fact also must not be overlooked, that there
were less than 30,000 Romanists and 25 priests in
the Colonies at the breaking out of the Revolution.
This, of course, was a handicap to the Reverend Car-
roll.
The first Archbishop of Baltimore must have
been, however, thoroughly conversant with the
rumblings of the Revolution in Europe, for his Society
was having some "rough sledding" during the early
eighteenth century when he arrived in Flanders, and
its members were being driven out of first one country
and then another.
The great battle for political freedom was being
bitterly waged between the Jesuits on one hand and
Freemasonry on the other, just as in the final analy-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 27
sis of the present irrepressible conflict in the United
States today, these two forces are lining up, a fact
which is becoming more obvious as time goes on.
They stand today as they have always stood,
these Jesuits, against every principle upon which
Freemasonry is founded — upon which Americanism
is based.
A group of French cyclopedists, led by Jean
Jacques Rousseau, had embodied a new concept of
government, in which the central postulate was, that
the only authority to govern should come from the
consent of the governed. This was whipped into shape
and published early in the eighteenth century and
boldly proclaimed to the world by Rousseau in his
"Social Contract" — contract of society. Eleven years
after, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and other
framers of our Declaration of Independence, incor-
porated it in that great chart of liberty, and when the
silver tones of our old Liberty Bell in Philadelphia
rang it out on July 4th, 1776, it reverberated around
the world and stirred the red blood of every divine-
right hater to its depths:
"Gravely plain the good pen lined it,
And the Fifty Six all signed it;
Pledged their lives to seal and bind it,
True and well!
Then sudden from the steeple,
Clanged the tocsin of the people,
Spoke the sum of history's pages,
Pealed the thoughts of saints and sages,
Rang the keynote of the ages, — in the Bell."
("The Liberty Bell" by Howard S. Taylor.)
It is difficult now for us to realize the boldness
and courage required of that little group of Colonial
"Rebels" who gathered around the table in Indepen-
dence Hall in Philadelphia, to sign that document. It
was a grim joke, indeed, that Benjamin Franklin
sprung when he took up the pen to write in his
name, and said: "Gentlemen, we must now all hang
together, for if we don't, we will hang separately."
28 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The success of the Revolution in the American
Colonies gave the stimulation to the French to revolt
in 1789. The triumphant conclusion of John Wilkes'
battle for a free press in England, the rumblings of
revolt in the Papal btates where tne pope was King,
all these held the cradle of Popular Government in
this country in security until the infant had dropped
its swaddling clothes, and got a fair start to grow.
John Carroll was studying in the Jesuit College
in Flanders when Rousseau's Social Contract set Eu-
rope ablaze with its message to the downtrodden
masses. The sensation precipitated by that revolu-
tionary proclamation can be but faintly imagined
now. Certain it is that the pope of Rome with the rest
of the crown heads of Europe saw the handwriting on
the wall, if the New Idea of government were per-
mitted to take root.
Four years later John Carroll was a full-fledged
Jesuit priest, and was returned to his native land where
he had an opportunity to get a "close-up" of the work-
ing out of the first Popular Government where the peo-
ple were the only source of authority.
In 1808 this Jesuit priest was created the first
Archbishop of Baltimore, by his "Lord-God" the pope.
In receiving the pallium he took a more disloyal oath
ot allegiance than that as a priest, to direct the work
of his Order and his church.
Verily, "The ways of God are wondrous strange.''
Who would have thought that a few months later an
infant son would be born to a pioneer couple in the
backwoods of Kentucky, in a rude log hut, who was
destined to, fifty years later, with one blow, defeat the
cautiously laid plans of the Vatican, its Jesuits, the
Romanoffs of Russia, the Hapsburgs of Austria and
the King of Prussia!
I have often pictured the baby Lincoln playing
about the humble log cabin in the Kentucky woods,
whose life was no different from the infant life of
other children of the pioneers, except in the greater
degree of poverty, and wondered if by chance in her
ASSASSINS OP ABRAHAM LINCOLN 29
day dreams, Nancy Hanks Lincoln could have
glimpsed the perspective in which her baby boy was
destined to become the savior of this Popular Govern-
ment; if, when she gathered him to her proud moth-
erly heart, quieting him to sleep with a crooning lulla-
by, which all mothers sing, the noble but storm-tossed
future of the child she snuggled might by chance, like
summer lightning, have flashed over her vision? And,
in my mind's eye, I pictured the meeting on the other
side of the Great Divide of this mother and son on the
morning of April 15th, 1865, and the happy look of
triumph in her glistening eyes as she beheld him in
the immortal garb of martyrdom which his enemies
had inadvertently placed upon him.
Chapter III.
"The Saint Leopold Foundation" Spy
System.
Owing to the combination of circumstances
in Europe just referred to, the autocrats did not
dare to "wage open war" on this government since
the warning enunciated in the Monroe Doctrine. In
1828 an organization in Vienna was formed which was
called the "Saint Leopold Foundation." The plan was
then, to operate under the mask of religion,
which would insure its safety from any governmental
interference and they hoped to accomplish by intrigue
and innuendo what could not be done by bullets and
bayonets.
The Hapsburg family of Austria was the most
powerful Roman Catholic ruling family in Europe and
consequently the most cruel, despotic and reactionary,
and had the American people not been so absorbed
in the upbuilding of the Republic, they would have
detected the hypocrisy of this "holy" fraud, — the
Saint Leopold Foundation.
One of the Hapsburg brothers, Prince Rudolph,
was a member of the Roman Curia, the Cardinal Ru-
dolph Hapsburg, of Olmutz. It was easy for the Jesuits
of the Vatican to operate through him as the agent
for the foundation funds which poured into the United
States in a stream of gold. Nor did the Vatican furnish
all the funds. They were most likely furnished by the
"high contracting parties," of the Holy Alliance and
the "secret treaty of Verona." In short, the immense
sums distributed among the bishops and archbishops
of the Catholic church in this country in estab-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 31
lishing bishoprics in cities where none existed, were
used solely as gigantic POLITICAL SLUSH FUNDS
to corrupt and ultimately destroy the government and
"set up a monarchial" one instead.
One year after the Saint Leopold Foundation
had been established, it received the recognition and
blessing of the pope. The wonderful generosity (?)
of the Hapsburg family was called to his attention.
The "blessing" was conveyed at a pontifical high mass
in Vienna, January, 1829, at which all of the royalty
was in attendance, and the happy occasion was closed
by a grand ball in the palace at night.
The scum of Catholic Europe, especially from
Ireland, then began pourine into this country from
every nook and cranny of that poverty stricken con-
tinent: in many cases, their passages being advanced
from this "slush fund." The Roman bishops of every
large city from New York to San Francisco, then be-
gan massing this foreign vote.
Tammany Hall had years before been organized,
and from its very inception began a system of po-
litical corruption which dominates New York's poli-
tics to this very day. This situation should have stag-
gered the world, but it failed to awaken the Ameri-
can people except in spots.
The massed Roman vote in the cities placed the
balance of nolitical power in the hands of the Roman
bishops and priests. Intimidation has always been
the "bipr stick" used when any mnn in public office
presumed to opnose the advance of these ecclesiasti-
cal "bosses." With the rapidly increased foreign im-
migration, these agents of the divine righters of Eu-
rope operatin.tr through the Jesuits and their lay
agents have made progress beyond their wildest
dreams. City councils, state legislatures, and even
Congress have been brow-beaten and bribed. It was
boasted within a year that any seat in Congress can
be bought for one hundred thousand dollars! Not
only 50, but some years ago when the Chicago Con-
32 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
gressman, Wm. Lorimer's seat was contested, it was
made a matter of record that this sum was the pur-
chase price. A forced resignation followed. It is in-
teresting to note that Mr. Lorimer's chief witness
was a Catholic priest of Chicago, who testified, ac-
cording to the Associated Press reports, that a peni-
tent of his, had acknowledged in the confessional, that
he had libeled Mr. Lorimer. The said penitent was not
named, of course.
A few months after Mr. Lorimer's resignation,
the press dispatches notified us that he "had been
received into the Catholic Church" with great ac-
claim. I cite this one case merely to emphasize my
point.
The Saint Leopold Foundation is a great Jesuit
Spy System which is not confined to the ecclesiastics
of the Roman church, but embraces every element of
society, from the private secretary of the President in
the White House, to the Catholic servant girl em-
ployed in the Protestant American families. Nor, in-
deed, is it restricted to Roman Catholics, for the Jes-
uits do not hesitate to use non-Catholic tools whenever
it is possible. In fact, they prefer them, for in this way
attention is distracted from them. In case of failure
it is always preferable to use non-Catholics.
The priest of every parish in this country is the
king-pin in this web of spying, and reports regularly
to his bishop every item of interest, directly or indirect-
ly and in turn, the bishop to his archbishop, the arch-
bishop to the cardinal and the cardinal to the pope.
The confessional box is the Roman clearing house,
whereby the Pope keeps his finger on the pulse of the
world.
It is a strange thing to know that no matter how
densely ignorant a Roman priest may be, that is on
any subject outside the things bearing on his church,
that priest knows perfectly the psychology of every
non-Romanist of any prominence in his district. He
knows his mental attitude toward the Romish chrrch ;
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN S3
he knows what the man will think and do under cer-
tain circumstances; he particularly knows if he is
friendly or unfriendly to the Roman church ; he knows
the extent of his wealth, and if the party is of enough
importance in the community, he knows the most in-
timate details and conduct of his private life. The man,
on the other hand, knows little or nothing of the par-
ish priest. More than likely, if he was asked, he would
say that he was the Catholic priest of such a parish.
If it happened to be in a town where the Catholic pop-
ulation was small and of no social or political impor-
tance, this would express the limit of his knowledge.
If, on the other hand, he was politically ambitious and
alert, the priest would be one of the first with whom
he would ingratiate himself, for most of the politicians
have learned to realize the political advantage of an
organized vote.
The sources of information which the Roman
priest can tan are almost unlimited and unknown to
the ordinary layman outside that corporation. The Le-
opoldines are honeycombed in every avenue of civic.
state and national life. There are, to begin with, the
police departments of the various cities, ninety per
cent of whom I may, I think, conservatively say, are
Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus. Thev are always
at the beck and call of the hierarchy. Their chief duty
as "Catholic citizens" is to obey their bishops and the
Holy See. "As God himself." (See Leo Xinth's "Great
Encyclical" page 192,)
Then there are their Jesuit college graduates^ in
every state, who are especially trained as expert spies.
If any man holding a political position refuses to
prostitute that position, by yielding to the demands
of the Romish priests, and persists in his stand, they
use their blackmail threats, if they cannot accomplish
their purpose in any other way, for, "Any means to
an end" is the Jesuit motto. If there is no such knowl-
edge in their possession by which to discredit or
frighten him, they do not hesitate to set their traps
for him, and should this fail, they are fortified to re-
34 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
sort to what is known in common parlance as a
"frame-up" which is an easy matter through their
"red-light" affiliations. Many a good man has been
driven from public life by this route. Many a man in
politics this moment, is a subservient tool of the Roman
priests, because he fears the physical violence of their
arson and murder gangs, or that they may drag out
some family skeleton to discredit him.
I am aware that these are harsh sayings, but
the truth is very often shocking.
The principal branches of the Leopoldines, still
operating in this country under various titles, are:
The German Catholic Central Verem, with headauar-
ters in St. Louis and Detroit; The Third Order of St.
Francis, which bids fair to sunplant, outwardly at
least, the original organization ; The Catholic Laymen's
Council, the League of the Sacred Heart, and the Cath-
olic Women's Council. These organizations are all
branches of the Leonoldinps' Sny Svstem.
To name one incident in which the ramification of
this spy system mav be s Q <m. T call to the mind of those
of my readers who read the Menace, published at Au-
rora. Mo., pome vears ago. when thp editor of th^ Melt-
ing Pot, Mr. Tichener. accompanied bv Mr. Marvin
Brown, editor of the Menace, located fifty thousand
cancelled envelopes which the Menace Publishing Corn-
pan v had sold to a junk dealer, — as is the custom of
publishers — in the offices of the German Catholic
Central Vprein at St. Louis. Mo.
Thp Menace ran a cut made from the snapshots
which they had taken of these editors, inside the of-
fices of the SPY headquarters, surrounded by bales of
thp "jVTennr^ or>^Te^r\r>(>^ w"HVH Mr Brown was about to
appropriate, and succeeded in doing so, a fact which
dem on strated that the Jesuits have not a corner on
the market when it comps to cleverness.
The Aurora paper had for months been receiv-
ing complaints from its subscribers, to the effect that
thev were being nersecuted. and if in business, boy-
cotted in their home towns by Roman Catholics, and
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 35
it had been puzzling the editors as to the avalanche of
complaints coming from all directions until the dis-
covery of the big consignment of cancelled envelopes, a
large proportion of which had the return addresses on
them. It was by this means that the list was procured.
The publicity which the Menace gave to this matter at
the time, put a stop to the inquisition for the most
part. This was an attack upon FREE PRESS which
these Leopoldines were pledged to execute.
This great Spy System penetrates every avenue of
social life. The field of journalism has been invaded
until a Roman Catholic sits at many important editori-
al desks of great newspapers, from coast to coast.
They fill the reportorial staffs and other departments
in the front offices and it goes without saying that
the presses, composing rooms and other mechanical
departments are dominated by them.
These Spies are members of all the important com-
missions, public works, school boards, library boards,
housing commissions, naturalization departments, and
are even active members of "Americanization" Commit-
tees.
Yes, I shall go farther and say, that I doubt if
there is ever an assemblage of the ministers of any
Protestant church in this country that meets without
the presence of the Leopoldines. Our state universities
and Protestant universities are honeycombed with
them. Roman priests hold professorships in several
state universities! On every text book committee se-
lected to pass on the books to be used in our public
schools, sits a Roman priest, or his personal representa-
tive. He is there for the purpose of seeing to it that
every truth derogatory to the Roman Catholic church
is eliminated and every thing that will in any way re-
flect credit upon that institution is incorporated. This
explains why it is that the extent of the knowledge of
the facts leading up to the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln has been carefully suppressed so that the ex-
tent of the knowledge about this greatest of all trag-
36 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
edies in the history of our country does not exceed
these words :
******
"President Lincoln was assassinated in
Ford's Theatre, April 14th, 1865, by an actor
named John Wilkes Booth. Andrew Johnson was
immediately sworn into office/'
The one point upon which the Roman church is
and has always been exceedingly ' 'broad" is in regard
to its members in the saloon and red-light districts of
the cities.
Have you ever asked yourself how it comes that
a large majority of the proprietors of the whiskey
places and brothels are members of that church in
good standing? Did you ever hear of a saloon keeper
being excommunicated by the church of Rome ? Have
you any knowledge of any female member of the under-
world having had the anathemas of Rome hurled at her
head? I think not. I will tell you some of the reasons
why. A large part of the enormous income of the Cath-
olic church reaches it through these channels.
The church of Rome has for centuries been a
large manufacturer of wine, liquors and beers. The
most expensive European wines are made by the monks
and nuns of that church. The finest champagne, for
instance, is manufactured by the Carthusian Monks.
"Benedictine" that beverage of hell, the sole purpose
of which is intended to increase prostitution, was con-
cocted by a monk of the Benedictine order eleven cen-
turies ago. He was later created a cardinal by the Pope
for the valuable "service" which he thereby rendered
his "Holy" church.
The cross is blown in the glass of every bottle of
Benedictine; the coat of arms of the order is im-
pressed upon the wax which seals it, and the Latin
motto dedicates it "To God, the purest and the best."
Fifty per cent of the wines manufactured in the
United States was made in California and about fifty
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 37
per cent of this was manufactured by the Roman Cath-
olic church in its monasteries in that state. To illus-
trate: At Los Gatos the Jesuit Fathers "Novitiate of
the Sacred Heart" conducted a large winery in which
three special brands of wine were made, "Villa St.-
Joseph" was described in their advertising as "A dry
white wine, pleasant flavor, delicate taste."
"Novitiate" — a heavy bodied, sweet, rich, mellow
fragrance, does not need to be bottled. One hundred
gallons at $39.00. New Revenue tax ten cents a gallon,
or two cents per bottle."
"Retail store — Pure Altar Wine Company, East
Dubuque, Ills."
The above is from the advertisement which goes
on to tell us that its purpose is to "supply Reverend
clergy in the N. W. States and Mississippi Valley, Rev.
Walter F. Thornton, S. J. (Society of Jesus, or Slick
Jesuit) Rector of Novitiate of the Sacred Heart. Ap-
pointed F. M. Rhonberg, Agent on personal recommen-
dation of His Grace, Archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa."
The following letter is official and will explain it-
self:
"St. Mary's Cathedral, 1100 Franklin St.
San Francisco, California
To whom it may concern:
Having appointed the Rev. D. O. Crowley Superior
of St. Joseph's Agricultural Institute, to superin-
tend the making of altar wines, I commend the
wine made under his supervision at the Beaulieu
Vineyard, and vouch for its absolute purity.
(Signed) Edw. J. Hanna,
Archbishop of San Francisco."
38 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I wish to digress further by saying that the sale
of these wines was not confined to the clergy. Their
retail stores in all of the large cities were opened for
anyone to purchase from. At this St. Joseph's Agri-
cultural Institute near Napa, California, a large part of
the work was done by children — waifs, orphans and
half -orphans, Priest D. 0. Crowley, the "big" ecclesias-
tical boss of the politics of San Francisco, gathers in
through the Juvenile Court and elsewhere to his in-
stitution known as the "Catholic Youths' Directory"
which occupies one of the highest nobs overlooking
San Francisco in what is known as the Mission Dis-
trict. These boys, ranging from ten to eighteen years
old are shipped every so often up to St. Joseph's Insti-
tute where they are supposed to spend their "vaca-
tion" helping to manufacture the wine.
Priest Crowley, bye the bye, has been for several
years president of the Public School Playground Com-
mission, appointed by Mayor Jas. Rolph, who is not
a Roman Catholic, but I am sorry to say, a member
of the Masonic Fraternity. I cite this example to show
how non-Romanists are utilized as Leopoldines.
Just one more instance of the connection between
"Wets" and the Roman Catholic church. Twenty-one
brewing, wineries and distilling companies of Chicago,
Illinois, contributed twenty thousand two hundred and
fifty dollars as their last gift to the Roman Catholic
"Charities" in a drive which Archbishop Mundelein
launched in 1918, just previous to the November
election Political Slush Fund — ("Charity covers a
multitude of sins.")
ROME'S REPRESENTATION IN THE UNDER-
WORLD
The courtesan has always securely held her posi-
tion in the Roman church. In the Tenth Century two
infamous courtesans, one the mother of a Pope, held
sway in Rome where they helped to make and un-
make popes. The two most eminent Catholic modern
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 39
historians, the Rev. Doctors John Alzog and Ludwig
Pastor, are authority for startling facts pertaining to
these women and their influence with the Papacy. Dr.
Alzog said "Marozia, who was one of the infamous
daughters of the infamous courtesan, Theodora, the
Elder. Marozia had Pope John Xth thrown into prison
and put to death in order to have her son who reigned
as Pope John the Xlth, placed on the Pontifical throne.
Pope John the Xlth was throughout his whole reign,
subject to the baneful influence of either his mother
or brother." (See Alzog's Universal Church History,
Vol. 2, page 293 and 296.)
Vanozza, a married woman, the mistress of Pope
Alexander Vlth, the occupant of the pontifical throne
in 1492, when Columbus didn't discover America, was
the mother of his four children, Caesar, Juan, Jofre
and Lucrezia, who were afterward legitimatized by pa-
pal bulls. This documentary evidence found in the secret
archives of the Vatican is emoted by the above Cath-
olic historians. During the early years of the pontifi-
cate of Alexander Vlth, Vanozza occupied a palace
close to the Latern palace. — the first Vatican — which
the Pope had built for her, and in this residence the
most brilliant social functions were held, presided over
by his recognized affinity.
JENNIE DALY— MADAM
It is not exaggerating to say that there is not a
city in the United States today but what the members
of a large quota of its demi monde are faithful devotees
of the Romish church who ply their profession every
day in the week but who would not think of missing
mass on Sunday.
One of the most notorious women in Indianapolis,
some years ago, was "Jennie Daly" the keeper of houses
of ill repute within a gun shot of the courthouse in
that city.
Her flagrant association with a prominent lum-
berman, a man of family for years, Warren Tate, whose
40 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
business was close to the redlight district where this
coarse featured female held sway, and who untimately
separated him from his family. In the early eighties
Tate, who was a bad tempered, abusive man was
twitted about his affinity by a man named Love during
the progress of some litigation in which they were
engaged. The incident occurred in the court room. Tate
told Love he would "kill" him for that remark. He
hurried out, went to his mill nearby, got his revolver
and shot Love to death as he was coming down the
court house steps.
As the threat was made in the presence of wit-
nesses, Tate who was arrested for murder in the first
degree, had to use the bulk of his fortune during the
sensational trial which followed, to save his neck.
Public opinion, naturally was highly in the favor
of the prosecution and it was an open secret that Jen-
nie Daly spent ninety thousand dollars of her money
in Tate's defense, and that she finally threatened every-
one connected with the case that if he was convicted
she would,"tell all she knew." Strange as it may seem,
the murderer was allowed to go free.
During all these years Jennie Daly was a regular
attendant at the Roman Catholic church, and was a
generous donor. She finally, after amassing a large
fortune, "retired from business," purchased a preten-
tious residence in a respectable part of the city, and she
and Tate married and lived there. At this time she was
a pew-holder in St. Josenh's Catholic church. After
some years Tate was taken ill. and faithful daughter
of the church that she was, she called in the narish
priest who formally received this man into its fold. He
was buried in a consnicious place in the Catholic ceme-
tery south of that city where his widow erected a beau-
tiful monument to his memory. In a few years she fol-
lowed. She was given all the "consolations" within the
gift of the Romish church, and at the Requiem Mass at
which she was buried the great eulogv which the
priest delivered over this notorious prostitute aroused
the indignation of many of the decent, respectable par-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 41
MONUMENT OF NOTORIOUS "JENNIE DALY'
Keeper of "resorts" in Indianapolis in the early 80's. "Faith-
ful daughter of the Holy Church".
42 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ishioners. The dust of the righteous mingles with that
oi these two scandalous characters, tor were they not
"obedient children of the Holy Mother Church ?" The
only unforgiveable sin in the Jtiomish corporation is to
tell the truth about it. Jennie Daly proved herseif to
have been a useful devotee, generous and faithful to
the end, and was so rewarded.
In San Francisco the "Jennie Daly" happens to
be a Spanish woman in close proximity to one of the
large churches there, who may be seen hurrying to
early mass on almost any Sunday morning. In San
Francisco, however, I might say there are hundreds
of the demi monde devotees of this church. So I might
go on, ad lib, ad nauseum.
I wish my readers to get a true estimate of the
ramification of this wicked system which is responsi-
ble for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. You
must remember that some of the most valuable in-
formation is poured into the listening ear of the Rom-
ish priest in the confessional box by this route. You
must know the real significance of what they mean
when they tell you that they intend to "Make America
Catholic." You cannot defeat an enemy which you do
not understand. You can never have a conviction
strong enough to stir you to fight this common enemy
of ours, unless you do, and this is the motive of the
writer. „ ,..*m
The clean, pure, upright life, public and private,
of Abraham Lincoln, was his protection from these
Leopoldines. There never was an act of his that would
have placed this great American in their power. This
fact alone was sufficient to merit their implacable
hatred, and it did. And now let us hasten on and
trace the soft footfalls of these Jesuits, step by step
as they shadowed the public life of our beloved mar-
tyr.
Chapter IV,
The Turning Point In Lincoln's Life.
While the Society of Jesus was organizing its de-
structive forces in Vienna under the title of the St.-
Leopold Foundation, in 1828, two boys from the tall
timbers of Spencer County, Indiana, in their teens,
guided their flatboat which they had spent weeks in
making, toward the wharf in New Orleans, Louisiana.
One was a tall, awkward youth, with frank gray
eyes, tanned skin, a mouth of generous proportions,
a shock of rather coarse black hair on a well-shaped
head, which was topped by a coonskin cap, commonly
worn by the men and boys from the "backwoods" of
the interior. When the boat holding its small cargo
was within reach of the pier, the taller lad climbed to
it with the agility of a cat, seized the rope, tied the
boat to the pier, and helped his thick-set companion
up. This done, the boys strode away, soon lost in the
crowd.
They attracted no special attention from the pedes-
trians for these pioneer young merchants frequently
visited the great southern metropolis. They were busy
taking in the sights of a real city for the first time
and it is not difficult to fancy the impressions and
wonderment at what they saw, and their exchange
of ideas while making their rounds.
There was one incident, however, which made a
lifelong impression and proved to be the turning point
in the taller boy's life, this lad who measured six feet
two. Their attention was directed to a large crowd
by the loud voice of a man towering above it. He had
long, black hair, loose flowing tie, wore a large slouch
hat, was dressed in the garb of a city man, and was
44 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
calling out in the language of an auctioneer, empha-
sizing his points with the crack of a black snake whip.
The boys moved over, pushing their way through
the crowd made up of almost every type from the
gentleman in broadcloth down to the street urchin,
nor did they stop until they had reached the inside
of the circle around the large block upon which stood
a young negro, about the age of the two youths whose
curiosity had drawn them there. The colored lad was
ordered to display his teeth, the fitness of his mus-
cles, which stood out like great brown cords, demon-
strating his splendid physical strength.
The bidding was snappy, being worked up by the
expert tactics of the auctioneer, whose facetious re-
marks brought many a coarse guffaw from the by-
standers. Finally, the hammer banged down on the
table, which was the signal that the lad had been sold
to the highest bidder, the deal was closed.
A shrill cry rang out, followed by the stifled
sobs of a beautiful mulatto girl, whose refined fea-
tures, glossy black hair, hanging carelessly to her
waist, betokened the dominance of the white blood
in her veins. She was one of the "pacel" of slaves who
was to be auctioned off the following morning, and
was the BRIDE of' the boy who had just been dis-
posed of.
There was not the slightest attention paid to
the incident for the details of the business transaction
in human souls were being completed by the parties
of the first and second parts. The crowd quickly dis-
persed as the "show" was over for that day.
The two boys from the "timbers" walked quickly
away. Finally, as they were nearing the place where
their boat was secured, our tall friend turned quickly
to his companion and said: "John, if I ever get a
chance to hit that thing, by God, I'll hit it, and I'll
hit it hard." He kept his oath, but no one but God
and the Angels, as they looked down that night, knew
the time nor the place, but God knew then that the
deft brown hand which tossed the rope lightly into
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 45
that old flatboat, would one day sign the emancipa-
tion of three million slaves!
Permit me here to give a "close-up" of our boy
hero twenty-six years later, — a pen picture dispatched
by a reporter for the Boston Journal who covered the
debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Doug-
las, which made both of these men famous.
The State Convention had nominated Mr. Lincoln
for the United States Senate. The report was as fol-
lows :
"The men are entirely dissimilar. Mr. Douglas is
a thickset, finely built, courageous man and has the
air of self-confidence that does not a little to inspire
his supporters with hope. Mr. Lincoln is a tall, lank
man. awkward, apparently diffident, and when not
speaking, has neither firmness nor fire in his eye. He
has a rich, silvery voice, enunciates with great dis-
tinctness, and has a fine command of language. He
commenced by a review of the points Mr. Douglas
had made. In this he shows great tact and his retorts
though gentlemanly, were sharp and reached to the
core of the subject in dispute. (Lincoln) "My distin-
guished friend says it is an insult to the emigrants of
Kansas and Nebraska to suppose that they are not
able to govern themselves. We must not slur over an
argument of this kind because it happens to tickle
the ear. It must be met and answered. I admit that the
emigrants of Kansas and Nebraska are competent to
govern themselves, but (the speaker rising to his full
height) I deny the right to govern any other person,
without that person's consent."
The vast throng- was as silent as death; every
eye was fixed upon the speaker. He then charged Mr.
Douglas with doing nothing for freedom; with dis-
regarding the rights and interests of the colored man,
and for about forty minutes he sooke with a power
we have seldom heard equaled. There was grandeur
in his thoughts, a comprehensiveness in his argu-
ments, and binding force in his conclusions, which
were perfectly irresistible ... He was the tall man
46 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
eloquent; his countenance glowed with animation,
and his eye glistened with an intelligence that made
it lustrous. He was no longer awkward and ungainly,
but graceful, bold, commanding. Mr. Douglas had been
quietly smoking up to this time, but here he forgot his
cigar and listened with anxious attention. When he
arose to reply, he appeared excited, disturbed and his
second effort seemed to us vastly inferior to his first.
Mr. Lincoln had given him a great task, and Mr. Doug-
las had not time to answer him, even if he had the abil-
ity."
Thus we see that Mr. Lincoln made good on his
boyhood promise, "to hit that thing hard/'
As early as 1856. Mr. Lincoln availed himself of
his opportunity to "hit that thing hard" when he en-
tered the political campaign, after an absence of sev-
eral years, which he had been devoting to his law
practice in Springfield, Illinois, with the intention of
never leaving it again. He was drawn into the field by
the infamous Dred Scott Decision rendered by the
fanatical Romanist, Judge Taney. Chief Justice of the
United States Suoreme bench. The Taney decision in
a nutshell was, that the "Negro had no rights which
the white man had to respect." This virtually placed
the government endorsement on black slavery, and
aroused Mr. Lincoln to action.
In November, 1855, Abraham Lincoln drew down
upon him the fire of Rome when he answered a wire
from the Reverend Chas. Chiniquy, Catholic priest, of
Kankakee, Ills., who had been engaged in a series of
court suits with the bishop of the Chicago diocese,
of which he was a "subject/* asking his professional
services. Within twenty minutes the reply came to
Chiniquy : "Yes, I will defend your life and your honor
at the next May term of the court at Urbana. A. Lin-
coln."
Promptly on May 19th, 1856, Mr. Lincoln appeared
at Urbana and consulted with Father Chiniquy, but I
will let him tell you of their meeting!
"He was a giant in stature, but I found him still
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 47
more a giant in the noble qualities of his mind and
neart. It was impossible to converse with him live min-
utes, without loving him. There was such an expression
of kindness and honesty in his face, such an attractive
magnetism in the man, that after a lew minutes con-
versation, one felt as tied to him by all of the noblest
affections of the heart.
When pressing my hand, he told me: "You were
mistaken when you telegraphed that you were unknown
to me. I know you by reputation, as the stern opponent
of the tyranny of your bishop, and the fearless pro-
tector of your countrymen in Illinois. I have heard
much of you from two friends, and last night your
lawyers, Messrs. Osgood and Paddock, acquainted me
with the fact that your bishop employs some of his
tools to get rid of you. I hope it will be an easy thing
to defeat his projects, and protect you against his
machinations.' He then asked me how I had been in-
duced to desire his services. I answered by giving the
story of that unknown friend, a lawyer, who had
advised me to have Mr. Lincoln — for the reason that
he was the best and most honest man in Illinois. He
smiled at my answer with that inimitable and unique
smile which we may call the 'Lincoln smile' and repli-
ed: 'That unknown friend would have been more cor-
rect had he told you that Abraham Lincoln was the
ugliest lawyer in the country,' and he laughed out-
right." (Chiniquy's Fifty Years in the Church of
Rome.)
The defeat of Rome in this celebrated case by Mr.
Lincoln; his terrific arraignment of the "perjuring
gang of priests" who had left no stone unturned to
ruin Father Chiniquy by a false accusation against
him in which it was charged by the infamous
priest La Bell that Mr. Chiniquy had made an attack
upon the sister of the former. On the night before
the case was to go to the jury, Mr. Lincoln, himself,
had almost given up hope of an acquittal, notwith-
standing the fact that he was convinced of Father
Chiniquy's innocence. He frankly told Chiniquy of
48 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
his fears and his last admonition to the distressed
and persecuted man was: "My dear Mr. Chiniquy,
tnough I hope tomorrow to destroy the testimony 01
LaB^U against you, I must concede that I see great
danger ahead. There is not the least doubt in my
mind that every word he has said is a sworn he,
but my fear is, that the jury thinks differently. I am
a pretty good judge of these matters, — I fear that
our jurymen think you are guilty — I have never seen
two such skillful rogues as those two priests. There
is really a diabolical skill in the plan they have con-
cocted to ruin you — the only way to be sure of a
favorable verdict tomorrow, lis that: God Almighty
would take our part and show your innocence! Go
to Him and pray, for He alone can save you."
Surely a more direct answer to prayer was never
received, for that very night Father Chiniquy spent
almost the entire time on his knees interceding that
his innocence might be established, when at three
o'clock in the morning he answered a knock on his
door, and there stood Mr. Lincoln, "his face beaming
with joy" as Chiniquy expressed it, — "Cheer up, Mr.
Chiniquy, I have the perjured priests in my hands.
Their diabolical plot is known, and if they do not
fly away before the dawn of day, they will sureiy
be lynched. Bless the Lord, you are saved!"
The wide publicity given the ca>se in Chicago
through the press had brought out the fact that Chini-
quy would probably be convicted. This was read by
the French Catholics and brought to light two wit-
nesses, two women who were present in priest La
Bell's house when he offered his sister two sections
of land if she would swear falsely against Father
Chiniquy. La Bell allayed her scruples by assuring
her he could forgive her sin if she would confess
to him. (Priests' relatives rarely ever confess to them,
if it can be avoided). One of these female witnesses
whose conscience was aroused by the unjust position
in which Father Chiniquy had been placed, came to
Springfield that night and told the facts to Mr. Lin-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 49
coin. The priests left town early in the morning,
fearing the consequences as public opinion had been
strongly against them, and La Bell's lawyer asked that
the case be dismissed, which was granted.
Mr. Lincoln did not permit the priests to go un-
scathed, however, and in a most terrific scorching at
their audacious attempt to corrupt the courts, he
closed his rebuke as he towered above his auditors
with these words :
"May it please your honor, gentlemen of the
jury and American citizens, this conspiracy, I am
aware, has failed in its efforts, but I have a few
words which I wish to say." He then went on and
depicted the career of Father Chiniquy, how he had
been unjustly persecuted, and in conclusion said: "As
long as God gives me a heart to feel, a brain to
think, or a hand to execute my will, I shall devote it
against that power which has attempted to use the
machinery of the courts to destroy the rights and
character of an American citizen.'" And this prom-
ise made by Abraham Lincoln in his maturer years
he also kept. That same year when he entered
the political field, tearing to tatters, as no other man
could, Taney's Dred Scott Decision, in favor of
black slavery, he fully understood the motive power
behind it was Rome. Whenever Lincoln "hit a thing,"
he "hit it hard."
From that time on the black clouds of Jesuitism
were fast gathering about the life of Abraham Lin-
coln. These enemies followed his path as a shadow fol-
lows sunshine. From that moment his doom was writ-
ten in letters of blood.
A remarkable thing transpired, when, after the
trial, Mr. Chiniquy asked Mr. Lincoln for his bill.
While he was drawing up a note for $50.00, as his
client had requested, Mr. Lincoln said to him : "Father
Chiniquy, what are you crying for? You ought to
be the happiest man alive. You have beaten your
enemies and come out triumphant; they have fled in
disgrace." To which the emotional Frenchman re-
50 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
plied : "I am not weeping for myself, but for you, sir.
They will kill you ; and let me tell you this, if I were
in their place and they in mine, it would be my sole,
my sworn duty, to take your life myself, or to find
a man to do it."
Chiniquy was right. They found their man.
LINCOLN THE THIRD PRESIDENT ASSASSIN-
ATED.
The murder of five presidents of this Republic,
by these enemies of Popular Governments in less
than sixty years, is a toll which is worthy, it would
seem to the writer, of the most serious consideration
of the American people. Five presidents of this Re-
public in 59 years were assassinated ; two by the poison
cup and three by the leaden bullet.
Abraham Lincoln was the third president assas-
sinated; two before him had been given the "Poison
Cup." Indeed, poison had been administered to Presi-
dent Lincoln, according to the Chas. Selby letter to
Booth which was a conspicuous government exhibit in
the trials of Mrs. Mary E. Surratt and the other con-
spirators, which stated:
"The cup failed us once, and might again."
There were two things the ultra-pro-slavery
leaders of the South had been urging for years by
which they expected to make the breach for their
entering wedge. One was the invasion of Cuba; the
other, the annexation of Texas. The fine Italian hand
is easily discernible in both.
An invasion of Cuba would have meant war with
Catholic Spain, Catholic France, Catholic Austria,
Catholic Belgium, and, of course, Italy, where the
Pope was king of his dominion. What chance would
our young Republic have had in case they succeeded?
Disruption? Not only disruption but total annihila-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 51
tion of Popular Governments and the setting up of
the monarchial institutions pledged at Congress of
Vienna in 1814, and ratified at Verona in 1822.
The PLAN of these imperialistic conspirators
was to wipe out the little Republic of Mexico where
the Liberals had succeeded, under the leadership of
Juarez, the half-indian, rebellious ex-priest, in throw-
ing off the Spanish and Papal yokes. Juarez had been
elected president of Mexico when Civil War broke out
in the United States.
During this time the new popular government
was progressing rapidly in Mexico. The first official
act, was the CONFISCATION of all the Roman church
property, which included over thirty-five per cent of
the most valuable and choicest land and holdings,
There was a certain line of policy which these
monarchical plotters were pursuing in this country
through the Leopoldines. The Slave question was be-
coming more acute all the time. The Jesuit-controlled
leaders only, were aware of the PLAN. The masses of
the Southern people had no real knowledge of it. They
were not permitted to have, but their political leaders
had. The masses of any people cannot- be corrupted.
The strong sense of justice and right and fairness
which God has implanted in each human heart at birth,
unless destroyed by some evil influence, or system,
will invariablv spring into action at a crisis, if they
are permitted to have a clear understanding of the
issue. As a matter of fact their very instinct of self-
preservation sharpens their judgment and strength-
ens their resolutions. The only instances of wrong de-
cisions, or actions at such times, comes from false,
wicked leaders.
I say again, that it was the evil, "Un-christian,
un-American influence of the Roman Church" that
dominated and controlled the ultra-pro-slavery leaders,
which led on to its own destruction. They carried on a
constant "Rule or ruin" policy in state and national af-
fairs. They were, in fact, the strong element in the
beginning but with the advent of the Abolitionists of
52 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
the North, a weakening of their hold began, for the
SLAVERY was thrust out in the open and could not be
further obscured.
First President Assassinated.
In 1841 General Wm. Henry Harrison of Ohio,
was elected President by a large majority. The loyalty
to the Union of General Harrison was above ques-
tion, and it was out of the power of the Leopoldines
to defeat him. It was with his election that the "Big
Stick" of intimidation was first raised when political
intrigue had failed.
In his inaugural address, which was a masterpiece,
President Harrison clearly, definitely and finally cut
any ground for hope from under them, which these
enemies to the Union of States might have had when
he said:
"We admit of no government by divine right,
believing that so far as power is concerned, the
beneficent Creator has made no distinction among
men; that all are upon an equality, and that the
only legitimate right to govern, is upon the ex-
press grant of power from the governed. "
With these unmistakable words President Har-
rison made his position clear; he hurled defiance to
the Divine Right enemies of our Popular Government.
Aye, he did more — for those were the words that
signed his death warrant. Just one month and five
days from that day, President Harrison lay a corpse in
the White House. He died from arsenic poisoning, ad-
ministered by the tools of Rome. The Jesuit oath had
been swiftly carried out:
"I do further promise and declare that I will,
when opportunity presents, make and wage, relent-
less war, secretly or openly, against all heretics,
protestants and Liberals, as I am directed to do, to
extirpate them and exterminate them from the
face of the earth . . . ,
Jesuit Oath Fulfilled Five Times in
Sixty Years.
"By the Poison Cup"
April 4, 1341
President Wm. Henry Harrison
"By the Poison Cup'
July 5, 1850
President Zachary Taylor
By the "Leaden Bullet"
July 2, 1881
By the "Leaden Bullet",
Sept. 6, 1901
President James A. Garfield
President William McKinley
54 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"That when the same cannot be done openly,
I will secretly use the poison cup regard-
less of the honor, rank, dignity, or authority of
the person or persons .... whatsoever may be
their condition in life, either public or private,
as I at any time may be directed so to do by any
agent of the Pope or Superior of the Brotherhood
of the Holy Faith of the Society of Jesus."
Allow me to quote for you from U. S. Senator
Benton's "Thirty Years View," volume 11, page 21,
regarding the death of President Harrison :
"There was no failure of health or strength
to indicate such an event or to excite apprehen-
sion that he would not go through his term with
the same vigor with which he commenced it. His
attack was sudden and evidently fatal from the
beginning."
Vice President John Tyler, who had been ap-
proached by these assassins previous to the election
of himself and Harrison, had replied to their interro-
gations on the annexation of Texas question :
"If I should ever become president, I would
exert the entire influence of that office to ac-
complish it."
President Tyler made good his promise and the
annexation of Texas which was tricked through,
caused the resignation of every member of President
Harrison's Cabinet, with the exception of Daniel Web-
ster, but let us again quote from Benton's "Thirty
Years' View:"
"He (Webster) had remained with Mr. Ty-
ler until the Spring of 1843, when the progress
of the Texas annexation scheme carried on pri-
vately, not to say clandestinely, had reached a
point to take an official form, and to become the
subject of government negotiation, though still
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 55
secret. Mr. Webster, Secretary of State, was an
obstacle to that negotiation. He could not be trust-
ed with the secret, much less conduct the negotia-
tions. How to get rid of him was a question of
some delicacy. Abrupt dismissal would have re-
volted his friends. Voluntary resignation was not
to be expected .... A middle course was fallen
upon — that of compelling a resignation. Mr. Ty-
ler became reserved and indifferent to him. Mr.
Gilmer and Mr. Upshur, with whom he had few
affinities, took but little pains to conceal their
distaste to him Mr. Webster felt it and
told some of his friends. They said "resign." He
did and his resignation was accepted with an
alacrity which showed it was waited for. Mr. Up-
shur took his place and quickly the Texas negotia-
tions became official, still secretly. (Thirty Years'
View, P. 562.)
Circumstances pointed to the Messrs. Gilmer and
Upshur, as being the actual assassins of President Har-
rison. Thus, at last, they accomplished, after years of
effort, one of their daring schemes — the annexation
of Texas.
And at the close of the chapter in Senator Ben-
ton's book, we read this significant bit of information
which should be well pondered :
"That the deceased President had been
closely preceded and was rapidly followed by the
deaths of almost all of his numerous family, sons
and daughters/'
That is "extirpation" with a vengeance, is it not?
WHOLESALE extirpation. In fact, there was but one
of his eight children, a son, permitted to live.
INTIMIDATION was the covert motive behind
this wholesale assassination of the Harrison family of
Liberal "heretics/' whose distinguished father had
56 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
been martyred for his belief in the POPULAR GOV-
ERNMENT of which he had been made the highest
representative by the PEOPLE.
THE ASSASSINATION OF ZACHARY TAYLOR.
As these plotters against the Union had tried
President Harrison out on the annexation of Texas,
they used the invasion of Cuba as the test for Zach-
ary Taylor, and had their plans ready to launch their
nefarious scheme in the early part of his administra-
tion, but from the very beginning President Taylor
snuffed out all hope of its consummation during his
term. In his first message to Congress, he said.:
"But attachment to the UNION of States
should be fostered in every American heart. For
more than half a century, during which kingdoms
and empires have fallen, this Union has stood un-
shaken In my judgment its dissolution
would be the greatest of calamities, and to avert
that should be the steady aim of every American.
Upon its preservation must depend our own hap-
piness and that of generations to come. Whatever
dangers may threaten it, I shall stand by it and
maintain it in its integrity to the full extent of the
obligations imposed, and power conferred on me
by the Constitution. "
There was no quibbling in this. The pro-slavery
leaders had nothing to count on in Taylor, therefore
they decided on his assassination. While these poli-
ticians were not influential enough to name the Presi-
dent, they were cunning enough to be able to control
the nomination of the Vice President, and it goes with-
out saying that they always chose a man who was in
full sympathy with their plans. They pursued this as
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 57
PRESIDENT JAMES BUCHANAN
Given "Poison Cup" at the National Hotel, Washington, D.
C, February, 1857, but escaped in a wholesale poisoning in
which fifty were affected and thirty-eight died.
58 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
the next best thing. It had become practically a
"trade" between the two groups of politicians.
Millard Filmore, a staunch pro-slavery man, strong
for the things his party wanted, was chosen as Vice
President for Taylor. The President, knowing the cal-
ibre of this running mate, had no sympathy, and as
little to do with him as possible. The arch-plotters,
fearing that suspicion might be aroused by the death
of the President early in his administration, as in the
case of President Harrison, permitted him to serve
one year and four months, when on the Fourth of
July, arsenic was administered to him during a cele-
bration in Washington at which he was invited to de-
liver the address. He went in perfect health in the
morning and was taken ill in the afternoon about five
o'clock and died on the Monday following, having been
sick the same number of days and with precisely the
same symptoms as was his predecessor, President Har-
rison. I quote again from Senator Benton's "Thirty
Years View:"
"He sat out all the speeches and omitted no
attention which he believed the decorum of his
station required The violent attack be-
gan soon after his return to the Presidential
mansion/' (Vol. 11, P. 763.)
The Vice President, Millard Filmore, was immedi-
ately sworn in as President, after the death of "Old
Rough and Ready" as Zachary Taylor's friends affec-
tionately called him.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 59
THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE
FIFTEENTH PRESIDENT
The Presidential election of 1856 was a hotly con-
tested one for the pro-slavery forces fully realized
that never again would they be able to dominate or
control the presidency. The newly AWAKENED SO-
CIAL CONSCIENCE of the North had animated PUB-
LIC SENTIMENT to such an extent that this would
be impossible, so they were ready to take the most
desperate chances to elect James Buchanan as the only
presidential possibility, in whom they could have any
hope. Not being absolutely certain of his dependable-
ness, they resorted to their old policy of being doubly
sure of his running mate and nominated John C. Breck-
enridge of Kentucky.
In order that the Dred Scott Decision should not
in any way hazard the chances of Buchanan's election,
these Jesuit schemers compelled Judge Roger E. Taney
to withhold his decision until after the election. It was
not published until two days after the Inauguration,
March 6th, 1857.
The new President proved himself a decided
"Trimmer/' Although he was a Northern man, he had
strongly courted the Southern leaders, and given them
to understand that he was "Wifh them heart and soul."
in short, he double-crossed them. He was invited to
deliver an address on Washington's birthday, and made
a reservation at the National Hotel, (which, by the
way, was the headquarters for the Jesuit traitors) for
himself and friends. The Southern leaders immediately
got in touch with him with the intention of testing
him out and learning precisely whether he intended
to make good on his pre-election promises or not.
The gentleman had had his ear to the ground ev-
idently and heard the rumble of the Abolitionists'
wheels, and when the committee asked for a confer-
ence, he coolly informed them that he was President of.
the North, as well as of the South. This change of at-
titude was indicated by his very decided stand against
60 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Jefferson Davis and his party, and he made known
his intention of settling the question of Slavery in the
Free States to the satisfaction of the people in those
States.
The following quotations from the New York
Herald and the Post at the time chronicled what fol-
lowed :
"The appointments favoring the North by the
Jeff Davis faction will doubtless be accepted, and
treated as a declaration of war, and a war of ex-
• termination on one side or the other." (Feb. 25,
1857.)
"On Washington's birthday, Buchanan's stand
became known and the next day (23rd) he was
poisoned. The plot was deep and planned with
skill. Mr. Buchanan, as was customary with men
in his station, had a table and chairs reserved for
himself and friends in the dining room at the Na-
tional Hotel. The President was known to be an
inveterate tea drinker; in fact, Northern people
rarely drink anything else in the evening. South-
ern men prefer coffee. Thus, to make sure of Bu-
chanan and his Northern friends, arsenic was
sprinkled in the bowls containing the tea and
lump sugar and set on the table where he was to
sit. The pulverized sugar in the bowls used for
coffee on the other tables was kept free from the
poison. Not a single Southern man was affected
or harmed. Fifty or sixty persons dined at the
table that evening, and as nearly as can be
learned, about thirty-eight died from the effects
of the poison."
"President Buchanan was poisoned, and with
great difficulty his life was saved. His physicians
treated him fenderstandingly from instructions
given by himself as to the cause of his illness,
for he understood well what was the matter."
"Since the appearance of the epidemic, the
tables at the National Hotel have been almost
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 61
empty. But more remarkable than the appear-
ance of the epidemic itself, is the supineness of
the authorities of Washington, in regard to it."
"Have the proprietors of the Hotel, or clerks,
or servants, suffered from it? If not, in what re-
spect did their diet and accommodations differ
from those of the guests (Northern) ?"
"There is more in this calamity than meets
the eye. It is a matter that should not be trifled
with/' (N. Y. Post, March 18, 1857.)
Thus again, we see the Jesuits "found their man"
and kept their oath that :
"I do further promise and declare, that I will
have no opinion or will of my own, or any mental
reservation whatsoever, even as a corpse or cada-
ver, but I will unhesitatingly obey each and every
command that I may receive from my superiors
in the Militia of the Pope, and of Jesus Christ."
"That when the same cannot be done openly,
I will secretly use the poison cup . . . the steel of
the poinard, or the leaden bullet, regardless of
honor, rank, dignity or authority, either public or
private, as I at any time may be directed to do."
The close call to death frightened and made James
Buchanan the most subservient tool the Jesuits ever
had. An old friend who visited him in Washington a
few months after, said he had "aged twenty-five
years.'" He had been the picture of health, robust and
straight as an arrow, when he arrived in Washington
for his Inauguration. After he had gotten his dose he
was emaciated and bent. An item from the Newark
News Advertiser of March 18th, 1857, said:
62 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"SYMPTOMS OF THE ATTACK AND NAMES OF
SOME OF THE MURDERED DEAD."
"A persistent diarrhoea, in some cases accom-
panied by violent vomiting, and always with a
most distressing loss of strength and spirits in the
person. Sometimes the person for one day would
be filled with the hopes of recovery, then relapse
again to loss of spirits and illness."
"Elliott Eskridge, the nephew of President
Buchanan, died from the effects of the poisoning."
During the Buchanan administration seven States
seceded, headed by South Carolina, taking seven forts,
four arsenals and one Navy Yard, and the United
States Mint at New Orleans, with five hundred and
eleven thousand dollars. The total value of the govern-
ment property stolen at this time was TWENTY-SEV-
EN MILLION DOLLARS AND EIGHT MILLIONS
OF INDIAN TRUST BONDS!
Allow me here to give the following graphic pic-
ture of the situation in 1850-60, taken from a eulogy,
delivered on Wendell Phillips in Boston, April 9th, 1884,
by the Rev. Dr. Archibald H. Grimke of Washington,
D. C, one of the most scholarly and eloquent thinkers
of his race:
"But when the year 1850 came and the slave
power hung its Black bill over the Free States,
non-resistance had no longer any place in the
conflict. The time for argument had passed; the
time for arms had arrived. On the first wave of
this momentous change Wendell Phillips mounted
to leadership. His speeches were the first billows
breaking in prophetic fury against the South.
They were the first blasts of the tempest; the
first shock on the utmost verge of the Civil War.
Forcible resistance of the Black bill was now
obedience to God . . . The passage of the Bill was
the actual opening of hostilities between two sec-
tions. The Union from that moment was in the
state of war. Of course there were not then any
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 63
of the visible signs of war, — no opposite armies —
two belligerent governments. ... It was none the
less real, however The peacable surrender of
a fugitive slave becomes now treason to freedom.
Wendell Phillips comprehended the gravity of the
situation. He refused to cry peace when there was
no peace. He answered the Southern manifesto
with the thunder of his great speech on the an-
niversary of the rendition of Sims. . .He is in com-
mand and has called for guns. . . He saw clearly
that the danger of the reform lay in the stupor
and indifference which repeated executions under
the law would produce.
"The South was united and highly organized,
impelled by a single purpose, and in possession of
the whole machinery of government. He saw the
North timid, irresolute, sordid, drugged by Whigs
and Democrats, and frozen with the fear of dis-
union. . . Peace was slavery, and sleep was death.
The only hope of freedom lay now in the finger
that could pull the trigger. This might beat back
the advancing apathy and save the citadel of lib-
erty. It is the glory of Phillips that he saw this.
.... He was an army in himself. His eloquence
poured out month after month, and year after
year, a kind of imminent presence. . . . the very
air of the Free States vibrated with the disembod-
ied soul of his mighty invectives. . . Shock after
shock has loosened the ice from the conscience
and courage of the North. The Republican party
is born, and then comes the first political freedom.
Abraham Lincoln has entered the White House,
and Jeff Davis has turned his back upon Washing-
ton forever. The trial morning is rising gloomily
upon the republic. The gray light is haunted with
strange voices, winged portents, bloody appari-
tions. Right and Wrong, Freedom and Slavery
have reached the plains of '60 !"
Thus we have been given a glimpse of the decade
from the murder of Taylor to the Election of Lincoln.
Chapter V.
When The Pope Was King.
That Pope Pius IXth conspired with Napoleon
nird to take advantage of the conflict between the
North and the South in this country and to with one
blow destroy both Popular Governments of Mexico and
the United States, is beyond question.
During the years from 1864 to '65 the activity of
these Jesuits in Europe was redoubled. There is no
doubt that they were not in close touch with every
step and phase of the Rebellion in this country. In
1856 Prince Maximillian of Austria, was called to Rome
where a marriage had been arranged through ecclesias-
tical and royal intrigue between himself and the Prin-
cess Carlotta, daughter of King Leopold Ilnd of Bel-
gium, thus uniting two of the strongest Catholic
powers in Europe.
The next step was the marriage of this royal
couple in the Cathedral at Vienna. In April, 1864, by
the orders of the pope, they were crowned Emperor
and Empress of Mexico at Pontifical High Mass and
amidst great rejoicing. On April 14, 1864, just one
year to the day, previous to Lincoln's assassination,
this royal couple set sail in an Austrian ship of war
for Mexico. They put in at Cevita Vecchia, the port in
the Papal States, and were received at the Vatican by
the most elaborate ceremonies which had ever been
extended by a pope to royalty. After several days of
these honors and being loaded down with the papal
blessings they again resumed their journey across the
Atlantic.
Maximillian had been, during a previous visit to
Napoleon Illrd and his Empress Eugenia, assured of
the assistance of thirty thousand French and Belgium
troops for his invasion into Mexico, the specific ob-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 65
ject of which was the destruction of the young Repub-
lic already established under Juarez. These troops were
poured in and were being supported by the Mexican
people. It had been impressed upon Maximillian at the
Vatican that his first official act must be complete
restoration of all the church property and ecclesiasti-
cal "rights'' of the clergy which had been confiscated
by the Liberal government.
After the conquest of Mexico the plan was for this
imperialistic commander "Emperor" Maximillian, to
join Jefferson Davis and Confederate troops at Rich-
mond, where they would sweep north and capture
Washington.
Davis had made a strong appeal in 1863 in a
letter to the Pope, and after the reply which he prompt-
ly received from "His Holiness" a wholesale desertion
of the Irish Catholic troops of the North to the Con-
federacy followed. In fact, the government figures "are
that out of 144,000 Irish Romanists, but 44,000 re-
mained loyal.
We have seen and heard how the Roman priest-
hood the world over, is bending every effort to restore
the pope to the position which he occupied during the
Dark Ages. This is perhaps, an opportune time for the
reader to take a survey of the conditions which existed
in the Papal States prior to and during the Civil War
where the popes of Rome had been in supreme com-
mand for over fourteen hundred years. Certainly, four-
teen hundred years ought to be sufficient for a thor-
ough test of the merits of a system. Pius IXth was
elected in 1846. There had been three popes in the in-
terim between him and Pius Vllth who had restored
the Jesuits and called the Congress of Vienna in 1814.
There was no change in policy, however, nor any lax-
ness in regard to the attitude of the church toward
its obligations to the "high contracting parties" of
the Holy Alliance and their Secret Treaty at Verona.
Of all of his predecessors Pius IXth was one of the
most reactionary, and in his notorious Syllabus which
was proclaimed to a startled world in December, 1864, he
66 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
anathamatized every fundamental principle upon which
this Republic is based. The historians are inclined to
place all the blame of his mistakes, and they were
many, upon his Secretary of State, Cardinal Antonelli,
who was beyond doubt "the power behind the throne" —
the agent for the "Black" pope. Antonelli is far more
interesting as a character study than the "White"
pope, inasmuch as he was so deeply interested in the
affairs of this country during the war, I am taking
the liberty of reproducing some graphic pen pictures
by the distinguished French journalist, M. About, who
made a personal visit to the Papal States to learn,
firsthand, if the astounding reports from the Italian
Revolutionists which had been pouring into the Eu-
ropean press for several years were correct. M. About's
book, "The Roman Question" is intensely interesting
and written in the peculiarly piquant style of the
brilliant Frenchman. It is long since out of print and
difficult to secure as the Leopoldines have bought up
every copy which comes under their WATCHFUL
EYE. It is a terrific arraignment, especially so, as the
author himself was a Roman Catholic.
His visit to the Papal States was made in 1859,
the same year you will remember that Abraham Lin-
coln was making his telling political campaigns for
the presidency, and immortalizing himself by his de-
bate with Judge Douglas, tearing to tatters the Dred
Scott Decision of Judge Roger E. Taney.
The great Italian poet and patriot, Mazzini, was an
exile, living in a London attic, pouring out his soul's
most noble apoeals to the Liberals of Europe. His large
property holdings in Italy had been confiscated by the
Pope's government. The Carlysles had visited him in
his attic and through their friendship he was brought
from the miserable surroundings and ensconsed in
comfortable quarters, where the most distinguished
literati of London and Paris visited him and were cap-
tivated by his remarkable talents and his sincere pa-
triotism and completely won over by his irresistible
arguments for a FREE AND UNITED ITALY.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 67
The exile Garibaldi, with his "Redshirted Legion"
had answered the call of his country after a sojourn
in the United States where he had also lived in an at-
tic in New York City, f ollowing the humble profession
of a candlemaker, saving up his money.
One day he suddenly closed his attic door and dis-
appeared as mysteriously as he had come. The great
soldier patriot returned to Italy by the way of London
and one of his most brilliant conquests was the capture
of the hearts of the people of London. The red-blooded
staunch Protestants not only of the city itself, but
from all over England, came to welcome the man who
had returned to offer his sword against the papal
yoke. They went wild with delight. Garibaldi with his
yellow flowing hair under his big slouch hat was lifted
to the shoulders of the crowd, mad with joy which
surged about him, and carried as though his great
form was but a feather's weight.
This was an insult, aye, it was the unforgiva-
ble sin in the eyes of the black-robed Jesuits, and the
Vatican, which aroused the deadly hatred for. the
English Protestant nation, a hatred which has not
abated up to today.
One might presume under the circumstances that
the Pope would have been too occupied with his own af-
fairs to have meddled with the politics in the United
States, at such a time.
The clever Frenchman, M. Dupin, has said:
"Le Jesuitism est un epee dont la poingee est a
Rome, et la point partout." — Jesuitism is a sword whose
hilt is in Rome and its point everywhere.
Gladstone had visited the Papal States in 1S50
and on his return to England, had reported to his
government and the London Press that the Papal gov-
ernment was "The negation of God."
68 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
In the preface of his book, M. About says :
"It was in the Papal States that I studied the
Roman Question. I travelled over every part of the
country; I conversed with men of all opinions, ex-
amined things very closely, and collected my informa-
tion on the spot"
"The pressing condition of Italy has obliged me
to write more rapidly than I could have wished; and
this enforced haste has given me a certain air of
warmth, perhaps of intemperance, even to the most
carefully matured reflections I fight fairly and
in good faith. I do not pretend to have judged the
foes of Italy without passion; but I have calumniated
none of them."
"If," he continues, "I have sought a publisher in
Brussels, while I had an excellent one in Paris, it is
not because I feel any alarm on the score of the regu-
lations of our press, or the severity of our tribunals.
But as the Pope has a long arm that might reach me
in France, I have have gone a little out of the way to
tell him the plain truths contained in these pages."
And now for the "plain truths" about his Secretary
of State, the Cardinal Deacon, Antonelli.
"He was born among thieves- His native place
Sonino, is more celebrated in the history of crime,
than all Arcadia in the annals of virtue. This nest
of vultures was hidden in the southern mountains, to-
ward the Neapolitan frontier. Roads, impractical to
mounted dragoons, winding through brakes and thick-
ets; forests impenetrable to the stranger; deep ra-
vines and gloomy caverns — all combine to form a most
desirable landscape, for the convenience of crime.
"The houses of Sonino, old, ill built, flung pellmell,
one upon another, and almost uninhabitable by human
beings, were, in point of fact, little else than depots of
pillage and magazines of rapine. The population, alert
and vigorous, had for many centuries practiced armed
robberies, and depredation had gained its livelihood at
the point of the carbine."
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 69
"Newborn infants inhaled a contempt of the law
with the mountain air, and drew in the love of others
goods, with their mother's milk. Almost as soon as
they could walk, they assumed cioccie, or moccasins
of untanned leather, with which they learned to run
fearlessly along the ledge of the giddiest mountain
precipices. When they had acquired the art of pur-
suing and escaping, of taking without being taken,
the knowledge of the value of different coins, the arith-
metic of the distribution of booty, and the principles
of the rights of nations, as they are practiced among
the Apaches or the Comanches, their education was
deemed complete. . . .
"In the year of grace 1806, this sensual, brutal,
impious, superstitious, ignorant and cunning race, en-
dowed Italy with a little mountaineer, known as Gia-
como Antonelli. Hawks do not hatch doves. This is
an axiom in natural history, which has no need of
demonstration. Had Giacomo Antonelli been gifted
with simple virtues of an Arcadian shepherd, his vil-
lage would instantly have disowned him. But the in-
fluence of certain events modified his conduct, al-
though they failed to modify his nature."
"If he received his first lessons from successful
brigandage, his next teachers were the gendarmerie.
When he was hardly four years old, the discharge of
a high moral lesson shook his ears ; it was the French
troops who were shooting brigands in the outskirts
of Sonino."
"After the return of Pius Vllth., he witnessed
the decapitation of a few neighboring relatives who
had dandled him on their knees. Under Leo Xllth., it
was still worse. The wholesome correctives of the
wooden horse were permanently established in village
square St. Peter's Gate, which adjoins the house
of the Antonelli, was ornamented with a garland of
human heads, which .... grinned dogmatically enough
in their iron cages Young Giacomo was enabled
to reflect upon the inconveniences of brigandage, even
before ^he had tasted its sweets ... He hesitated for
70 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
some time as to the choice of a calling. His natural
vocation was that of the inhabitants of Sonino . . .
to live in plenty, to enjoy every sort of pleasure, to
rule others, to frighten them if necessary, but above
all, to violate laws with immunity."
"With the view of attaining so lofty an end,
without endangering his life, for which he had ever
a most particular regard, he entered the great seminary
of Rome."
That's a beautiful picture of the next highest pre-
late to the Pope, is it not ?
So much for the early years of Antonelli.
But permit me to quote again from the pen of
the author of "The Roman Question," who, as we know,
was an eye witness :
"No country in Europe is more richly gifted, or
possesses greater advantages, whether for agricul-
ture, manufacture or commerce ....
Traversed by the Appenines, which divide it
about equally, the Papal dominions incline gently on
one side the Adriatic, on the other the Meditteranean.
In each of the seas they possess an excellent port ;
to the east, Ancona to the west, Civita Vecchia .... If
Panurge had had these ports in his kingdom, he would
have infallibly built himself a navy ... The Phoenic-
ians and Carthagenians were not so well off.
A river tolerably well known under the name of
the Tiber, waters nearly the whole country to the
west. In former days it ministered t') the wants of
internal commerce. Roman historians describe it as
navigable up to Perugia. At the present time it is
hardly so far as Rome ; but if its bed were cleared out,
and the filth not allowed to be thrown in, it would ren-
der greater service and would not overflow so often.
In 1847, the country lands subject to the Pope
were valued at about 34,800,000 pounds sterling . . .
the Minister of Public Works and Commerce admitted
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 71
that the property was not estimated at above a third
of its real value. If capital returned its proper interest,
if activity and industry caused trade and manufac-
tures to increase, the national income, as ought to be
the case, it would be the Rothschilds who would bor-
row money from the Pope at six per cent interest/'
As a matter of fact the Papacy was heavily in-
debted to the Rothschilds upon which About throws a
high light further on.
"But, stay/' he continues, "I have not yet com-
pleted the catalogue of possessions. To the munificence
of nature, must be addea the inheritance of the past.
The poor Pagans of great Rome left all their property
to the Pope who damns them.
They left him gigantic aqueducts, prodigious sew-
ers and roads which we find still in use, after twenty
centuries of traffic. They left him the Coliseum, for
his Capuchins to preach in. They left him an exam-
ple of an administration without equal in history.
But the heritage was accepted without the respon-
sibilities.
"I will conceal from you no longer that this
magnificent territory appeared to me in the first
place most unworthily cultivated. From Civita
Vecchia to Rome, a distance of sixteen leagues,
cultivation struck me in the light of very rare
accident . . . Some pasture fields, some land in
fallow, plenty of brambles, and, at long intervals,
a field with oxen at the plow; that is what the
traveler will see in April. He will not meet with the
occasional forest which he finds in the desert re-
gions of Turkey. It seems as if man had swept
across the land to destroy everything, a\:d the soil
had been taken possession of by flocks and herds
I used to walk in every direction, and
sometimes long distances . . • However, in pro-
portion as I receded from the City of Rome, I
72 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
found the land better cultivated. One would sup-
pose that from a certain distance from St. Peter's,
the peasants worked with greater relish " . . . .
"I sometimes fancied that these honest la-
borers worked as if they were afraid to make a
noise, lest by smiting the soil too hard, too deeply,
too boldly, they should wake up the dead of the
past ages."
"St. Peter's is a noble church, but, in its
way, a well cultivated field is a beautiful sight. . . .
... It seemed to me, that the activity and
prosperity of the subjects of the Pope were in
exact proportion to the square of the distance
which separated them from Rome ... in other
words, that the shade of the monuments of the
eternal city, was noxious to the cultivation of
the country, Rabelais says, 'the shade of monas-
teries is fruitful' but he speaks in another sense."
I submitted my doubts to an old ecclesiastic, who
hastened to undeceive me. "The country is not un-
cultivated," he said, "or if it be so, the fault is with
the subjects of the Pope. This people is indolent by
nature, though 21,415 monks are always preaching
activity and industry to them!"
That is a birdseye view, dear reader, of the Pa-
pal States in the early eighteenth century when we
were having our blind struggle with the Papacy for
our national existence in this country.
In his chapter on PLEBEIANS, M. About has this
to say:
"The subjects of the Holy Father are divided
by birth and fortune into three very distinct classes —
nobility, citizens, and people, or plebeians.
The Gospel has omitted to consecrate the inequal-
ity of men, but the law of the state — that is to say, the
will of the Popes — carefully maintains it. Benedict
XIV declared it honorable and salutary in his Bull of
January 4, 1746, and Pius IX expressed himself in
the same terms at the beginning of his Chirografo
of May 2nd, 1853."
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 73
Ponder these words well, dear reader, and add to
them the following quotation which I lifted from The
New World, the Official Organ of the Roman Catho-
lic Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago, 111., which
was a comment on the Federation of Catholic Socie-
ties held at New Orleans the previous November 1910 :
Human society has its origin from God and is
constituted of two classes of people, rich and poor,
which respectively represent Capital and Labor.
Hence it follows that according to the ordinance of
God, human society is composed of two classes, su-
periors and subjects, masters and servants, learned
and unlettered, rich and poor, nobles and plebians."
(The New World, Chicago, HI., Dec. 20-1910.)
It is astounding to know that Diomede Falconio,
the Pope's Legate to this country, who uttered the
above divine right treason on that occasion was at the
time a naturalized citizen of the United States ! ! !
That is what the oath of a Jesuit amounts to.
Falconio, who has since died, was instructing the
subjects of the Pope in this country and there were
thousands of Catholics present at the New Orleans
Convention, that a government based as our POPU-
LAR Government is, is not worthy "favor or support."
(See Leo XIEth's Great Encyclicals, page 126).
In a nutshell, the Roman Church in this country
has always taught and is still teaching its subjects a
separate citizenship inimical to orr American citizen-
ship that the sole authority to rule must come from the
consent of the ruled.
This is the same divine right IDEA which rent
this country from stern to stern in 1860, which gashed
its fair face with the Mason and Dixon Line !
This is tha same identical teaching which swept
Abraham Lincoln from us at the most critical moment
in our country's history.
This is the concentrated treason which is today be-
ing inculcated in the minds of one million seven hundred
thousand boys and girls who attend the Catholic paro-
chial schools which we have wickedly permitted her to
74 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
erect in direct opposition to the Public Schools where
the fundamentals of POPULAR GOVERNMENT is in-
stilled.
This is the ROMAN QUESTION, the irrepres-
sible conflict, the same old question which the great
Lincoln understood and denned so thoroughly in his
campaign with Douglas — Douglas with the Roman
Catholic wife — Douglas, the Leopoldine, the defender
of slavery, who was chosen whether consciously or un-
consciously, I cannot say, but chosen just the same to
champion the doctrine of class distinction in this coun-
try with which they thought to destroy it.
"That is the issue that will continue in this coun-
try when the poor tongues of Judge Douglas and
myself shall be silent-
It is the eternal struggle between these two prin-
ciples — right and wrong — throughout the world.
They are the two principles that have stood face
to face from the beginning of time, and will ever con-
tinue to struggle,
The one is the common right of humanily and the
other, the divine right of kings it is the same
spirit that says: "You work and toil and earn bread
and I'll eat it." no matter in what shape it comes, ....
it is the same tyrannical principle." (Lincoln's Speech
at Alton, HI., October 15, 1858.)
Abraham Lincoln was the living embodiment
of "the common right of humanity." In his life the
perfection of the NEW IDEA had been materialized,
had become a living, breathing FACT which was un-
conquerable, yes, unassailable.
Lincoln knew the struggle would go on, after
"these poor tongues of Judge Douglas and myself
shall be silent."
I believe that the prophetic, inimitable, words that
Charles Chiniquy attributes to him in his Fifty Years
In The Church of Rome were said by him. They have
the peculiar literary style of Lincoln, and could never
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 75
be confused with the effusive, emotional manner of ex-
pression of the Frenchman that Chiniquy had than
night with day.
The opening words :
"I do not pretend to be a prophet,'' ring with
the modesty which distinguishes many of Mr. Lin-
coln's greatest sayings. Listen:
"I do not pretend to be a prophet. But though
not a prophet, I see a very dark cloud on our ho-
rizon. That dark cloud is coming from Rome. It
will be filled with tears of blood. It will rise and
increase, till its flanks will be torn by a flash of
lightning, followed by a fearful peal of thunder.
Then a cyclone such as the world has never seen
will pass over this country, spreading ruin and
desolation from north to south. After it is over,
there will be long days of peace and prosperity;
for popery with its Jesuitism and merciless In-
quisition, will have been forever swept away from
our country. Neither you, nor I, but our children
will live to see these things." — (Page 715, Fifty
Years In The Church of Rome, by Rev- Charles
Chiniquy)
Chapter VI.
Lincoln Takes Up The Burden.
Certainly, no president of this Republic was ever
beset with so many staggering problems as President
Lincoln. The more we study those perilous years, the
more we wonder at his great wisdom, firmness and
boundless patience and charity-
The Ultra-Pro-Slavery leaders had sworn to pre-
vent the seating of Abraham Lincoln in the Presideiital
chair. So certain were they of the success of their
plans that just as Buchanan was leaving the White
House, before the arrival of Mr. Lincoln, he turned
and said : "As George Washington was the first Presi-
dent, so James Buchanan will be the last President
of the United states."
Mr. Lincoln had no idea of the rottenness and
treason which were there to face him in Washington.
Almost every department in Washington was headed
by a traitor to the Government, for the arch-plotters
had been placing their trusted tools preparatory to
the final blow.
The first months of his administration were
spent in investigating these national assassins, and
replacing them with men who were true. This, in
itself, was a task that only the judgment of Lincoln
could have accomplished.
Mr. Lincoln had no idea of the dimensions of the
Secession Plot. He was later to find that his first
call for 75,000 volunteers was inadequate and was
amazed when the Governors of three Southern States
refused to send their quota.
Another disillusionment came when he noted that
as he increased his calls for troops, Jefferson Davis did
not send out any call. From that on Lincoln becran to
realize something of the seriousness of the situation
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 77
and his last call was for "three years or during the
war." Southern leaders also realized the fact that they
were up against the real thing.
When President Lincoln reached Philadelphia for
his first inauguration, there was a plot discovered
and disclosed to General John Hancock at Washington
to assassinate Mr. Lincoln at Baltimore, where he was
to have stopped to address the citizens on his
way to the Capital. The full details had been planned.
An Italian barber well known in Baltimore, a Romanist,
was to have stabbed him while seated in his carriage,
when he started from the depot.
The son of Wm. H. Seward, who was at that time
Senator and afterwards Lincoln's Secretary of State,
was sent post-haste to Philadelphia to warn Mr. Lin-
coln of his danger. It was a difficult matter at first
to convince him of the seriousness of it. He flatly
refused to go to Washington immediately, as was
suggested by his friends, but promised that after he
had raised the flag on Independence Hall in Philadel-
phia, and delivered an address to the members of
the Legislature at Harrisburg, he would take an ear-
lier train to Washington, which he did, accompanied
by only one friend, Wade C. Lammon, one of his law
partners, and Wm. H. Pinkerton, head of the Detective
Agency of that name in Chicago. The party took the
six o'clock train out of Philadelphia, quietly without
attracting any publicity, and as Mr. Lincoln was sound-
ly sleeping, the train whizzed through Baltimore, and
got him to Washington early in the morning, where
he was taken in charge by the largest military and
Secret Service escort a president ever had been sur-
rounded with. Thus was the first of Rome's assassina-
tion plot thwarted.
The awakening of the President and the North
came on the morning of April 12, 1861 with the firing
on Fort Sumpter. This opening shot of the rebellion was
sent by General Beauregard, Jesuit leader of the mili-
tary operations. Beauregard was a professed Roman-
ist and sprung from a distinguished family of Jesuits.
78 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
BIRTH
The Cabin home where the baby Lincoln played about while
the "Holy Alliance" was entered into to destroy the Govern-
ment he was to save.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 79
hssggsas
The White House to which the People sent him Nov. 4,
1860, to "hit that thing hard".
i%>'&
The East R,oom where President Lincoln's body lay in state,
ilain by the "leaden bullet".
In this room the bodies of five slain Presidents have rested.
SO ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The North was wholly unprepared for war. They
seemed not to have been able to realize that there
could ever be a conflict between the citizens of the
United States. This delusion was shot to pieces on
April 12th, and amidst the greatest consternation and
excitement preparations began in earnest.
That President Lincoln fully realized it was not
a Protestant South with which he was contending,
is clearly evident from his own words on this sub-
ject in his conversation with the Rev. Charles Chini-
quy, ex-Catholic priest of Kankakee, 111., who called
once each year during his administration at the White
House to warn the President of his danger of assassina-
tion by these enemies of Popular Government and
their agents, the Jesuits, through their Leopoldines.
"THE COMMON PEOPLE HEAR AND SEE THE
BIG NOISY WHEELS OF THE SOUTHERN CON-
FEDERACY CARS, AND THEY CALL HIM JEFF
DAVIS, LEE, THOMPSON, BEAUREGARD,
SEMMES, OR OTHERS. THEY HONESTLY THINK
THAT THEY ARE THE MOTIVE POWER, THE
FIRST CAUSE OF OUR TROUBLES, BUT IT IS A
MISTAKE, THE TRUE MOTIVE POWER IS SE-
CRETED BEHIND THE THICK WALLS OF THE
VATICAN— THE COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS OF
THE JESUITS; THE CONVENTS OF THE NUNS,
THE CONFESSIONAL BOXES OF ROME."
"THERE IS A FACT WHICH IS TOO MUCH
IGNORED BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND WITH
WHICH I AM ACQUAINTED ONLY SINCE I BE-
CAME PRESIDENT. IT IS, THAT THE BEST AND
LEADING FAMILIES OF THE SOUTH HAVE RE-
CEIVED THEIR EDUCATION IN GREAT PART, IF
NOT ALL, FROM THE JESUITS AND THE NUNS—
HENCE THE DEGRADING PRINCIPLE OF SLAV-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 81
ERY, PRIDE AND CRUELTY, WHICH ARE AS SEC-
OND NATURE AMONG MANY OF THE PEOPLE."
And continuing Mr. Lincoln analyzed the Roman
psychology which played its part in his own murder,
when he said :
"HENCE THAT STRANGE WANT OF FAIR
PLAY FOR HUMANITY; THAT IMPLACABLE
HATRED AGAINST IDEALS OF EQUALITY AND
LIBERTY, AS WE FIND THEM IN THE GOSPEL
OF CHRIST— IT IS TRUE THAT WE BOUGHT
FLORIDA, LOUISIANA, SOUTH CAROLINA, NEW
MEXICO AND MISSOURI FROM SPAIN, BUT ROME
HAD PUT HER VIEWS OF HER ANTI-SOCIAL AND
ANTI-CHRISTIAN MAXIMS INTO THE VEINS OF
THE PEOPLE, BEFORE THEY BECAME AMERI-
CANS."
Surely, no clearer conception of the masked enemy
with which that great man was contending was ever
glimpsed. While other men studied books, Lincoln
STUDIED MEN, and the above interpretation of the
terrible conflict in which he was the Commander-in-
Chief is startling in its accuracy. It is very simple now
for those of us who have the knowledge of an array
of facts before us, to see what Lincoln then saw, but
we must remember when he spoke those words, he
was the very storm-center and chief actor in the social
upheaval without the advantage of retrospect. Mr.
Lincoln had a prophetic sense almost uncanny, which
alone made him superior to any of his contemporaries
More than once he told his close friends that he had
a strong premonition that he would not outlast the
Rebellion, that his work would be finished with it.
82 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ROMAN CHURCH ALWAYS HAS ADVOCATED
CHATTEL SLAVERY.
Disruption has always been the first motive of
the Jesuits, and black slavery was the rock upon
which they planned to rend this government. There
was no other principle, no ethics involved, never is,
so far as Jesuitism goes, except the fundamental prin-
ciples of the divine right rule of the popes of Rome
From the earliest times the Roman Church ad-
vocated human slavery. In the Middle Ages, when feu-
dal slavery flourished, the church fattened on the ex-
ploitation of the serfs who were bought and sold with
the land. These serfs were supposed to have no souls,
and were in precisely the same category as cattle. The
great monasteries and nunneries were among the larg-
est owners of serfs. For instance, had Joan D' Arc lived
four hundred years before her time, she and her fam-
ily would have been among the serfs attached to the
Monastery of San Ramey. In short, serfdom was the
basis of the wealth of the papacy.
It is true that in rare cases the church lifted out
of serfdom, a boy in whom it recognized some peculiar
native talent or personal trait which might be culti-
vated and turned to its own advantage, but the act
was simply the removal from the thralldom of serfdom
to that of ecclesiastical slavery for further and more
useful exploitation by more exacting task masters, for
the Roman church has always enslaved the minds of
its victims. The Jesuit Oath exacts the obedience of
"cadavers."
In the "Doctrine of the Jesuits" by Gury, trans-
lated into the French by that brilliant educator and
statesman, Paul Bert in 1879, we find the position of
ihe church and the Jesuits on black slavery quoted as
follows :
"Slavery does not constitute a crime before any
law, divine or human. What reasons can we have for
undermining the foundations of slavery with the same
zeal that ought always to animate us in overcoming
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 83
evil? When one thinks of the state of degradation in
which the hordes of Africa live, the slave trade may
be considered as a providential act, and we almost re-
pudiate the philanthropy which sees in a man but
one thing — material liberty."
The above is the papal virus to which Lincoln re-
ferred and with which the youths of the best families
of the Southern Confederacy were inoculated, and
which made the leaders of the ultra pro-slavery forces
an easy prey to the Roman hierarchy and its priest-
hood in the great conspiracy or destruction which Lin-
coln visioned.
It was the virus which was let into the veins of
Mary E. Surratt and was passed on by her to her son,
the arch-conspirator, John H. Surratt ; it was the opiate
which silenced the voice of conscience and kindness
of heart of John Wilkes Booth, and nerved his hand
to send the bullet into the great brain of Abraham
Lincoln; it was the deadly drug which made Lewis
Payne, the unfortunate, the Haopy-go-lucky "Davy"
Herold, the shiftless Edw. Spangler, and the
rest of the non-Catholic tools, wax, in the hands of the
arch-Leopoldines in this wicked conspiracy to wreck
this popular government.
This Jesuit virus that "Slavery does not constitute
a crime before any law, divine or human," was the
deadly drug that set the BLOOD OF THE SLAVE
OWNERS ON FIRE, JUSTIFIED THEIR "CAUSE "
distorted their vision, controlled their ethics and ap-
pealed so strongly to their economic interests, and it
was the one big urge underlying the whole progress
of the treason of secession.
In the "A Memoir" of Jefferson Davis, the leader
of the Southern Confederacy, published by his wife
after his demise, we find on page 445, this remark:
"Mr. Davis's early education had always inclined in
the Roman Catholics, friends who could not be alien-
ated from the oppressed." In chapter 2nd, that gen-
tleman is quoted as follows :
g4 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"The Kentucky Catholic school called St.
Thomas College, when I was there was connected
with the church. The priests were Dominicans.
They held large property ; productive fields, slaves,
flour mills, flocks and herds. As an association they
were rich. Individually, they were vowed to pov-
erty and self-abnegation. They were diligent, in
the care, both spiritual and material, of their
parishoners' wants. When I entered the school, a
large majority of the boys belonged to the Roman
Catholic church. After a short time I was the
only Protestant boy remaining, and also the small-
est boy in the school. From whatever reason, the
priests were particularly kind to me. Father Wal-
lace, afterwards bishop of Nashville, treated me
with the fondness of a near relative."
It is very obvious from the above that the "kind-
ness" shown to Jefferson Davis as a child clung to him
and influenced his whole life- It bore fruit, and his
friendliness to the Catholic church was well repaid by
that institution which always, under such circum-
stances, rewards its tools.
When Mr. Davis had been arrested after the close
of the Civil War and was to be tried for treason, it
was the distinguished Catholic attorney, Chas. O'Con-
nor, of New York City, who offered his services, which
were accepted in Mr. Davis's defense.
On Sept. 25th, 1863, Davis addressed the follow-
ing letter to Pius IXth:
"Richmond, Va., Sept. 25, 1863.
Very Venerable Sovereign Pontiff:
The letters which you have written to the
clergy of New Orleans and New York have been
committed to me, and I have read with emotion
the deep grief therein expressed for the ruin and
devastation caused by the war, which is now being
waged against the States and the people who have
selected me as their president, and your orders
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 85
to your clergy to exhort the people to peace and
charity. I am deeply sensible of the christian
charity which has impelled you to this reiterated
appeal to the clergy. It is for this reason I feel it
my duty to express personally and in the name
of the Confederate States our gratitude for such
sentiments of christian good feeling and love, and
to assure Your Holiness, that the people threaten-
ed even on their own hearths, with the most cruel
oppression and terrible carnage is desirous as it
always has been, to see the end of this impious
war; that we have ever addressed prayers to
heaven for that issue which Your Holiness now de-
sires ; that we desire none of our enemies posses-
sions, that we merely fight to resist the devasta-
tion of our country and the shedding of our best
blood, and to force them to let us live in peace
under the protection of our own institutions and
under our laws, which not only insure to everyone
the enjoyment of his temporal rights but also the
free exercise of his religion.
I pray your Holiness to accept on the part of
myself and the people of the Confederate States
our sincere thanks for the efforts in favor of
peace.
May the Lord preserve the days of Your Holi-
ness and keep you under His divine protection.
(Signed) Jefferson Davis."
It occurs to me that after perusing the above bit
of concentrated treason, any apologist for this leader
of the Rebellion would be out of order.
Here is the Pope's reply:
"Illustrious and honorable President,
Salutation.
We have just received with all suitable wel-
come the persons sent by you to place in our
hands your letter dated the 25th of Sept. last.
g6 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Author of infamous "Syllabus" proclaimed December 8,
1864 which anathematizes the fundamentals of Representative
Governments and was aimed particularly at the United States
which stands in authority today precisely as it did the day it
was uttered as is attested by the Great Encyclicals of Leo XIII.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 87
Not slight was the pleasure we experienced when
we learned from those persons and the letter,
with what feelings of joy and gratitude, illus-
trious and honorable President, as soon as you
were informed of our letters to our venerable
brother, John, Archbishop of New York and John,
Archbishop of New Orleans, dated the 18th of
October of last year, and in which we have with
all our strength exerted and exhorted those ven-
erable brothers that in their episcopal piety and
solicitude they should endeavor with the most
ardent zeal and in our name, to bring about the
end of that fatal Civil War which has broken
out in those countries in order that the Amer-
ican people may obtain peace and concord and
dwell charitably together.
It is particularly agreeable to us to see that
you, illustrious and honorable President, and your
people, were animated with the same desires of
peace and tranquillity which we have in our let-
ters inculcated upon our venerable brothers. May
it please God at the same time to make other
people of America and their rulers reflecting
seriously how terrible is civil war and what
calamities it engenders, listen to the inspira-
tions of a calmer spirit and adopt resolutely the
part of peace.
As for us, we shall not cease to offer up the
most fervent prayers to God Almighty that He
may pour out upon all its people of America the
spirit of peace and charity, and that He will stop
the great evils which afflict them. We at the
same time beseech the God of Pity to shed abroad
upon you, the light of His Grace and attach you
to us by a perfect friendship.
Given at Rome, at St. Peters the 3rd day of
December, 1863 of our Pontificate Eighteen.
(Signed) Pius IXth."
88 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The reader will note the recognition by the Pope
of a divided country and also his recognition of Davis
as the President. It was on the publication of this
letter that the large desertions of Roman Catholics
from the ranks of the North began.
Mrs. Davis tells us:
"During Mr. Davis' imprisonment, the Holy
father sent a likeness of himself and wrote under-
neath it, with his own hand, attested by the seal
of the Cardinal Antonelli, 'Come unto me all ye
who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give
you rest/ "
The lady further opines that:
"The dignity and the man both illustrated
the meek and lowly Lord of us all, whose Vice-
Regent he was."
This remark leaves no doubt as to precisely
where she stood on the question. The writer vvas
amused to learn that Jeff Davis was a "Wet" which
is also in keeping with his early education in the
Roman Church, and that his explanation upon an oc-
casion when he was pressed for his attitude upon
the subject is almost identical with that of the late
J. Card. Gibbons. He says in part in his defense of
the liquor traffic:
"To destroy individual liberty, and moral
responsibility, (Get that, dear reader) would be
to eradicate one evil by the substitution of an-
other, which it is submitted would be more fatal
than that for which it was offered as a remedy.
The abuse and not the use of stimulants, it must
be confessed, is the evil to be remedied"
Upon the whole, surely no one can deny that
Rome's fatal virus worked in the veins of this Ultra-
Pro-Slavery leader in the late Rebellion, and that
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 89
Lincoln was right when he recognized the "anti-
social and anti-christian views" of the foe with
which he struggled. The fact that Jefferson Davis
was not a professed Roman Catholic did not in the
slightest curtail his usefulness as a Leopoldine.
A sense of justice and gratitude should com-
pel every loyal American to remember the de-
cisive and correct attitude of the English govern-
ment at the psychological moment in our Civil War.
It stands in sharp contrast with the meddlesome,
treacherous letter of the Pope, above quoted to the
"Honorable and Illustrious President" of the Seceding
States. On page 476 the "Memoirs" by Mrs. Davis,
quotes in full the ultimatum of England which was re-
ceived by Davis at Richmond through the British Con-
sul which says in part:
"After consulting with the law officers of
the Crown, Her Majesty's government have come
to the decision that the agents of the authorities
of the so-called Confederate States have been en-
gaged in building vessels which would be at least
partially equipped for war purposes on leaving
the ports of this country; that these war ves-
sels would undoubtedly be used against the
United States, a country with which this gov-
ernment is at peace; that this would be a viola-
tion of the neutrality laws of the realm ; and that
the Government of the United States would have
just grounds for serious complaint against her
Majesty's Government, should they permit such
an infraction of the friendly relations subsisting
between the two countries. No matter what
might be the difficulty of proving in a court of
law that the parties procuring the building of
these vessels are agents of the socalled Confed-
erate States, it is universally understood through-
out the world that they are so, and Her Majesty's
Government are satisfied that Mr. Davis would
not deny that they are so. Under these circum-
90 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
stances, Her Majesty's Government protests and
remonstrates against any further efforts being
made on the part of the so-called Confederate
States, or the authorities or agents thereof to
build or to cause to be built, to purchase or to
cause to be purchased, any such vessels as those
styled as "Rams," or any other vessels to be used
for war purposes against the United States, or
against any country with which the United King-
dom is at peace or on terms of amity; and Her
Majesty's Government further protests against
all acts in violation of the neutrality laws of the
realms.
I have the honor to be your Lordship's obedi-
ent servant,
(Signed) Russell"
Those are the words with the "bark on." No
recognition of "Your Illustrious and Honorable Presi-
dent." Only recognition of a UNITED STATES—
preservation of the Union — for which Abraham Lin-
coln was contending and gave his precious life.
The wobbly attitude of the past administrations
in Washington on the dangerous interference of the
Sinn Fein element in this country during the present
unpleasant attempt at disruption in the British Em-
pire on the so-called "Irish Question" which is not
Irish at all, but a Roman question, makes one ashamed
and humiliated at the hemming and hawing of the
politicians in high office at Washington.
On July 26, 1862 in a letter to Reverdy Johnson,
who by the way was the attorney who afterwards
gave his distinguished services to Mrs. Mary E. Sur-
ratt, Mr. Lincoln said:
"I am a patient man, always willing to forgive on
the Christian terms of repentance, and also to give
ample time for repentance. Still, I must save the
government if possible. What I cannot do, of course
I will not do; but it may as well be understood, once
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 91
for all, that I shall not surrender this game leaving
any available card unplayed "
This was the same expression of sentiment which
had caused the death of William Henry Harrison,
the ninth President and Zachary Taylor, the twelfth
President, the preservation of the UNION and the
fact that Lincoln did it, was the grounds for his
physical death, by these wreckers.
Nor did the great Lincoln stop pouring out his
patriotic soul all during these trying four years. On
August 15, 1863, he gave his opinion upon the Draft
as follows:
"Shall we shrink from the necessary means to
maintain our free government, which our grandfath-
ers employed to establish, and our own fathers have
already employed once to maintain it? Are we de-
generate? Has the manhood of our race run out?"
(Complete Works, Nicolay & Hay, Vol. 11, p. 391).
The President spent the first months of his ad-
ministration feeling his way, so to speak. Delving into
the conditions in the various departments, finding
traitors and carefully replacing them by those whom
he knew to be true. The lesson he was learning would
have staggered a man of less couiage than Lincoln —
the steadfast, unyielding patriot, whan any principle
of right was in the balance.
It was the siting time with Lincoln. In his letter
to Corning, June l£6a he writes:
"The man who stands by and says nothing when
the peril of his country's government is discussed, can-
not be misunderstood. If not hindered, he is sure
to help the enemy; much more, if he talks ambig-
uously — talks for his country 'with buts and ifs and
ands/ " (Barrett, p. 632.)
In addressing the members of the general as-
sembly Presbyterian Church, President Lincoln said:
"As a pilot, I have used my best exertions to
keep afloat our ship of state; and shall be glad to
resign my trut? at the appointed time to another pi-
lot more skillful and successful than I may prove.
92 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
in every case and at all hazards the government must
be perpetuated/' (Complete Works, Vol 2, Page 342.)
Thus almost daily was Lincoln telling of his Amer-
ican creed, adding fuel to the fires of hatred which
* ere burning in the wicked hearts of his country's
deadly enemies. Spurred on like a lot of demons, they
rounded up their hell hounds in and about Wash-
ington for the final perfidious act.
It finally became manifest to Piesident Lincoln
that the presence of the foreign droops in Mexico waa
a menace to the safety of this country, and througn
our American Consul at Paris, this government
served notice on Napoleon, that Jesuit tool of the Pope,
that his troops must be removed from Mexico within
the time indicated by this country.
That there could be no misunderstanding con-
cerning the attitude of the Lincoln administration
toward the Republic of Mexico, was made plainly ev-
ident by the "note" sent through Secretary of State
Seward to our Consul at Paris to be delivered to
Napoleon nird which reads:
"The United States government does not de-
sire to suppress the fact that their sympathies
are with Mexico, that is to say with the Repub-
lic of Mexico nor does United States gov-
ernment, in any sense, for any purpose,
disapprove of the Republican government,
now in force in Mexico, or distrust the admin-
istration. Neither was there any disposition
apparently, to deny the Liberals of Mexico finan-
cial assistance."
When President Lincoln submitted to the Senate
a Treaty granting a loan of $11,000,000 to the Repub-
lic of Mexico, although he made no recommendation
upon the subject, it was a sufficient hint which ex-
pressed his sympathy.
The demand that the French troops be removed
from Mexico was complied with to the letter, owing
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94 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
to complications in the situation in which France
at the time was involved in Europe she feared war
with the United States.
As can be imagined, this was a terrible blow to
the CONSPIRATORS in Europe, Canada and Mex-
ico, not to speak of their tools in this country. It
served to practically break the morale of the Confed-
erate army, and hastened the end oi the war with a
Victory for the right.
In the meantime events were shaping up in Mex-
ico in favor of the new Republic.
The Empress Carlotta within a few months after
their arrival in Mexico City, was sent to Rome by
Maximillian to explain in person that the strength
of Popular Government there had been underesti-
mated; that it was impossible to restore the church
property and the rights of the clergy. The important
part of her mission, however, was to ask for more
troops.
Her reception at the Vatican was simply
"withering;" the Pope was so chagrined and angry
at the failure of his designs and so severe in his re-
proach that the sensitive princess was carried out bodi-
ly in an unconscious state, upon which she recovered a
mental wreck. She was incarcerated in the Castle of
Bouchet near Brussels, Belgium, where she was placed
under constant surveillance, and was unaware that on
June 19th, 1867, Maximilian, her husband, was shot at
sunrise at Queretaro, Mexico, by the Revolutionists.
This is the tragic termination of what has always
been alluded to as one of the greatest love matches of
the royalty of Europe.
A victory for the North was not indicated un-
til the very last days of the War. The Leopoldines
left no stone unturned to defeat Lincoln's renomi-
nation. They fully realized that if they did not, it
meant their doom. When the news of his re-election
was flashed over the wires, they did not give up —
far from it. They redoubled their efforts. They saw
96 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
more clearly than ever before that Abraham Lincoln
was their Nemesis. They knew only too well that he
would be the stumbling block to their future plans,
for they felt that in Lincoln they would always en-
counter a powerful champion for the preservation of
th*e Union and all its institutions. They feared with a
deadly fear the influence of his able pen and voice.
They knew that to permit this calm, thorough, clear-
visioned man who had such a complete estimate of
their perfidious designs to serve at the helm during
the RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD would mean their
ultimate rout in our political affairs.
Chapter VII.
Assembling The Chosen Assassins.
One Sunday morning, during November, 1864,
as the congregation of the little Roman Catholic
Church of St- Mary's, Charles County, Maryland, was
filing out after high mass and stood about in groups
on the lawn talking in subdued voices about the news
from the "front" which was not far distant, a hand-
some young man with dark, glowing eyes, jet black
curling hair, a swinging, graceful carriage, with the
grooming of a city man of culture and refinement,
sauntered out from the church and stood a moment
scanning the crowd; he finally made his way to a
group, the center of which was a Dr. Queen, a lead-
ing physician of that locality, and member of one
of the prominent families. The stranger presented a
card and the physician on glancing at it extended
his hand and gave the gentleman a most cordial wel-
come. The contents of the card must have borne a
magic password which admitted him to the confi-
dence and homes of these Romish devotees, every
one of whom was a strong secessionist. The doctor
introduced the stranger, who was none other than
John Wilkes Booth, son of the distinguished actor,
Junius Brutus Booth. John Wilkes Booth was the most
eminent young tragedian at the time in the coun-
try, by far the most talented of the Booth brothers.
He had accumulated by his profession some $25,000
which was quite a fortune in those days for a young
man still in his twenties to accumulate.
Booth was what is known as a "traveling star,"
having with great success played most of the big
cities in this country and Canada- He was exceedingly
popular with the members of his profession and up
98 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, ON
BRYANTOWN ROAD
This is the Church where Booth attended Mass the Sunday,
middle of November, 1864 when he met Dr. S. A. Mudd and oth-
er Knights of the Golden Circle and tried to get in touch with
Surratt. This church marks the Catholic community to which he
fled and received protection.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 99
until he was caught in the Jesuit web, his whole
thought and ambition was devoted to his art.
John Booth had chosen to work under the name
of Wilkes until he gained recognition independent of
the family name, desiring to win on his own merits
his theatrical laurels. This in itself showed a principle
somewhat out of the ordinary. After a pronounced
success under the name of John Wilkes, he allowed
himself to be starred under his own name. He assumed
no airs, nor was he given to egotism as members of this
profession of lesser distinction and talent are prone to
be. There is no better way of estimating a man or wom-
an's disposition more surely than from the opinion of
those with whom he comes in daily contact in his voca-
tion. I give the tribute paid to Booth before he fell under
the spell of the Jesuit psychology, at least before it
had taken a fatal hold of him. The witness is none
other than that queen of tragedy of two decades ago,
Clara Morris. She is quoted thus :
"In glancing back over two crowded and busy
seasons, one figure stands out in clearness and beauty-
In this case so far as my personal knowledge goes,
there is nothing derogatory to dignity and manhood
in being called 'beautiful' for he was that bud of
splendid promise blasted to the core before its full
triumphant blooming, known to the world as a mad-
man and assassin, but to the profession as 'that un-
happy boy, John Wilkes Booth/ He was so young, so
bright, so kind.
"I could not have known him well ? Of course, too,
there are two or three different people in every man's
skin. Yet when we remember that stars are not in
the habit of showing their brightest, best side at re-
hearsals, we cannot help feeling both respect and lik-
ing for the one who does.
"There are not many men who can receive a gash
over the eye at a scene at night without at least a
momentary outburst of temper, but when the com-
bat between Richard and Richmond was being re-
hearsed, John Wilkes Booth had again and again.
100 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
urged McCullom — that six foot tall and handsome
man who used to entrust me with the care of his
watch during such encounters, 'Come on hard, come
on hot, old fellow! Harder, faster!' That he would take
the chances of a blow if only they could make a hot
fight of it. Mr. McCullom, who was a cold man at
night, became nervous in his efforts to act like a
fiery one. He forgot that he had struck the full num-
ber of hard blows and when Booth was expecting a
thrust, McCullom wielding his sword with both
hands brought it down with an awful force fair
across Booth's forehead. A cry of horror arose, for
in one moment his face was marked in blood, one eye-
brow was cut through. Then came simultaneously one
deep groan from Richard (Booth) and an exclamation
of 'Oh good God, good God!' from Richmond (McCul-
lom) who stood trembling like a leaf and staring at
his work. Booth, flinging the blood from his eyes with
his left hand, said as gently as a man could speak:
'That is all right, old man. Never mind me, only come
on hard, and save the fight/ which he resumed at
once. And although he was perceptibly weakened, it
required a sharp order from Mr. Ellsler to ring the
first curtain bell to force him to bring the fight to
a close a single blow shorter than usual. There was a
running to and fro with ice and vinegar, raw steak
and raw oysters, and when the doctor placed a few
•stitches where they were most required, Booth laugh-
ingly declared that there were provisions enough to
start a restaurant.
"McCullom came to try to apologize, to explain,
but Booth would have none of it. He held out his
hand saying, 'Why, old fellow, you look as if you lost
the blood. Don't worry — now, if my eye had gone,
at would have been bad/ So, with light words he
turned to set the unfortunate man at ease, and though
he must have suffered much mortification and pain
from the eye, he never made a sign showing it.
"John Wilkes Booth, like his next elder brother
was rather lacking in height, but his head and
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN lOi
throat and the manner of their rising from his shoul-
ders were truly beautiful. His coloring was unusual,
the ivory pallor of his skin, the inky blackness of
dusky curly hair, the heavy lids of his glowing eyes,
were all oriental, and they gave a touch of mystery to
his lace when it fell into gravity, but there was gener-
ally a flash of white teeth behind his black silky mus-
tache.
"Now it is scarcely exaggerating to say that the
fair sex was in love with John Wilkes Booth, or John
Booth as he was called, the name Wilkes apparently
being unknown to Jiis family and! close friends. I
played with John Wilkes to my great joy, playing
'Player Queen' in the 'Marble Heart' I was one of
the group of three statues in the first act, then a girl
in my teens.
"With all my admiration for the person and
genius of John Wilkes Booth, his crime I cannot
condone. The killing of that homely, tender-hearted
father, Abraham Lincoln, a rare combination of cour-
age, justice, and humanity, whose death at the hands
of an actor will be a grief of horror and shame to the
profession forever. And I cannot believe that John
Wilkes Booth was the leader of a band of bloody
conspirators.
"Who shall draw the line and say, 'Here genius
ends and madness begins? There was that touch of
strangeness, in Edwin it was a profound melancholy;
in John it was an exaggeration of spirit, almost a
madness. There was the natural vanity of the actor
too who craves a dramatic selection in real life. There
was also his passionate love and sympathy for the
South, which was easier to play upon than a pipe.
"Undoubtedly he conspired to kidnap the Pres-
ident; that would appeal to him. But after that I
truly believe he was a tool; certainly he was no lead-
er. Those who led him knew his courage, his belief in
fate, his loyalty to his friends, and because they
knew these things he drew the lot as it was meant
he should from the first. Then, half mad, he accepted
102 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
Horrible example of the degenerating effects of the Jesuit
psychology.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 103
the part fate cast him for and committed the murder-
ous crime.
"God moves in a mysterious way
And His wonders to perform."
'And God shutteth not up his mercies forever in
displeasure/
"We can only shiver and turn our thoughts away
from the bright lierht that went out in such utter
darkness; poor guilty, unhappy, John Wilkes Booth."
John Wilkes was the only member of the Booth
family whose sympathy was with the Confederacy.
According to the "Great Conspiracy" a book published
in 1866 by Barclay Co., in Philadelphia, Pa., John
Wilkes Booth had been initiated into the Knights of
the Golden Circle in Baltimore in the fall of 1860, "in
a residence opposite the Cathedral."
The same writer is authority for the following
oath of the Knights of the Golden Circle, taken by
John Wilkes Booth:
"I , do swear by the blood
of Jesus Christ, by the wounds of the most Sacred
Body; by the Dolors of His immaculate Mother,
and in the name of the Holy and Undivided Trin-
ity, that I will solemnly keep all secrets of the
Golden Circle: that I will faithfully perform
whatever I may be commanded, and that I shall
always hold myself in readiness to obev the man-
dates of the said Circle whether at bed. or board,
at the festive circle, or at the grave, and if I shall
hesitate or divulge the secret may I incur the
severest penalties to which flesh is heir.
"May I be cursed in all the relation of my
life, in mind, body, and state, and may the pangs
of hell be my eternal portion.
"I feel honored fellow knights and compan-
ions of the Golden Circle that you have deigned
104 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
to admit me. No efforts shall be wanting on my
part to advance the interests of the organiza-
tion
"A distinguished Latin Author has justly re-
marked, that it is sweet and profitable to die tor
one's country. I have but one life and am ready
to give it should it be necessary
The President rises and says :
"Sir Knight you have just taken a most sol-
emn adjuration and believe me that you are known
to all members in every part of the country. The
Order is extensive and though the government
is zealous and would freely spend thousands to
unveil our designs, all efforts have hitherto been
fruitless. No traitor has yet appeared among us,
and inevitable ruin awaits the individual who
would play the part of a Benedict Arnold. No
public steps would be taken. He would disap-
pear and I leave it to you to judge his fate. "Dead
men tell no tales/' Ponder well on these things,
and remember you cannot escape us.
"Members give the hand of fellowship to our
new Knight. (The Great Conspiracy published by
Barclay 1865.)"
The pass-word to this organization was "Rome.
Beware of the Negroes."
That the author of the book, "The Great Con-
spiracy," was thoroughly informed upon the details
which could scarcely have come from anything short
of actual membership in the organization is plainly
evident. Also that he had knowledge of the assassina-
tion of the former Presidents Harrison, and Taylor,
we gather. The incident occurred just after the re-elec-
tion of President Lincoln.
Booth, sitting in a hotel lobby one day, appeared
very dejected; he was aroused by the following remark,
which evidently was part of the secret phraseology of
theK. G. Cs.:
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 105
''It would be a queer thing were Lincoln to die and
Andy Johnson be President after all.
What makes you think so?
Why, you know that Harrison and Taylor and that
Fillmore and Tyler were presidents. Lincoln may take
it into his head to follow their example.
Perhaps, said the stranger at Booth's elbow and
regarding him steadfastly, neither Lincoln nor John-
son will serve their terms out.
Do you mean that the President and the Vice-
President both will die? Such a thing has never hap-
pened before in the United Sates.
But it may occur nevertheless Lin-
coln and Johnson are both mortals .... I feel certain
that ere another month Lincoln will die .... . Yes,
he may die of some disease.
Booth's suspicions were aroused and he turned
suddenly around and asked: "You said I believe, sir,
that the President might die of some disease?"
"Yes sir, of such diseases as commonly prevail in
Rome."
"What diseases are they?" asked Booth.
"All to which flesh is heir, the malaria from the
Pontine marshes carries off hundreds; the plague of
its day almost decimated the capitol of the Caesars
..... but I tell you again that the President will
die of a disease from Rome.
Booth: "Sir, as you are well versed in history
perhaps you can answer me one question, which one
of all the sovereigns of all Italy had the most fickle
wife?'
"I am an indifferent guesser of conundrums, but
I suppose the Doge."
Ques. "Which Doge, he of Venice or Genoa?"
Ans. "He of Venice, because he wedded the sea
with a golden circlet. You remember Byron's beautiful
lines?" After this "test" Booth was invited to the
gentleman's room where they conferred privately.
That John Wilkes Booth was initiated in this
Order as early as 1860, the same authority states.
106 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The following letter is quoted from Booth to a brother
Sir Knight:
"Dear Sir: The K. G. C. had a meeting; I was
initiated. 'The die is cast and I have crossed the Rubi-
con' and can never return. They tell me that Lin-
coln, the damn chicken-hearted nigger lover, will per-
haps be inaugurated, but I most heartily wish, 'That
never shall sun that morrow see.' I am devoted to the
South, mind and body, so that she gains her independ-
ence, I don't care what becomes of me. If I am sacri-
ficed, I know that my country will grant me immortal-
ity; if I escape, so much the better. I can serve her
in other ways. One thing is very clear to my mind,
the South must take some decisive step. She must
throw a bomb-shell into the enemy's hand that shall
spread terror and consternation wherever it goes. You
know what I mean, so don't be surprised. Sincerely
yours, John Wilkes Booth."
(See Page 26, The Great Conspiracy.)
The same authority gives a letter signed "Veritas"
(truth) to Booth, which one would be strongly in-
clined to believe might have been written by a priest
judging by the style and Latin quotations — possibly
his ecclesiastical sponsor.
"My dear Booth : Since you left us, the Circle has
held another meeting. The members are all exceed-
ingly dissatisfied and if something be not speedily
done, the southern cause is lost forever. Important
dispatches have been received from Canada. They spoke
out almost too plainly to be sent by mail, but as there
was no signature and addressed to a feigned name,
I do not suppose there was any danger. There is to
be a ball or party at the White House and the Ape I
suppose will be there in all his glory retailing his
filthy anecdotes and pointless jests till they fall on
the ear, usque ad naseum. Did you see what is the
determination of the Lincoln Cabinet about confisca-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 107
tion ? There is a clerk by the name of Charles Morton,
who is employed in one of the government offices. He
is gentlemanly but vain and exceedingly soft. I am
told he drinks. Anyhow, make his acquaintance and
see what can be got out of him. Handle him tenderly
and you will be sure to catch your fish. Should you
want any more money you will know where to send for
it. An idea has struck me ; you know in the correspond-
ence between Sir Henry Clinton Arnold and Andre the
whole matter was treated in a mercantile way. We
for the sake of safety and to make assurance doubly
sure, must do the same. I will not detain you any
longer, but give you an opportunity to read about our
friends in Canada. Whatever be the results, rely on
me. Sincerely your friend, Veritas."
The statements made by his professional friend,
John McCullough of a visit he paid Booth at the
National Hotel, showed the deadly influence when
he said: "At another time I came over suddenly
from New York, and being in the habit of go-
ing right into Booths room without knocking,
I turned the knob and pushed right in. At the first
wink I saw Booth sitting behind a table on which was
a map, a knife and a pistol. He had gauntlets on his
hands and spurs on his boots, and a military hat of
a slouch character on his head. As the door opened
he seized the knife and came for me. Said I, 'John,
what in the name of sense is the matter with you —
are you crazy?'
"He heard my voice and arrested himself, and
placed his hands before his eyes like a man dissipating
a dream, and then said: 'Why, Johnny, how are you?'
When I heard that it was he who killed Lincoln, I
thought that he had been at the time I describe ready
to carry out his purpose."
In answer to a request by the writer for a state-
ment of his acquaintance with John Booth from Rear
Admiral Geo. W. Baird, U. S. N. retired, 33° Mason, of
108 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GEORGE ATZERODT
Delegated to assassinate Vice-President. Always known
as a Catholic prior to the assassination.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 109
Washington, D. C, who is probably the only living wit-
ness who helped to identify the body of John Booth,
who was shot to death in the tobacco barn on the Gar-
rett plantation, near Port Royal, Va., April 26, 1864, I
received the following:
1505 Rhode Island Avenue,
Washington, D. C, November 29, 1921.
Miss Burke McCarty,
Grace Dodge Hotel,
Washington, D. C.
My dear Miss McCarty:
Your letter of the 25th was received last night:
I will try to answer it categorically, and, to avoid
errors. I must go back to my diary.
My acquaintance with John Wilkes Booth was net
at all intimate. I met him in New Orleans in the
winter of '63 and '64, when he was playing in the
theatre there in "Marble Hearts" and he was splendid
in his part. My acquaintance was what may be called
a bar-room acquaintance. Was introduced to him by
a young officer of my ship the "Pensacola" whose name
was Fitch and who afterwards married the eldest
daughter of General Sherman. Booth seemed to be a
congenial fellow with a sense of humor and I thought
was very temperate in his habits, not like his father
in that respect. The War was at its height and was
freely discussed, but Booth did not seem to be much
interested in it. He was from Maryland, whose pop-
lation was divided, though men as a rule believed it
proper to side with their state. My ship went north
in the spring of 1864 and I was assigned to my duty in
the navy department.
In 1850 when I was seven years of age, I went to
school in Washington to two reverend gentlemen Cox
and Marlot, who taught in the lower story of the Ma-
sonic Hall, Virginia Avenue and Fourth Street East.
The boy who sat by me about my own age was David
Herold, a little round headed, round eyed, round bodied
boy, whose general rotundity was completed by a
110 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
voice that rolled his R's. I envied David his disposi-
tion in that he got along with the big boys so well.
When a big boy imposed on David, he would escape
with a funny remark which was called witty, which
generally got a laugh, and David was called popular.
When a big boy imposed on me, I hated him; I hate
him yet. David's father, Mr. George Herold, and my
father were members of Naval Lodge of Masons. The
Herolds were members of Christ Church Episcopal.
My people were members of the Baptist Church.
When I left that school about a year later, I lost
sight of David. I heard he became a drug clerk.
Now I quote from my records :
On the night of the 14th of April, 1865 I went to
call on a young lady and about 10:30 her brother
came in and said Abe Lincoln is dead. He had been to
the theatre to see Laura Keene in "Our American
Cousin" and during the play a man had got into the box
where the President was, and had shot the President,
jumped out of the box on to the stage, and escaped
from the back of the stage I left at once ; saw police-
man at the corner whom I interrogated and he con-
firmed the story. I inquired as to the appearance of the
assassin and he not only gave a description that fitted
but said he resembled me, and I thought that I had
better hurry to my boarding house. On arriving at
my boarding house Dr. Ludlam and Mr. Fitch in-
quired if I had heard the news and suggested that we
go down town and get the latest "bricks" but nothing
could induce me to appear on the streets again that
night.
The people were wild with excitement. I never
heard such threats of vengeance. Before 10:00 o'clock
the next morning almost every house was draped in
mourning. People had exhausted the stores here and
wired Baltimore for black crepe and cambric. Dan
Ballauf , the model maker, was standing leaning on the
lower box in the theatre and saw it all. He denied
the report that Booth had uttered the words "sic
semper tyrannis," but the newspapers had printed it.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 111
The newspapers had the story very early, that John
Wilkes Booth was the assassin and David Herold was
the accomplice/'
Though never intimate with John Wilkes Booth,
I admired him, his voice, power of declaiming. I took
drinks with him at the Franklin House, Custom House
Street, a place frequented by army and navy officers.
He seemed to me to have no interest in the war. It
was hard to understand. I had not seen him but once
in Washington and that about three weeks before
the murder of the President. It was on Sunday when
he was coming out of Saint Aloysius Catholic Church
Vesper Service — great crowds of various creeds used
to go to that vespers where the music was good. I
think Mme. Kretzmayer was the attractive soprano.
A large reward was offered for Booth's arrest
and conviction. The War had practically ended and
our troops were at liberty to travel in any state with-
out molestation.
I was detailed to make a series of experiments
in the Navy Yard, and after Booth's body was brought
to the Navy Yard and lay on board the "Montauk" this
happened :
I was called on board the Montauk by Lieut. W.
W. Crowninshield, to identify the body of John Wilkes
Booth, which I did. I noticed a piece of cord about the
size of a cod line on his (Booth's) neck and invited
Crowninshield's attention to it, who pulled it out and
on it was a small Roman Catholic medal. Surgeon
General Barnes arrived at that moment and probed
the wound in Booth's neck.
I got a horse and buggy and drove down to Sur-
rattville the following day. The house they saiu
belonged to Mrs. Surratt and had been leased
to John M. Lloyd whom I knew. He was a
policeman at Washington during all of Buchan-
an's administration and bore an excellent repu-
tation. I inquired of some boys whom I found very
communicative. One boy said that Mr. Jenkins, broth-
er of Mrs. Surratt, and Mr. Griffith and Mr. Wylie (or
112 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
-<?- > ■-"'
mm:
MRS. MARY E. SURRATT
Who "kept the nest that hatched the egg," — (President
Andrew Johnson).
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 113
Wyville) and Mr. Lloyd were all out that night listen-
ing for the horses coming, that when the two men
came, fresh horses were brought out of the stable,
saddles transferred from the tired horses to the fresh,
and the men rode on.
On May 22, 1865, I went to Baltimore on duty in
connection with the "Pensacola."
The "Washington Star" of May 12, 1865 gives
Lloyd's testimony as follows :
"Sometime ago two carbines and some pistols were
left at my house. The Friday before the assassina-
tion Mrs. Surratt came to my house and told me to
have the carbines and pistols ready as two men would
call for them. On the night of the assassination Booth
and Herold rode up to the house; Herold dismounted,
went in, and took a carbine and the pistols. Booth
would not take his carbine on account of his lame
ankle."
The "Washington Star" of the 15th said:
Lloyd testified that it was John Surratt who
brought the carbines. Watchman saw Mrs. Surratt,
Booth, John Surratt, and Dr. Mudd together on Sev-
enth Street, and that Booth was a frequent visitor at
the house of Mrs. Surratt, and their interviews were
always apart.
I was retired from active duty by law
in 1905 but continued on duty until 1906. The next
year I passed some days at Poland Springs, Maine.
Among other Washingtonians was Mr. Crosby Noyes,
principal editor of the "Washington Star," who told
me he was the reporter for the "Star" at the trial of
the conspirators, and he was satisfied that Mrs. Sur-
ratt and all the rest of them were guilty.
I was at sea when John Surratt was tried- My
information on that trial was that printed in the
"Washington Star." Surratt was poor, but Mr. K. T.
Merrick, a Roman Catholic Lawyer, wa3 his principal
counsel and it was commonly reported that he paid
the entire expense of the trial. His associate counsel
was Mr. Jos. Bradley, a famous criminal lawyer, who
114 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
rarely, if ever, lost a case, and to whom the bad cases
usually came.
Quoting from the "Evening Star" of September
23, 1868:
Judge Wylie on the bench, Messrs. Merrick and
Bradley argued on a demur to the plea of the amnesty
proclamation which had been issued by the government
in favor of the Confederates who had been in arms
against the government. Their purpose was to make it
apply to the case of John Surratt who had been tried
for conspiracy to murder the President, and in whose
case a year ago the jury had hung.
Merrick said the court was not technically a
Court of the United States, wherein the judge held
that the Court held that the Circuit Court of the
District of Columbia was not on the same footing as
the United States District Courts, though the judges
of such Courts were vested with the same power.
He would submit in view of the double character
of the Court that to except a person of some felony
he must be indicted for felony in some Circuit Court of
the United States. He referred to the Bankrupt Act.
Mr. Bradley referred the Court to several au-
thorities. The Court suffered counsel to amend the
plea.
From the "Evening Star" of September 24, 1858,
Page 4, Column 2, viz:
"A NEW MOVE BY THE DEFENSE, STATUTE
OF LIMITATION, DISCHARGE OF THE PRISONER.
"Mr. Merrick stated that he had presented a new
plea. He claimed the indictment defective in that it
did not aver that Surratt had not fled from Justice."
The paper stated that he walked out of the court
unmolested.
I saw the medal when it was taken off Booth's
neck and I saw it afterwards in the War Department.
It was kept in a safe of the Judge Advocate General.
It was in a little tin box which also contained a news-
paper scrap referring to it with the bullet from Booth's
neck, and I think the derringer also.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 115
When I became superintendent of the S W. and
Navy Department in 1895, I asked the messenger at
the Judge Advocate General's door if the relics were
still on exhibition as I wanted to show them to some
friends, and he said that they were all there but the
medal, that the Secretary of War, (Mr. Lamont) had
sent for them to show some friends and forgot to re-
turn them, and they remained on his desk four months,
and when returned the medal was missing.
John M. Lloyd, the Washington policeman in
1857-9-60 bore a good reputation. I think the claim
that he was intemperate or a sot as Mr. Brophy called
him was all propaganda. A policeman knows how to
testify and he knows the penalty. I was reluctant to
believe Lloyd a conspirator until the boys at Sur-
rattville told me of the story of Lloyd, Jenkins, Wylie,
et al listening for the coming of Booth that night, and
his testimony confirmed it. One of the propaganda
writers says that Lloyd had to be awakened from a
drunken stupor that night when Booth arrived,
when the boys, who had no purpose to serve, told me
that Lloyd was wide awake on the ro<\d listening for
horses- They said that when the horses were plainly
heard, that Lloyd, et al, went into the stable and
brought out the fresh horses as if in a hurry. Lloyd
and his wife (whom I also knew) were Roman Catho-
lics, and I believe members of St. Dominic's Congre-
gation. The testimony shows Lloyd drunk but once;
it was when he met Mrs. Surratt in Uniontown, now
called Anacostia, and that was on the eve of the fright-
ful tragedy and he might have needed "Dutch conrage. ,,
My impression was that the effort to damage Lloyd's
character was for the sole purpose of impeaching his
testimony. I always thought he found himself in se-
rious trouble and told the truth to save his neck.
Yours sincerely,
G. W. BAIRD.
116 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Post mortem of Booth's body as it lay on the Montauk,
April 27, 1865.
U. S. troops under Lieutenant Baker, surrounded
the tobacco barn on the Garrett farm and ordered
Booth to surrender, which he refused to do. "Davy"
Herold, however, asked to surrender and was allowed
to come out. He was handcuffed and placed in charge
of a squad of cavalrymen. The barn was finally fired
by Colonel Conger.
Booth, who could be now plainly seen by the light
of the flames was peering out, when a bullet from the
revolver of Sergt. Boston Corbett whizzed by and
Booth crumpled up on the barn floor. He was dragged
out by the soldiers and lay on the grass, apparently
dead, but was revived by a dash of cold water in the
face. The bullet had entered almost at the same spot
in which his own bullet had pierced President Lincoln's
head. He was carried and laid upon the porch in front
of the Garrett house where he suffered several hours
of the most intense agony. Noting his lips moving,
an officer stooped down and heard him whisper: "Tell
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 117
my mother — tell my mother — I died for my country —
and did what I thought best." Indicating a desire that
his paralyzed arms be held up, which was done, con-
templating them, he murmured, "useless, useless."
These were his last words.
The body was taken by wagon to the river and
placed on board the Gunboat Montauk and brought to
Washington, and Admiral Baird was one of the men
who made positive identification.
From Adm. Baird's letter one would gather that
as late as the winter of '64, only a few months previous
to Booth's coming to Washington, he was indifferent
on the subject of the war. The fact that he was in New
Orleans where he would have been very safe in express-
ing his opinion in favor of the South would seem to
indicate he had no great feeling on the subject.
There is no doubt in the writer's mind but that
Clara Morris was perfectly right in her statement
that John Wilkes Booth was the victim chosen from
the beginning and that he "Drew the lot" after his
New Orleans engagement where Adm. Baird had seen
him. From the time he registered at the National Ho-
tel in November, 1864, it is plainly evident that he
became obscessed with the idea, and the working of
the virus is traceable in his every act from that time
on. He lost all interest in his profession, — a thing
in itself most remarkable, for which we can only ac-
count in the one way.
John H. Surratt, Arch Conspirator
John Harrison Surratt, the nineteen-year-old son
of Mrs Mary E. Surratt, who was chosen by the Jesuits
as the arch conspirator in the assassination of Abra-
ham Lincoln, had studied three years in preparation
for the Roman priesthood at the Sulpician Fathers
monastery, at Charles County, Maryland, previous to
the breaking out of the Civil war. The Sulpician Fath-
ers is a branch of the Jesuit order. In 1862 young Sur-
ratt was called to his home in Surrattville, a crossroads
village 13 miles south of Washington, by the death
118 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
of his father. The elder Surratt had been a railroad
contractor, and had accumulated some money
which was partly invested in slaves and a plantation
and tavern at Surrattville where he served as post-
master at the time of his demise.
The family consisted of Isaac, the eldest son, a
civil engineer, who enlisted in the Southern Cause at
the very beginning of the war and who the last heard
of him had joined Maximillian's forces in Mexico;
Anna, the only daughter, a girl in her early twenties,
and John H., the youngest.
The Surratts were all ardent secessionists and fa-
natical Roman Catholics. Mrs. Surratt was, early
in life, perverted to Romanism from the Protestant
faith. Her children were Romanists from birth.
That John Harrison Surratt, was cool, clever, cal-
culating and crafty, far in advance of his years, is
shown by the fact that at the very beginning of the
Rebellion he was selected to do important work in the
Southern secret service, bearing the most important
dispatches from Jefferson Davis at Richmond to his
agents at Washington and to the members of his
"kitchen cabinet" in Montreal, Canada.
On his return home from the monastery near Bal-
timore, John Surratt was sworn in as postmaster in
his father's place at Surrattville. His Jesuit training
enabled him to lift his hand and swear undivided alle-
giance to the United States. So much for a Jesuit's
oath. To get a complete estimate of John Surratt's
part in the diabolical conspiracy to murder President
Lincoln and other heads of this government we must
fully consider the preliminary training he received.
This boy, (for we must remember that he was
but in his teens, at his entrance into this plot,) was
never free from the espionage and evil influence of
the Romish church from his baptism in infancy to the
day of his death at the age of seventy-two years. When
he was but twelve years old he was placed in Gonzaga
College, Washington, D. C, a Catholic preparatory
school, under the tutorage of Priest Wiget, who was
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 119
the confessor for years of both himself and his moth-
er. After leaving Gonzaga College he spent two years
at Georgetown in the Jesuit College before leaving
for the Sulpician Fathers monastery. I am calling the
attention of the reader to this fact when you come to
pass judgment on this young man, that you may
place the blame for his conduct where it belongs —
on the Jesuit psychology inculcated by the priests of
the Roman Church..
That he was a leader and a dependable one, in
this conspiracy of wholesale assassination, is shown
by the fact that the object of John Wilkes Booth's
first visit to St. Mary's Catholic Church in Howard
County, Maryland, was to learn the whereabouts in
Washington of John Surratt.
Young Surratt, had then, never the slightest
chance or desire to escape from the deadly virus. This
virus stultified every noble aspiration, every natural
affection, every personal ambition, even the strongest
instinct in the human mind,— self-preservation is
thrust aside when the victim hears the call of duty
to "the holy mother church." Then, mother love,
father love, brother love — all, all, must yield to this
cursed thing. This complete mental control which
Rome exercises over its dupes whom it per-
mits to have no more will of their own, nor resistance,
than that of a cadaver. Terinda ac cadaver." (as a
corpse) to be moved here, or there, at the will of the
manipulator. The Roman Catholic child is thus handi-
capped at birth, yes, there is a prenatal influence as
the study of these two characters in this tragic drama
will disclose. The mother, Mary E. Surratt, the inti-
mate associate of priests, her soul deadened by the
fatal virus of the Jesuit training, passed on to her son
the terrible inheritance which made him wax in the
black hands of the Vatican intriguers, to mold as they
would.
During Surratt's theological training he had-
studied St. Thomas Aquinas, who justifies the assas-
sination of heretics, or any one who apostacises from
120 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
the Romish church. It was a significant and eloquent
fact that the Jesuits released from time to time during
the war the report that President Lincoln had been, in
his infancy, baptized by a Catholic priest. On one of
his visits to the White House of the Rev. Charles
Chiniquy to warn President Lincoln of his danger in
assassination, Mr. Lincoln is quoted by Chiniquy in
his book "Fifty Years in the Church of Rome" as
follows :
"Father Chiniquy, I want your views about a
thing which is exceedingly puzzling to me and you
are the only one to whom I would like to speak on
the subject. A great number of Democratic newspapers
have been sent me lately, evidently written by Roman
Catholics, publishing that I was born a Roman Catho-
lic and baptized by a priest. They called me a renegade
and apostate on account of that, and they heaped upon
my head mountains of abuse. Now, no priest of Rome
has ever laid his hand on my head. But the persist-
ency of the Romish press to present this falsehood to
their readers as gospel truth, must have a meaning.
Please tell me, as briefly as possible, what you think
about it."
This, Mr- Chiniquy answered, was done solely to
incite and justify the act in the minds of some of
their fanatics to assassinate the President. It was the
equivalent to a command, as it afterward proved.
Booth Meets Surratt.
A few days before Christmas, 1864, young Weich-
mann invited Surratt to go with him over to Pennsyl-
vania Avenue to select some Christmas gifts for his sis-
ters in Philadelphia. As they were nearing the Avenue
on 7th Street, Weichmann said, "John, someone is call-
ing you," and Surratt, turning, saw Dr. Mudd of Bryan-
town and a younger man with him, whom he intro-
duced as John Wilkes Booth. After the introductions
were over Booth invited the party up to his room at
the National Hotel, where he. ordered wine and cigars
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 121
SURRATT HOUSE, 541 "H" STREET,
WASHINGTON, D. C, 1865.
"The Nest where the Egg was hatched." Presi-
dent Johnson's reply, when he was asked to com-
mute her sentence to life imprisonment "because
of her age (46) and sex."
122 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
for the group. From this meeting on John Booth was
a constant visitor at the Surratt home on H Street,
which was the rendezvous of the conspirators up to
the very day of the assassination. It was also the
mecca of various Roman Catholic priests, among
whom were the Reverends Walters and Wiget of St.
Patrick's Church, 10th and G Streets, of which the
Surratts were members.
From their first meeting Booth and Surratt busied
themselves selecting their associates. David Herold was
undoubtedly the choice of John Surratt who had known
him from his college days, evidently, at Georgetown
University. The testimony of Louis J. Weichmann,
college chum of Surratt and the State's chief
witness, at the trials of the conspirators shows
that Surratt had introduced him to David Her-
old as one of the members of the Washington Ma-
rine Band which had serenaded the Surratt Tavern at
midnight on one occasion when Weichmann was spend-
ing the week-end there. This was a year before Booth's
appearance in Washington. There is no doubt but that
all the conspirators were members of the Knights of
the Golden Circle; there is also no doubt that while
some of them were nominal Protestants they were whol-
ly papalized, certainly they were not Protestants. All
through the testimony we see that Booth and Aster-
odt were at "mass." It is morally certain that Booth
himself had been secretly taken into the Roman
Church when he was given the "Agnus Dei" medal
which was taken from his neck. The significance of
this medal is: The translation of "Agnus Dei" is
"Lamb of God ; it indicates sacrifice, — the shedding of
blood. The writer is informed by an ex-Romanist who
examined the medal that it was made in Rome, proba-
bly sent direct from the Pope as was Pius EXth's
letter to Jeff Davis, a distinction which would tend to
flatter the vanity of John Wilkes Booth.
Michael O'Laughlin, another conspirator, was
from Baltimore and was, as his name would indicate,
a Roman Catholic Irishman.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 123
Sam Arnold, it appears, had attended the same
school with John Wilkes Booth in their childhood and
was a nominal Protestant.
George Asterodt was the "rough" man, that is the
uneducated and uncultured one, who was probably an
Austrian Catholic, but not over religious. He attend-
ed Mass with Louis Weichmann at the Piscataway
Church and St. Patrick's church in Washington.
Lewis Payne, the atheletic young giant who was
delegated to murder Seward, Secretary of State and al-
most accomplished this deed, really showed more
strength of character and less cowardice than any of
the other conspirators. As far as is known he was the
son of a Protestant minister. He refused to tell any-
thing about himself, but when he went to his death
he was courageous to a degree that astonished the
newspaper correspondents and other spectators.
Edw. Spangler, another conspirator, was a roust-
about employee at Ford's Theatre, much given to
drink. He had great admiration for John Booth and
was a decided Southern sympathizer with a pronounced
dislike for Abraham Lincoln, which he had often ex-
pressed.
About November 1st, 1863, Mrs. Surratt and her
family moved to their residence at 541 H. St., Wash-
ington, D. C, where she opened a select boarding
house. Select to the extent that there were no "her-
etics" among her boarders. The first to come was
Louis J- Weichmann, who had been for three years a
classmate of John Surratt's at the Sulpician Monas-
tery where Weichmann also was preparing for the
Roman priesthood. From the very first Weichmann
and Surratt were bosom friends. Weichmann was born
in Baltimore in 1843 and was the son of a merchant
tailor who was a staunch Lutheran. The wife was a
devout Roman Catholic. The family consisted of two
boys and three girls, all of whom were brought up in
the faith of their mother. Both boys, Louis, and the
second boy, Frederick, were studying for the Roman
priesthood.
124 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
With the breaking out of the Civil War Louis
Weichmann's college studies were interrupted and he
came to Washington where he obtained a position as
professor at Gonzaga College, when John Surratt first
learned of his presence in Washington.
During the Spring vacation of '63, young Weich-
mann proposed that he and Surratt pay a visit to their
Alma Mater near Baltimore. They were received with
warm cordiality by both professors and students
who were eager to learn the progress of the
war,etc. During this visit, according to documentary
evidence to be introduced later on, both young men
freely expressed their pro-Southern views. Before
leaving the institution Louis Weichmann announced
his intention of going to Little Texas, or Ellengown,
where he had taught the parochial school for the Cath-
olic priest there, before entering college. The Rev.
Denis, prefect of the Sulpician Monastery told him that
the teacher at that time in Little Texas was Henri de
St. Marie, who had been a former pupil of Denis in
Montreal; that he was a fine young man who spoke
French and Italian fluently. He asked Weichmann if
he would hand him an Italian paper when he called up-
on him. On reaching Little Texas, Mr. Weichmann de-
livered the paper and introduced his friend Surratt to
the young Canadian. This was the beginning of an
acquaintance which was to end very disastrously for
Surratt.
Before closing this chapter in reference to the
religion of John Wilkes Booth I might say that his
family were members of the Episcopal church in
Baltimore.
Edwin A. Sherman, Past Grand Registrar of the
Grand Consistory of the Thirty-third Degree of the
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of
the State of California, in his book entitled "Engineer
Corps of Heir' on page 213, has this to say:
"It has been told to us, coming from what
we believe to be true authority, that Booth, about
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 125
three weeks before he committed the crime, was
admitted to the Roman Catholic church, and pri-
vately received the sacraments from no less a
personage than Archbishop Spaulding himself,
which he did to silence any conscientious scruples
that he might have in taking Abraham Lincoln's
life, and that he might have the whole influence
and sympathy of persons in that faith in pro-
tecting and concealing himself when the act was
done, to aid him in it. He certainly had that aid
and influence in planning and accomplishing his
hellish work and in making his escape, and it
could not have been more cheerfully and faithful-
ly rendered than it was, even if he had been a
Jesuit priest himself. We believe the statement
to be true; and it was but a short time after thac
Archbishop Spaulding received a donation of
funds for the specific purpose which was to uni-
form and equip a military body in the same man-
ner and style as the Papal Guard at Rome.
"The uniforms, muskets, cartridge boxes and
belts all bearing the Papal coat of arms and con-
secrated by the Pope himself, were sent to Arch-
bishop Spaulding at Baltimore; and when he died
he was buried with military honors and his re-
mains escorted by the same military bodyguard.
The entire diocese of Archbishop Spaulding was
rebel to the core and fierce in its hatred of Lin-
coln."
In a recent book written by one of Rome's apol-
ogists, we find that John Wilkes Booth was by "re-
ligion a Roman Catholic; by politics a Democrat."
Chapter VIIL
The Blackest Deed In American History.
And now we come to that darkest day in the histo-
ry of our Republic, April 14th, 1865. The Surrender of
Lee, April 3rd, to the "Little Smoking General" Grant,
came like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and was
a terrific blow to the hopes of the South, as well as
unexpected victory to the North. The people were wild
with enthusiastic joy. We can get some conception of
that word after four years of the bitterest civil war,
we, who have the news of the Armistice still fresh in
our memories in the recent World War which was sev-
eral thousand miles away.
The figure of Abraham Lincoln will ever stand
out on the page of our history, never to be effaced,
not only in the minds of the people of his own country,
but in those of the Peoples of the World, as the savior
of the New Concept of Government!
Lincoln, that great, sad-faced man, with his
shoulders drooping under the terrible burdens which
he had patiently carried for four long years, breathed
a sigh of relief when he arose this bright balmy April
morning and gazed at nature's gay spring garb.
During breakfast with his family he had suggested
to his good wife Mary, that they two alone should take
a long drive in the country which called so strongly
to this heavy laden man. Accordingly, after a few pre-
liminary office duties were gotten out of the way,
the President returned to the White House, and he and
Mrs. Lincoln got into their carriage and drove out
through the city over the Potomac River bridge into
the country. The fruit trees were white with blossoms,
the roadsides green, and the very birds flitting in and
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 127
Ford's Theatre, Washington
D. C. U. S. Government property
as it appears today. Exterior un-
changed.
House on Tenth St.
where President Lincoln
died April 15, 1865. Now
Lincoln Memorial Collec-
tion.
out through the hedges seemed to surpass themselves
with their songs.
President Lincoln beg;an to talk of their future.
He confessed to her that he would welcome the day
when his administration would be over, and they could
return to private life, never to leave it again. "I have
managed, my dear, by strict economy, to save a little
nest egg out of my salary, so we will go back to
Springfield to live, and I hope not have to work quite
so hard. We can visit with our friends and neighbors
and enjoy life a bit. Then he unfolded to her his plans
to take up his law practice again and the threads of
life where he had left them when he came to Washing-
ton, a little over four years ago. After driving several
128 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
hours, and being rested by the quiet of the country
and sweet breath of spring, this great simple-hearted,
plain man and his wife returned to the White House.
I cannot but contrast that last morning on earth
of Abraham Lincoln and his modest plans, with the
conduct of Woodrow Wilson and his dozens of trunks,
which carried the elaborate wardrobes of himself and
wife to Europe. The sinful extravagance of this peda-
gogical upstart! It seems almost sacrilegious to men-
tion him in the same paragraph with Lincoln.
The day began for John Wilkes Booth with his
usual trip to Graves Theatre where he received his
mail. This morning he had several letters, and after
chatting pleasantly with the members of the cast
present for rehearsal, as was his custom, he sauntered
away toward the Kirkwood house, now the Raleigh,
where the Vice President was stopping. He sent up the
following card to Mr. Johnson, which is still, and per-
haps, always will remain a mystery:
"For Mr- Andrew Johnson:
Don't wish to disturb vou : are you at home ?
John Wilkes Booth."
After his call at the Kirkwood House, he went
to the livery barn of J. Pumphreys on C Street, back
of the National Hotel. Here he engaged a horse to be
ready that afternoon at four thirty o'clock. He had
been in the habit lately of hiring his horses here after
he had sold his own a few weeks previous. Upon this
occasion he asked for a particular sorrel horse which
he preferred, but was told it was out at that time,
so he took instead a small bay mare. Booth was an ex-
pert horseman and fencer, and spent a great deal of
his time in horseback riding and the latter amuse-
ment, when he found a man who was skillful enough
fo interest him. After his arrangement for the horse
was completed, he spent a large part of the day con-
ferring with the other conspirators, who were in the
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 129
city, Mrs. Surratt, John Surratt, O'Laughlin, Herold,
Spangler and Atzerodt.
The evening of this same day, April 14, 1865, on
which Mr. Lincoln and his wife went for their last
drive in the country, the managers of Ford's Theatre
featured the fact in the local press that the President
and Gen. U. S. Grant would attend the performance
of "Our American Cousin" at that theatre in the even-
ing. This would have been the first public appearance
of General Grant since the surrender of Lee, and the
word that the people would have an opportunity to
greet their hero that night at Ford's Theatre made
a rush on the box office, and the performance opened
with a packed house.
The Presidential party did not arrive until nine
thirty- When the tall, gaunt figure of the tired-
eyed President made its appearance in the flag-draped
box the house went wild with delight, and the orches-
tra struck up "Hail to the Chief;" the house arose as
one body, and enthusiasm was inspiring. For several
minutes the cheering continued and the President bow-
ed and bowed his acknowledgements.
The absence of General Grant was soon noticed,
but this did not dampen the welcome for the great
man who had sent out, but a few days previous, the
most wonderful — the most extraordinary message to
a conquered enemy the world had ever heard, namely,
for them to return to their homes, and help in the re-
construction of the Republic. No punishments, no crit-
icisms, no bitterness, but just simply to return to
their homes and set about rebuilding what they had
tried to destroy, in a spirit of "With charity for all
and malice toward none."
The President and Mrs. Lincoln, upon receiving
the regrets of General Grant and wife, who had been
called to the bedside of their daughter, Miss Nellie,
who was ill at a private boarding school in New Jersey,
had invited Mai or Rathbone, lately returned from the
front, and his fiance, Miss Harris, daughter of Senator
Harris, to accompany them. The party seated them-
130 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
selves after the long ovation given the President, and
turned their whole attention to the pastoral comedy of
which Mr. Lincoln was very fond.
Miss Laura Keene was playing the star lead that
evening, assisted by a cast of prominent and capable
actors, and the play went with a zest, the audience
receiving it with a gale of laughter as one funny scene
after another passed- The President chuckled quietly
in his own peculiar quizzical manner .While this bril-
liant scene was taking place inside, a most unusual
play was transpiring on the outside.
Sergt. Dye, a member of the government service
was sitting in front of the restaurant next door to
the entrance of the theatre on Tenth Street, talking
with some other men who were enjoying the warm
evening and their cigars, when a tall young man well
dressed, stepped to the front of the theatre on the
sidewalk, and in clear tones called the time. This did
not attract any particular attention until he had re-
peated it at an interval of every fifteen minutes for
the third time, at ten fifteen. He disappeared and Sgt.
Dye's curiousity was aroused by his strange conduct.
He got up and started to walk in the direction the
young stranger had taken, when wild cries and con-
fusion within the theatre reached the street. "The
President is shot," "The President is killed," finally
was clearly heard- The entrance doors burst open, and
men, insane with fright bolted out giving the call to
those on the pavement, then rushed back in. It all hap-
pened quicker than it takes to write it.
At a moment before the last call of the time in
front of the theatre, John Wilkes Booth, the popular
young tragedian, stepped out of the bar-room attached
to the theatre on Tenth Street, where he had called for
several brandies, walked rapidly into the front lobby,
passed the doorman at the center aisle with a genial
nod, calling him familiarly by name, which was
answered in the spirit which John Booth's greet-
ings generally were. He passed over to the side
aisle and started down when his passage was
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 131
-
JOHN WILKES BOOTH FIRING THE FATAL BULLET
barred by the arm of the head usher, who happened
to be talking with friends in the aisle. Booth put his
arm across the shoulder of the man who had his back
to him and peering into his face said, "Why you
don't want to keep me out, do you, old boy?" This was
in the melodious Booth voice, once heard, never to be
forgotten. The usher, swinging around said, "No, in-
deed, Mr. Booth. Allow me to present you to my
friends" Booth acknowledged the introduction gra-
ciously and turning, sauntered down the aisle toward
the box occupied by the Presidential party, intent on
the most cruel, cowardly murder in all the world's
history.
132 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
He passed the man on guard, who for the moment
left the door of the box and was watching the play
from a seat nearby.
Booth entered the box, stealthily placing the
board in the socket on the inside which had been made
ready that day, by Spangler, the stage carpenter.
Booth's entrance was so quiet that it attracted
no attention from any of the party, all of whom had
their eyes fixed upon the stage where only two people
were, — Laura Keene and Harry Hawks as Asa Trench-
ard. The lines and situation were exceedingly funny
and the house was uproariously enjoying the comedy.
Booth, after securing the door from any inter-
ference from the outside, crept panther-like close to
the back of the President's chair, whipped out his der-
ringer with his right hand and a dagger with his left,
placing the revolver just above the back of the chair.
There was a muffled report, a whiff of smoke, and
the President's head dropped upon his breast. The in-
truder darted toward the railing in front of the box,
but before he reached it, Major Rathbone, horror-
stricken, but not really knowing just what had hap-
pened, bounded to his feet. He reached out to grab the
assassin, who, dropping his revolver, slashed viciously
at him, warding him off by an ugly stab which cut his
sleeve from shoulder to wrist from which the blood
spurted. With the agility of the skilled athlete that
he was, Booth sprang over the balustrade of the box
onto the stage twelve feet below, but his spur, for
he was in riding habit, caught in the large American
flag which had been draped around Stuart's
Washington on the front of the box, and he fell to
the stage, breaking a small bone in his leg. He bounded
to his feet instantly and darted away from the stage
past the petrified actors, out through the rear door,
where he mounted his horse which he had gotten the
candy butcher, called "Peanuts" to hold for him just
before he entered the front door a few moments pre-
vious. Jos. B. Stewart, a man from the audience,
who had taken in the situation before others in the au-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 133
dience had recovered from their horror, scrambled to
the stage yelling "Stop that man" and rushed after
the assassin, but just as Booth darted through the
alley door someone in the dark slammed it shut before
Stewart reached it and before he could get it opened,
the man mounted his horse and dashed madly away
in the darkness.
Spangler, the stage carpenter, the testimony de-
veloped, was the man who had slammed the door.
He had been heard to promise his assistance to Booth
earlier in the evening when he had dismounted from
his horse. For this and disloyal statements about the
President which he had been heard to make, he re-
ceived a sentence of six years at the Dry Tortugas
prison.
The gaunt body of the dying President was tender-
ly carried out of the theatre on the door of the box,
which had been hastily pressed into service as a
stretcher, across the street to the three story brick
house of a man by the name of Peterson, who let
his rooms furnished to the business men employed at
the stores and nearby theatres.
The stretcher-bearers carried him to the bedroom
in the rear of the hall on the first floor and into a room
occupied by a returned soldier, William Clark by name.
The bed was a single bed and the body of the Presi-
dent had to be laid diagonally across on account of his
great height.
The pitiful scene here can scarcely be portrayed
by words. The hysterical sobs of Mrs. Lincoln and her
constant cry of "Oh, why did they not take me- Why
did they take him?" was heart-breaking.
Capt. Robert Lincoln just returned from the front
a few days before, was immediately summoned from
the White House, where he was entertaining a college
classmate, to the bedside of his dying father. He spent
the time alternately trying to comfort his mother in
the front parlor and watching at the bedside of his
dying father-
Soon the members of Mr. Linc^n's cabinet had
134 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
gathered in the sick room and Dr. Gurley, Protestant
minister, and Surgeon General Barne-i, came as soon
as possible from the bedside of the Secretary of State
Seward, the Surgeon having been called there after
Mr. Seward had been stabbed by L^uis Payne. Mr.
Seward was now hovering between life and death.
General Stanton, the cold, severe, dignified man, who
had never been known to show any emotion, dropped
on his knees at the foot of the President's
bed, buried his face in the covering and sobbed
like a child. Charles Sumner, who, perhaps, loved Lin-
coln with the deepest and most ardent love of them
all, never stirred from his place at the bed, holding his
hand, and aiding the physicians, and watching with
bated breath for the slightest sign of returning con-
sciousness. But the wounded man never for one in-
stant recovered, and died without knowing what had
occurred. From the moment the physicians first reach-
ed him and found the wound, they knew he was
doomed.
The President never regained consciousness and
died a few minutes after seven the next morning.
Secretary Stanton as he watched the life of the great
man go out, turned to those in the room and said:
"And now, he belongs to the ages!"
At the same time that Booth assassinated the
President, Lewis Payne, known as the "Florida Boy"
an athletic young giant, who some months before
joined the Conspiracy, rode up to the front of the res-
idence of the Secretary of State, William Seward, and
tied his horse to the hitching post.
Mr. Seward had been ill for three weeks, suffering
from a fractured jaw, the result of the running away
of his team, and was under the constant care of male
nurses.
Payne rang the bell and it was answered by the
colored butler. He told the latter that he had been sent
with some medicine which he must take to the sick
room. The butler refused to allow him to enter, saying
that he had orders to allow no one to go to Mr. Sew-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 135
WILLIAM H. SEWARD,
Lincoln's Secretary of State who was stabbed by Lewis Payne.
136 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ard's room. The stranger, after a short struggle,
knocked him down, and went bounding up the stairs.
He rushed into the sick chamber, after felling each
of the two sons of the Secretary, one of whom had
been in the service, the blow fracturing the skull of
the younger man from which he never fully recovered-
He then sprang upon the sick man and seriously
stabbed him three times. By a superhuman effort the
latter struggled out of the bed with his assailant who
left him in a heap on the floor, bleeding from the
wounds he had inflicted. After his murderous assault
on Secretary Seward, the ruffian rushed down the
stairs, yelling at the top of his voice, "I am mad, J am
mad," and he very probably was. He was entirely un-
der the control of the hypnotic influences of the wicked
people in whose power he had allowed himself to be.
It was part of the plan that Michael O'Laughlin
one of the conspirators from Baltimore, was to have
murdered General Grant that night. This was not
possible, owing to the change in the General's plans-
To Atzerodt, it fell to assassinate Vice President
Johnson, but he became frightened and spent the day
riding into the country on a horse from the livery
barn in Washington, where he was found several days
after with relatives of his below Washington. He made
a written confession before he was executed which
confirmed the presence of Surratt in Washington that
fatal day a fact, which nine reputable witnesses had
sworn to.
Booth familiarized himself w T ith every road leading
out of Washington to the south, and had studied and
planned his escape with careful attention. It is not
likely that he would ever have been caught, had h*
not broken the small bone in his left leg in his jump.
This was the providential handicap which hampered
not only himself and Herold, but those of his friends
who were ready to assist him. There is not the slight-
est doubt but that every mile of that wild ride had
been planned in advance, — weeks in advance-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 137
THE SURRATT HOUSE ON H. STREET, APRIL 1922.
Recently sold for $10,500. Is occupied by owner. Supposed
to be "haunted" by Mrs. Surratt's ghost. Stoop and steps re-
moved by recent purchaser.
138 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The intense agony which Booth suffered every
moment from the time he first met with the accident
when jumping from the box doomed his chances of
escape.
The little bay mare dashed madly along under the
cruel urge of his spurs as he sped over the bridge
which spanned the Potomac to the Bryantown road.
He passed the soldier at the bridge, after having told
him his name, and was swallowed up in the blackness
of the night. The moon was veiled behind a huge bank
of clouds. Presently the guard at the bridge heard
the clatter of another horse's hoofs approaching and
the horse and rider soon hove in sight onto the bridge.
The guard stopped him and asked him to give an ac-
count of himself before allowing him to go on. This was
Herold and in explanation he gave a false name saying
that he had been in bad company which delayed him
from returning home before sundown. He was permit-
ted to pass. He cut his spurs into his horse and sped
along, finally catching up to the first rider, Booth, be-
fore they reached Surrattville, whither they were
expected by the tenant Lloyd who had been visited
by Mrs. Surratt that afternoon who had instructed
him (Lloyd) to "Have those shooting irons" and other
things ready, that they would be needed that night.
Herold drew up to the tavern, sprang from his
horse and dashed madly into the bar-room, saying:
"Lloyd, for God's sake, make haste and get those
things."
Lloyd testified at the trials that he gave the car-
bines which had been left six weeks before with him
to be called for later on ; that Mrs. Surratt had been
driven down from Washington on Friday (the 14th)
to his house by Weichmann; that he met them on the
road on his way to Washington ; that he got out of his
buggy and went over to the side of their buggy and
after a few moments of conversation she told him to
"Have those shooting irons ready; that they would
be called for soon."
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 139
Weichmann also testified that he overheard this
order by Mrs. Surratt.
Mrs. Surratt brought with her on this trip (the
day of the assassination) a package containing Booth's
field glass, to be handed out when called for. Herold took
a bottle of whiskey out to Booth, who, owing to his suf-
fering, did not come in. They only took one of the revol-
vers, so Lloyd testified. Herold turned as he was about
to drive off and said: "I'm pretty sure that we have
assassinated the President and Secretary Seward.
The two riders put their spurs into their horses
and set off down the road to the little village of T. B.
at full speed. The next stop was made at the residence
of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, where they arrived at four
o'clock on Saturday morning. This conspirator housed
them and set the bone in Booth's leg. He bound it up
in splints improvised from pieces of a cigar box, after
which Booth was helped upstairs to bed where he re-
mained until the afternoon of the same day.
O'Laughlin had come to Washington on Thursday,
the day before the assassination, with three of his
co-religionists who prepared to make a perfectly good
bullet-proof alibi for their friend O'Laughlin, which is
the rule with Roman Catholic criminals. They were so
solicitous in this intent that they over-reached them-
selves and spoiled it.
The great grievance of the Catholic church is that
Mary E. Surratt was brought before a Military tri-
bunal, instead of a civil court. The real basis of this
complaint, was however, that there could be no po-
litical influence brought to bear on a military court,
which the hanging of four conspirators and life sen-
tences of the three others bears out.
As it is not within the power of the writer to pre-
sent the facts in any simpler or more readable language
than that used in the closing argument of the special
Judge Advocate, John A. Bingham, I shall rely on ex-
cerpts from that document to give the facts.
Chapter IX.
The Trials Of The Assassins By Docu-
mentary Evidence.
ARGUMENT OF JOHN A. BINGHAM, Special Judge
Advocate.
IN REPLY TO THE SEVERAL ARGUMENTS IN
DEFENSE OF MARY E. SURRATT AND OTHERS,
CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY AND THE MUR-
DER OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, LATE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, ETC.
May it please the Court: The conspiracy here
charged and specified and the acts alleged to have been
committed in pursuance thereof, and with the intent
laid, constitute a crime, the atrocity of which has sent
a shudder through the civilized world. All that was
agreed upon and attempted by the alleged inciters and
instigators of this crime constitutes a combination of
atrocities with scarcely a parallel in the annals of
the human race. Whether the prisoners at your bar are
guilty of the conspiracy and the acts alleged to have
been done. . . as set forth in the charge and specifica-
tion, is a question, the determination of which rests
solely with this honorable court, and in passing upon
which, this court are the sole judges of the law and
the fact.
In presenting my views upon the questions of law
raised by the several counsel for the defense, and also
on the testimony adduced for and against the accused,
I desire to be just to them, just to you, just to my
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 141
country, and just to my own convictions. The issue
joined involves the highest interests of the accused,
and, in my judgment, the highest interests of the whole
people of the United States .... A wrongful and ille-
gal conviction, or a wrongful and illegal acquittal
upon this dread issue, would impair somewhat the se-
curity of every man's life, and shake the stability of
the Republic.
The crime charged and specified upon your record
is not simply the crime of murdering a human being,
but it is a crime of killing and murdering on the 14th
day of April, A. D. 1865, within the Military Depart-
ment of Washington and the entrenched lines thereof,
Abraham Lincoln, then President of the United States,
and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy there ;
and then and there assaulting with intent to kill and
murder, Wm. H. Seward, then Secretary of State of the
United States; and then and there lying in wait to
kill and murder Andrew Johnson, the Vice President
of the United States, and Ulysses S. Grant, then Lieu-
tenant General and in Command of the Army of the
United States, in pursuance of a treasonable conspir-
acy entered into by the accused with one John Wilkes
Booth, and John H. Surratt, upon the instigation of
Jefferson Davis, Jacob Thompson, Clement C Clay,
George N. Sanders and others, with intent thereby to
aid the existing Rebellion and subvert the Constitution
and laws of the United States.
The Government in preferring this charge, does not
indict the whole people of any State or section, but
only the alleged parties to this unnatural and atrocious
crime. The President of the United States in the dis-
charge of his duty as Commander-in-Chief of the Army
and by virtue of the power invested in him by the Con-
stitution and laws of the United States, has consi-
tuted you a military court, to hear and determine the
issue joined against the accused, and has constituted
you a court for no other purpose whatever. To this
charge and specification the defendants have pleaded
first, that this court has no jurisdiction in the prem-
ises; and, secondly, not guilty.''
142 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
After a careful covering of every point raised by
the defense, embellished with numerous citations of
legal authorities and court decisions as to both of the
points raised by the defense, the Judge Advocate con-
tinues :
"It only remains for me to sum up the evidence
and present my views of the law arising upon the facts
in the case on trial. The questions of fact involved
in the issue are :
First, did the accused, or any two of them, con-
federate and conspire together as charged ? — and
Second, did the accused, or any of them, in pur-
ance of such conspiracy, and with the intent alleged,
commit either or all of the several acts specified?
If the conspiracy be established, as laid, it results
that whatever was said or done by either of the parties
in the furtherance or execution of the common design
is the declaration or act of all the other parties of
the conspiracy; and this whether the other parties,
at the time such words were uttered, or such acts
done by their confederates, were present or absent —
here, within the entrenched lines of your Capitol, or
crouching behind the entrenched lines of Richmond,
or awaiting the results of their murderous plot ?« gainst
their country, in Canada The same rule obtains
in cases of treason. . A conspiracy is rarely if ever
proved by positive testimony. When a crime of high
magnitude is about to be perpetrated by a combination
of individuals, they do not act openly, but covertly and
secretly. The purpose formed is known only to those
who enter into it Unless one of the original con-
spirators betray his companions and give evidence
against them, their guilt can be proved only by circum-
stantial evidence/'
During the course of Judge Advocate Bingham's
address the influence of the Jesuit theology showed
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 143
THE OLD CAPITOL PRISON, WASHINGTON, D. C.
Court room where conspirator trials were conducted in July,
1865.
up in his reference to Jacob Thompson, one of the con-
spirators referred to, who was a leader in the group
of Confederates of Montreal, when he said:
"In speaking of this assassination of the Presi-
dent and others, Jacob Thompson said that it was
only removing them from office, that the killing of a
tyrant was no murder."
Emanuel Sa, a Jesuit authority, said, "The tyrant
is illegitimate; and any man whatever of the people
has a right to kill him. (Uniquis - que de populo potest
occidere.) But note this bit of evidence referred to by
the distinguished lawyer:
"Dr. Merritt testified further that after this meet-
ing in Montreal he had a conversation with Clement
144 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
C. Clay in Toronto about the letter from Jefferson
Davis which Sanders had exhibited and in which con-
versation Clay gave the witness to understand that
he knew the nature of the letter perfectly and re-
marked that he thought, "The end would justify the
means." The witness also testified to the presence of
Booth with Sanders in Montreal last fall and of Surratt
in Toronto in February last."
The above is certainly proof positive of Jesuit in-
fluence. Continuing below record shows:
"John Wilkes Booth having entered into this con-
spiracy in Canada, as has been shown, as early as
October, he is next found in the City of New York
on the 11th day, as I claim of November, in disguise,
in conversation with another, the conversation disclos-
ing to the witness, Mrs. Hudspeth, that they had some
matter of personal interest between them; that upon
one of them the lot had fallen to go to Washington. . .
upon the other to go to Newbern. This witness upon
being shown the photograph of Booth swears that
"the face is the same" that of one of the men, who, she
says, was a young man of education and culture, as
appeared by his conversation, and who had a scar like
a bite near the jawbone. It is a fact proved here by
the Surgeon General that Booth had such a scar on
the side of his neck."
It was this witness that found the letter on the
floor of the car which Booth dropped and which was
transmitted from her to the War Department on No-
vember 17th, 1864. The letter was delivered to Presi-
dent Lincoln, who after having read it wrote the word
"Assassination" across it, and filed it in his office
where it was found after his death and was placed in
evidence as a court exhibit. The letter read as follows:
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 145
"Dear Louis:
The time has come at last that we have all
so wished for, and upon you everything depends.
As it was decided, before you left, we were to cast
lots, we accordingly did so, and you are to be the
Charlotte Corday of the Nineteenth Century.
When you remember the fearful solemn vow that
was taken by us, you will feel there is no draw-
back. Abe must die, and now. You can choose
your weapons, the cup, the knife, the bullet. The
cup failed us once and might again. Johnson who
will give this has been like an enraged demon
since the meeting, because it has not fallen to him
to rid the world of a monster ..... You know
where to find your friends. Your disguises are so
perfect and complete that without one knew your
face no police telegraphic despatch would catch
you. The English gentleman, Harcourt, must not
act hastily. Remember, he has ten days. Strike
for your home; strike for your country; bide your
time, but strike sure. Get introduced ; congratulate
him; listen to his stories (not many more will
the brute tell to earthly friends;) do anything but
fail, and meet us at the appointed place within
the fortnight. You will probably hear from me
in Washington. Sanders is doing us no good in
Canada. ~, „ „
Chas. Selby. "
And we quote again from Judge Bingham:
"Although this letter would imply that the
assassination spoken of was to take place speedily,
yet the party was to bide his time. . . . The let-
ter declares that Abraham Lincoln must die and
now, meaning as soon as the agents can be em-
ployed and the work done. To that end you will
bide your time."
"Even Booth's co-conspirator, Payne, now on
his trial says Booth had just been to Can-
146 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ada, 'Was filled with a mighty scheme and was
lying in wait for agents-' Booth asked the co-
operation of the prisoner and said/ I will give you
as much money as you want; but you must swear
to stick to me. It is in the oil business.' This
you are told by the accused was early in March
last In the latter part of November, 18'64,
Booth visits Charles county, Maryland, and is in
company with one of the prisoners, Dr. Samuel
E. Mudd, with whom he lodged over night, and
through whom he procures of Gardner one of the
several horses which were at his disposal and used
by him and his co-conspirator in Washington on
the night of the assassination."
"Some time during December last it is in the
testimony that the prisoner Mudd introduced
Booth to John H. Surratt and the witness Weich-
mann; that Booth invited them to the National
Hotel; that when there in the room to which Booth
took them, Mudd went out into the passage, called
Booth out and had a private conversation with
him, leaving the witness and Surratt in the room-
Upon their return to the room, Booth went out
with Surratt and upon their coming in all three —
Booth, Surratt and Samuel A. Mudd went out to-
gether and had a conversation in the passage,
leaving Weichmann alone. Up to the time of this
interview it seems that neither the witness or
Surratt had any knowledge of Booth as they were
then introduced to him by Dr. Mudd. Whether
Surratt had previously known Booth it is not im-
portant to inquire. Mudd deemed it necessary,
perhaps a wise precaution, to introduce Surratt
to Booth; he also deemed it necessary to have a
private conversation with Booth shortly after-
wards. Had this conversation, no part of which
was heard by Weichmann been perfectly inno-
cent, it is not to be presumed that Dr. Mudd,
who was an entire stranger to the witness, would
have deemed it necessary to hold the conversation
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 147
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148 ASSASSIN^ OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
secretly, nor to have volunteered to tell the wit-
ness, or rather pretend to tell him what the conver-
sation was . . . And if it was necessary to with-
draw and talk by themselves secretly, about the
sale of a farm, why should they disclose the fact to
the very man from whom they had concealed it?"
As a matter of fact the above conversation about
the purchase of Mudd's farm by Booth was merely a
ruse to deceive Weichmann. The whole conversation
was talking over the shortest and safest route for
f^ght from the Capitol by which to reach their friends
south of Washington.
A number of Dr. Mudd's slaves testified that he
was absent from his home at this time which corrob-
orated Weichmann's testimony.
We quote from the summing up of the evidence at
the trials by Judge Advocate Bingham referring to
O'Laughlin as follows:
"Michael O'Laughlin had come to Washington on
the 13th of April, 1S65, the day preceding the assas-
sination, had sought out his victim, General Grant, at
the house of the Secretary of War, that he might be
able with certainty to identify him, and that at the
very hour when these preparations were going on, was
lying in wait at Rullman's on the Avenue, keeping
watch, and declaring as he did, at about ten o'clock P.
M. when told that that fatal blow had been struck by
Booth, "I don't believe Booth did it." During the day
and night before he had been visiting Booth, and doubt-
less encouraging him, and at that very hour was in po-
sition, at a convenient distance to aid and protect him
in his flight, as well as to execute his own part of this
conspiracy, by inflicting death on General Grant who
happily, was not at the theatre, nor in the city, hav-
ing left the city that day."
"Who doubts that Booth ascertained in the course
of the day that General Grant would not be present
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 149
at the theatre. 0"Laughlin who was to murder Gen-
eral Grant, instead of entering the box with Booth, was
detailed to lie in wait, and watch and support him."
"His declarations of his reasons for his changing
his lodgings here and in Baltimore, so ably, and so in-
geniously presented in the arguments of his learned
counsel (Mr. Cox), avail nothing before the blasting
fact, that he did change his lodgings and declared:
'He knew nothing of the affair whatever.' "
"O'Laughlin who said he was in the 'oil business'
which Booth, Surratt, Payne and Arnold, have all de-
clared meant this conspiracy, says he "knew nothing
of the affair." O'Laughlin, to whom Booth sent the
despatches of the 13th and 27th of March, — O'Laugh-
lin who is named in Arnold"s letter as one of the con-
spirators, and who searched for General Grant on
Thursday night, laid in wait for him on Friday, was
defeated by that Providence "which shapes our ends,"
and laid in wait to aid Booth and Payne, declares, he
"knows nothing about the matter." Such a denial is
as false and inexcusable as Peter's denial of our Lord."
While these preparations were going on, Mudd was
awaiting the execution of the plot, ready to faithfully
perform his part in securing the safe escape of the
murderers. Arnold was at his post at Fortress Monroe,
awaiting the meeting referred to in his letter of March
27th, wherein he says they were not to 'Meet for a
month or so,' which month had more than expired on
the day of the murder, for his letter and testimony
disclose that this month of suspensions began to run
from about the first week in March. He stood ready
with the arms with which Booth had furnished him, to
aid the escape of the murderers by that route, and
secure their communication with their employers. He
had given the assurance in that letter to Booth that
although the Government "suspicioned" them, and the
undertaking was becoming "complicated" yet a time
"more propitious would arrive," for the consummation
of this conspiracy in which he "was one" with Booth
150 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
and when he "would be better prepared to again be with
him".
It was upon the above evidence for which O'Laugh-
lin and Arnold were convicted and sentenced to the
Dry Tortugas.
And now I will quote from the same document
the summing up of the evidence against Mary E
Surratt, for as a matter of facts tersely stated noth-
ing could surpass that of the Judge Advocate, John A.
Bingham.
"That Mary E. Surratt is as guilty as her son, as
having thus conspired and combined and confedera-
ted, to do this murder, in aid of this rebellion, is clear.
First, her house was the headquarters of Booth,
John Surratt, Atzerodt, Payne and Herold ; she is in-
quired for by Payne, and she is visited by Booth, and
holds private conversations with him. His picture,
together with the chief conspirator, Jefferson Davis,
is found in her house. She sends to Booth for a car-
riage to take her on the 11th of April to Surrattville,
for the purpose of perfecting the arrangement deem-
ed necessary to the successful execution of the conspir-
acy, and especially to facilitate and protect the con-
spirators in their escape from justice. On that occas-
ion, Booth, having disposed of his carraige, gives to
the agent she employed (Weichmann) ten dollars with
which to hire a conveyance for that purpose- And
yet the pretense is made that Mrs. Surratt went on
the 11th of April to Surrattville on exclusively her
own private and lawful business. Can any one tell, if
that be so, how it comes that she should apply to
Booth for a conveyance? And how it comes that he,
of his own accord, having no conveyance to furnish
her, should send her ten dollars with which to procure
it?"
"There is not the slightest indication that Booth
was under the slightest obligation to her, or that she
had any claim upon him, either for a conveyance, or for
the means with which to procure one except that he
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 151
was bound to contribute, being the agent of the con-
spirators in Canada and Richmond, whatever money
might be necessary to the consummation of this in-
fernal plot. On that day, the 11th of April, John H.
Surratt had not returned from Canada with the tunas
furnished him by Thompson."
"Upon that journey of the 11th, the accused, Mary
E. Surratt, met with the witness, John M. Lloyd at
Uniontown (her tenant at Surrattville) . She called
him; he got out of his carrigae and came to her; she
whispered to him in so low a tone that her attendant
could not hear her words, though Lloyd to whom they
were spoken, did distinctly hear them, and testifies that
she told him he should have those "shooting irons"
ready, meaning the carbines, which her son, and Her-
old and Atzerodt had deposited with him, and added
the reason, "for they would soon be called for." On
the day of the assassination, she again sent for Booth,
had an interview with him in her own house, and im-
mediately again went to Surrattville, and then, about
six o'clock in the afternoon, she delivered to Lloya a
field glass and told him to "Have two bottles of whis-
key and the carbines ready, as they would be called
for that night." Having thus perfected the arrange-
ment, she returned to Washington to her own house at
about half past eight o'clock, to await the final result.
How could this woman anticipate on Friday afternoon
at six o'clock, that these arms would be called for,
and would be needed that night, unless she was in the
conspiracy and knew the blow was to be struck, and
the flight of the assassins attempted and by that
route."
"Was not the private conversation with Booth
held with her in her parlor on the afternoon of the
14th of April, just before she left on this business in
relation to the orders she should give to have the
shooting arms ready?"
"An endeavor is made to impeach Lloyd. But the
Court will observe that no witness has been called who
contradicts Lloyd's statement in any material matter;
152 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
neither has his general character for truth been as-
sailed. How, then, is he impeached? Is it claimed
that his testimony shows that he was a party to the
conspiracy? Then, it is conceded by those who set up
any such a pretense that there was a conspiracy.
A conspiracy between whom? There can be no con-
spiracy without the co-operation, or agreement, be-
tween two or more persons- Who were the other par-
ties to it? Was it Mary E. Surratt? Was it John H.
Surratt? Was it George Atzerodt, David Herold?
Those are the only persons so far as his own testimony,
or the testimony of any other witness discloses, with
whom he had any communication whatever on any
subject immediately or remotely touching this con-
spiracy before the assassination. His receipt and con-
cealment of the arms, are unexplained evidence that
he was in the conspiracy."
' The explanation is, that he depended on Mary E.
Surratt; was her tenant, and his declaration, given in
evidence by the accused, himself, is that: "She had
ruined him and brought this trouble upon him." But
because he was weak enough, or wicked enough, to
become the guilty depository of these arms, and to
deliver them on the order of Mary E. Surratt, to the
assassins, it does not follow, that he is not to be be-
lieved on oath- It is said, that he concealed the fact
that the arms had been left and called for. He so
testifies himself, but he gives the reason, that he
did it only from apprehension of danger to his life.
If he were in the conspiracy, his general credit being
unchallenged, his testimony being uncontradicted in
any material matter, he is to be believed, and cannot
be disbelieved if his testimony is substantially cor-
roborated by other reliable witnesses."
"Is he not corroborated touching the deposit of
arms by the fact that the arms are produced in
court, one of which was found upon the person of
Booth at the time he was overtaken and slain, and
which is identified as the same which had been left
with Lloyd, by Herold, Surratt and Atzerodt? Is he
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 153
SURRATT TAVERN AT SURRATTVILLE, APRIL, 1922.
Now the residence of Mrs. William Penn who has a linen
handkerchief with "John H. Surratt" embroidered in corner, pre-
sented to an aunt of Mrs Penn who attended school taught by
him.
154 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
not corroborated in the fact of the first interview with
Mrs. Surratt by the joint testimony of Mrs. Offut
(his sister-in-law), and Louis J. Weichmann, each of
whom testified, (and they are contradicted by no one)
that, on Tuesday, the 11th of April, at Union town,
Mrs. Surratt called Mr. Lloyd to come to her, which
he did, and she held a secret conversation with him?
Is he not corroborated as to the last conversation
on the 14th of April by the testimony of Mrs. Offut,
who swears that upon that evening, April 14, she
saw the prisoner, Mary E. Surratt, at Lloyd's house,
approach and hold conversation with him? Is he not
corroborated in the fact, to which he swears that
Mrs. Surratt delivered to him at that time, the field
glass wrapped in paper, by the sworn statement of
Weichmann, that Mrs. Surratt took with her on that
occassion two packages, both of which were wrapped
in paper, and one of which he describes as a small
package, about six inches in diameter? The attempt
was made, by calling Mrs. Offut, to prove that no
such package was delivered, but it failed; she merely
states, that Mrs. Surratt delivered a package wrapped
in paper to her, after her arrival there, and before
Lloyd came in, which was laid down in the room. But
whether it is the package about which Lloyd testifies,
or the other package, of the two about which Weich-
mann testifies, as having been carried there that day by
Mrs. Surratt, does not appear. Neither does this wit-
ness pretend to say that Mrs. Surratt, after she had
delivered it to her, and the witness had laid it down
in the room, did not again take it up, if it were the
same, and put it into the hands of Lloyd. She only knows
that she did not see that done; but she did see Lloyd
with a package like the one she received in the room
before Mrs. Surratt left. How it came in his possession
she is not able to state ; nor that the package was that
Mrs. Surratt first handed her; nor which of the pack-
ages she afterwards saw in the hands of Lloyd"
"But there is one other fact in this case that
puts forever at rest the question of the guilty parties
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 155
ST. PATRICK'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Surratt household were attendants of this church at
10th and G. streets.
156 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
pation of the prisoner, Mrs. Surratt, in this conspiracy
and murder; and that is, that Payne who had lodged
four days in her house — who, during all of that time
had sat at her table, and who had often conversed with
her — when the guilt of his great crime was upon him,
and he knew not where else he could go so safely, to
find a co-conspirator, and that he could trust none,
that was not like himself, guilty, with even the knowl-
edge of his presence, under the cover of darkness, after
wandering for three days and nights, skulking be-
fore the pursuing officers, at the hour of midnight
found his way to the door of Mrs. Surratt, rang the
bell, was admitted, and upon being asked, "Whom do
you want to see?" Replied, "Mrs. Surratt." He was
then asked by the officer Morgan, what he came at that
time of night for, to which he replied, "To dig a gut-
ter in the morning." that Mrs. Surratt had sent for
him. Afterwards he said that Mrs. Surratt knew he
was a poor man and came to him. Being asked where
he last worked, he replied: "Sometimes on I street;"
and where he boarded, he replied, that he had no
boarding house but was a poor man who got his liv-
ing with the pick, which he bore upon his shoulder,
having stolen it from the entrenchments of the Cap-
ital. Upon being pressed why he came there at that
time of night to go to work, he answered that he sim-
ply called to see what time he should go to work in the
morning. Upon being told by the officer who fortunate-
ly had preceded him to this house, that he would
have to go to the Provost-Marshal's office, he moved
and did not answer, whereupon Mrs. Surratt was ask-
ed to step into the hall and state whether she knew
this man. Raising her right hand, she exclaimed : "Be-
fore God, sir, I have not seen that man before ; I have
not hired him; I do not know anything about him."
The hall was brilliantly lighted"
"If not one word had been said, the mere act
of Payne in flying to her house for shelter, would
have borne witness against her, strong as proofs from
Holy Writ. But, when she denies, after hearing his
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 157
declarations that she had sent for him, or that she
had never seen him, and knew nothing of him, when, in
point of fact, she had seen him four consecutive days,
in her own house (that same house) in the same cloth-
ing which he wore, who can resist for a moment, the
conclusion that these parties, were alike, guilty?"
And this is the woman whom the Roman hierarchy
in this country is trying to make a martyr of! Con-
template this female Jesuit, this Leopoldine, without
being asked to swear to her denial, volunteered to
lift her hand and in the name of her God, perjure
herself in the presence of those witnesses! Do you
doubt that she was a lay Jesuit? Listen. Let me
quote the "Doctrine of the Jesuits" upon this point:
Under "Of Lying and False Swearing" in JUICIO
TEOLOGICA, Basnedi, Jesuit authority, page 278, we
find:
"If you believe in an inconvertible manner,
that you are commanded to lie, then lie." ,
Again we quote from the Jesuit Father Stoz in
"Of the Tribunal of the Penitent:
"When a crime is secret, the culpability of
the crime may be denied; it being understood
publicly."
Mary E. Surratt knew the command of her church
at that moment, and in order to save it from scandal
and culpability in this great crime, as well as her own
life and safety, she was dispensed to lie, and so with-
out any hesitancy she raised her right hand and swore
to this lie.
Continuing, Judge Bingham said:
158 ASSASSINS OP ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"Mrs. Surratt had arrived at home from the com-
pletion of her part in the plot, about half past eight in
the evening. A few minutes afterwards she was called
to the parlor, and there had a private interview with
someone unseen, but whose retreating footsteps were
heard by the witness, Weichmann. This was doubt-
less the secret, and last visit of John H. Surratt to
his mother, who had instigated and encouraged him
to strike this traitorous and murderous blow at his
country.
"Booth proceeded to the theatre about nine o'clock
in the evening, at the same time that Atzerodt and
Payne and Herold were riding the streets, while Sur-
ratt, having parted with his mother at the brief in-
terview in her parlor, from which his retreating steps
were Tieard, was walking the Avenue (Pennsylvania)
booted and spurred, and doubtless consulting with
O'Laughlin. When Booth reached the rear of the thea-
tre, he called Spangler to him and received from Span-
gler his pledge to help him all he could, when, with
Booth, he entered the theatre by the stage door,
doubtless to see that the way was clear from the box
to the rear door of the theatre, and to look upon their
victim, whose erect position they could study from the
stage. After this view Booth passes to the street in
front of the theatre, where on the pavement, with
other conspirators, yet unknown, among them one de-
scribed as a low-browed villain, he awaits the ap-
pointed moment Presently, as the hour of ten
o'clock approached, one of his guilty associates calls
the time; they wait; again, as the appointed time
draws nigh, he calls the time; and finally when the
fatal moment arrives, he repeats in a louder tone "Ten
minutes past ten o'clock, ten minutes past ten o'clock."
.... The hour has come when the red right hand of
these murderous conspirators should strike, and the
dreadful deed of assassination be done "
"Booth at the appointed moment entered the theatre,
ascended to the dress circle, passed to the right, paused
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 159
INTERIOR OF FORD'S THEATRE ON NIGHT OF MURDER.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH'S ESCAPE AFTER DEED.
160 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
a moment looking down, doubtless to see if Spangler
was at his post, and approached the outer door of the
closed passage leading to the box, occupied by the
President, pressed it open, passed in, and closed the
passage door behind him. Spangler's bar was in its
place and was readily adjusted by Booth in the mor-
tise, and pressed against the inner side of the door,
so that he was secure from interruption from without.
He passed on to the next door, immediately behind the
President, and stopping, looks through the aperture in
the door into the Presidents box, and deliberately ob-
serves the precise position of his victim seated in the
chair, which had been prepared by the conspirators,
as the altar for the sacrifice, looking calmly and quietly
down upon the glad and grateful people, whom by his
fidelity he had saved from the peril which had threat-
ened the destruction of their government, and all they
held dear, this side of the grave, and whom he had
come, upon invitation, to greet with his presence, with
the words still lingering upon his lips, which he had
uttered with uncovered head and uplifted hand, be-
fore God, and his country, when on the fourth of last
March, he took again the oath to preserve, protect and
defend the Constitution, declaring that he entered upon
the duties of his great office "With malice toward
none and charity for all"
"In a moment more, strengthened by the knowl-
edge that his conspirators were all at their posts,
seven at least of them present in the city, two of them.
Mudd and Arnold, at their appointed places, watching
for his coming, this hired assassin moves stealthily
through the door, the fastening of which had been
removed to facilitate his entrance, fires upon his vic-
tim, and the martyred spirit of Abraham Lincoln as-
cends to God."
"Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing
Can touch him further."
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 161
Now, I will let Judge Bingham pick up the thread
of evidence by which Booth and Herold were left at the
home of Mr. Mudd :
". . . They arrived early in the morning before day,
and no man knows at what hour they left. Herold rode
towards Bryantown with Mudd, about three o'clock
that afternoon, in the vicinity of which place he parted
with him, remaining in the swamp, and was after-
wards seen returning the same afternoon in the direc-
tion of Mudd's house, a little before sundown, about
which time Mudd returned from Bryantown towards
his home. This village, at the time Mudd was in it,
was thronged with soldiers in pursuit of the murder-
ers of the President, and although great care had been
taken by the defense to deny that anyone said in the
presence of Dr. Mudd, either there or elsewhere on that
day, who had committed this crime, yet it is in evi-
dence by two witnesses, whose truthfulness no man
questions, that upon Mudd's return to his own house
that afternoon, he stated that Booth was the murderer
of the President, and Boyle, the murderer of Secre-
tary Seward, but took care to make the further re-
mark that Booth had brothers, and that he did not
know which one of them had done the act "
"When did Dr. Mudd learn that Booth had broth-
ers? And what is still more pertinent to this inquiry,
from whom did he learn that either, John Wilkes or
any of his brothers, had murdered the President?"
"It is clear that Booth remained in Mudd's house
until some time in the afternoon of Saturday ; that Her-
old left the house alone, as one of the witnesses states,
being seen to pass the window; that he alone of these
two assassins was in the company of Dr. Mudd on his
way to Bryantown. It does not appear that Herold re-
turned to Mudd's house. It is a confession of Dr. Mudd
himself, proven by one of the witnesses that Booth
left his house on crutches and went in the direction of
the swamp. How long did he remain there, and what
became of the horses that Booth and Herold rode to
162 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
his house and which were put in his stable, are facts
nowhere disclosed by the evidence- The owners testify
that they have never seen the horses since."
As a matter of fact, it afterward developed, Herold,
while he and Booth skulked in the timbers near the place
of Thomas Jones, not a great way from the road on
which they could see the soldiers and searchers riding
up and down feared the horses might, by neighing, at-
tract the attention of the riders and be betrayed, so
he led the horses a safe distance away and shot them.
The late Brig. General T. M. Harris, a member
of the military commission which convicted the con-
spirators, in his great book on the Conspiracy Trials,
page 80, describes Dr. Mudd as follows :
"Mudd's expression of countenance was that of a
hypocrite. He had the bump of secretiveness largely
developed, and it would have taken months of favora-
ble acquaintanceship to have removed the unfavorable
impression made by the first scanning of the man. He
had the appearance of a natural born liar and deceiver.
Mudd was a physician living on a farm. He had a con-
siderable number of slaves at the breaking out of
the Rebellion, most of whom had left him during the
previous winter. His father, also living in the neigh-
borhood, was a large land and slave holder, and Mudd's
disloyalty was, no doubt, of the rabid type. His home
was a place for returned Rebel soldiers and recruiting
parties, and he had a place of concealment in the pines
near his house, where they were sheltered and cared
for, the doctor sending their food to them by his
slaves; and if at any time any of these parties ven-
tured to his house to take their meals, a slave was al-
ways placed on watch to give notice of the approach
of anyone."
Mudd not only entertained Booth a week-end in
November, but he was known to have made several
trips to Washington that winter, and each time was in
conference with both Booth and Surratt. There is no
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 163
doubt that Booth's Knight of the Golden Circle sig-
nals and signs did not give him entree to the Roman-
ists in the community south of Washington, in which
St. Mary's Catholic Church was the center, and to
which he and Herold fled after the deed committed in
Ford's Theatre.
The next damaging evidence against Dr. Mudd
was, when the officers visited his house on the trail
LOUIS J. WEICHMANN.
Student for priesthood with John
H. Surratt at Sulpician Monastery
near Baltimore, Md. State's chief
witness.
of the two fugitives and he emphatically denied that
he had any strange visitors. It was not until the third
visit, when the officers, fortified by definite facts in-
formed him that they would have to search the house,
that he admitted the presence of the two men, one
wounded, who had been there the Saturday after the
assassination. Mrs. Mudd disappeared and in a few
minutes came in bringing the bootleg which Mudd had
164 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
cut from Booth's boot when he bandaged his leg. On
the bootleg were the initials "J. W. B." written in
India ink inside. Even then neither Mudd nor his wife
told an accurate story. Both denied that they had any
idea it was Booth, notwithstanding the fact that they
were well acquainted with him, and notwithstanding
that his was a personality with voice and manner that
once known could never be forgotten-
When Mudd was being taken to the Dry Tortugas
after his conviction, he admitted to the officers who
had him in charge, that he recognized Booth and
Herold the morning after the murder when he came
to have his leg dressed.
Mudd only served three years' imprisonment and
was liberated with Spangler, as was Arnold. O'Laugh-
lin died of the Yellow Fever in an epidemic in the pris-
on, and Dr. Mudd rendered his professional services
so efficiently, that it was on this ground he received
his discharge from President Johnson, who had prom-
ised he would do so before retiring from office. The
liberation of these assassins of President Lincoln by
his successor, caused much sharp comment and criti-
cism from Lincoln's friends. It seems almost unbe-
lievable that any sort of leniency should have been
shown to these criminals who were guilty not only
of the murder of the most distinguished American,
but of high treason to their government!
It may be interesting to the reader to know that
in the book written by Dr. Mudd's daughter, she
proudly boasts of the fact that her mother is a grad-
uate of the Visitation Convent at Georgetown and
that on graduation her diploma was presented to her
class by "Cardinal Rodini, who was the first papal Le-
gate to the United States."
The lady does not state, perhaps she did not know,
that Cardinal Bodini, prior to his elevation as papal
Legate was known all over Italy as the "BUTCHER of
Bologna," because of the many Italian patriots he
ordered put to death and that he gave the order that
the Revolutionary priest, Ugo Bassi, who was the
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 165
devoted follower of Garibaldi, should be tortured three
hours before his execution.
She neglects also to state that this was the same
Cardinal Bodini, who was made to leave this country
between suns by the "KNOW NOTHINGS' — God bless
them, and all their kind!
Spangler, broken in health, returned with Dr.
Mudd and made his home with him until his death in
1875. He is buried in the cemetery, two miles from the
Mudd residence, near St. Peter's church. Dr. Mudd lies
buried in the little country graveyard connected with
St. Mary's church where he first met Booth on that
bright November morning in 1864.
The body of John Wilkes Booth was given to his
brother, Edwin, who had it removed from the old pen-
itentiary in the Arsenal grounds, where it had been
since the burial of the other four of his fellow con-
spirators, by a Baltimore undertaker, assisted by a
local Washington undertaking firm, Harvey & Marr, to
Baltimore, and buried in the Booth family lot at beau-
tiful Greenmount cemetery.
The army box labeled with Booth's name at the
time of the burial was somewhat decayed but the body
was identified by the dentist who had filled several
teeth, and who had no difficulty in identifying it as
that of Booth. The skull had become detached but
the jet black hair hung in long black ringlets. Edwin
Booth did not view the body but remained close by un-
til notified of the complete identification. He ordered
the body placed in a casket which had been provided
by him and shipped to Baltimore.
The mother of Michael O'Laughlin was given the
body of her son, which was shipped from the prison
burial ground and placed in the Catholic cemetery
in Baltimore.
166 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GARRETT TOBACCO BARN, PORT ROYAL, VA.
Booth being dragged out after he fell from bullet fired by
Sergt. Boston Corbett April 26, 1865.
Chapter X.
The Trail Of The Arch Conspirator-
John H. Surratt.
Now, we will take up the trail of the arch-con-
spirator and assassin, John Harrison Surratt, the man
who called the time in front of Ford's Theatre the
night of the murder of President Lincoln, and track
him, step by step, to the very shadow of the Vatican,
whose protection he sought and received, until a for-
mal demand was made by the United States govern-
ment for his return to this country for trial for the
murder of Abraham Lincoln.
In order to nail the Roman church to the cross
in this great treason plot, the writer asks your patience
and careful reading of this subject which has lain for
over a half century buried in the oblivion where the Jes-
uits placed it and from which we have resurrected it
and pieced it together, in what we hope may prove a
readable shape, to be understood and the information
passed on.
It is safe to say that the escape of this tool of
the Roman priesthood was one of the most spectacular
in all history. It began the very night after the tragic
scene in Ford's Theatre.
It will probably never be known positively by
what means Surratt made good his escape from Wash-
ington that night, or early the next morning, for he
has passed to his eternal accounting and did so, so far
as is known, without having revealed it. But this is
certain; he succeeded in making his escape safely to
Montreal, Canar|a ? an$ was lodged securely in the house
\ \
168 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
of the parents of the Roman priest, La Pierre, who
was waiting and ready to receive him, close by the
papal "palace" of the Archbishop to whom he was
secretary.
Then began in the United States what was one of
the most extraordinary man hunts for Surratt that
ever occurred, before or since, in the history of this
country. The rewards by the government amounted
to twenty-five thousand dollars, and every detective
in the government secret service, every detective of
the private agencies, and every amateur sleuth en-
gaged in this drive to recover this nineteen year old
boy, leader of the gang of laymen who were instigated,
aided, urged and abetted by the priests of the church
of Rome, to complete the destruction of this Republic,
which had recently been recovered from the awful
cataclysm which our foreign enemies had precipitated
four years previous.
The government secret service, under the direc-
tion of the War Department, sent out the following
letter:
"Headquarters Department of Washington,
Washington, D. C, April 16th, 1865-
Special Orders, No. 68,
Special officers, James A. McDevitt, George
Holohan, and Louis J. Weichmann, are hereby
ordered to New York on important government
business, and, after executing their private or-
ders, to return to this city and report at these
headquarters. The Quartermaster's Department
will furnish the necessary transportation.
By command of Major-Gen eral Augur, T- In-
graham, Colonel and Provost-Marshal-General.
Defenses North of Potomac."
These officers after leaving Washington, arrived
in Montreal on April 20th, and registered at the St.
James Hotel. They searched the registers of the hotels
in that city, and found that Surratt had arrived at
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 169
the St. Lawrence Hall Hotel on April 6th, and checked
out on the 12th of that month; that he had returned
on the 18th and left a few hours later. They learned
on further investigation that he had stayed at tne
home of a man by the name of Porterfield, a Secession-
ist from Tennessee, who was one of the agents for the
Confederacy in that city, and that Surratt had left
that house with another man dressed exactly like
himself, each taking a carriage and being driven in
different directions. At this point the trial ended un-
til the government learned of his sailing on the Peruvi-
an, an English steamer, plying between Quebec and
Liverpool.
The Secretary of State received the following
code telegram from our Consul in Montreal, J. F. Pot-
ter:
"No. 236. (Mr. Potter to Mr. Seward)
U. S. Consul, B. N. A. F.
Montreal, Oct. 27, 1865.
Sir: Have just had a personal interview with
Dr. L. J. McMillan. He informs me that just be-
fore the Steamer Peruvian sailed, a person with
whom he was acquainted, asked him if he was
willing that a gentleman who had been somewhat
compromised by the recent troubles in the United
States, should pass as his friend on board on
the passage out. The Doctor refused to acknowl-
edge the person as his friend, until he should
know who he was. Subsequently, the same oerson,
accompanied by a party (Priest La Pierre — Ed.)
came on board before the ship left port, whom
he introduced to the surgeon as Mr. McCarthy.
During the voyage McCarthy made himself known
to the Doctor as John H. Surratt, and related to him
many of the particulars of the conspiracy. He said
he had been secreted in Montreal most of the time,
with the exception of a few weeks, when he was
with a Catholic priest down the river. He also stat-
ed that Porterfield of this city, formerly of Tenn-
170 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
essee, assisted in secreting him. The Doctor also
informed same that Surratt had dyed his hair,
eyebrows and mustache, blackstained his face, and
wore glasses. He landed in Londonderry, Ireland,
fearing he might be watched and detected in Liv-
erpool.
He told him he was obliged to remain until
he could receive money from Montreal. He re-
quested the Doctor to see his friend in this city,
and bring him funds. After the return of the
Peruvian, the Doctor was transferred to the No-
va Scotian. When I saw him he had just had an
interview with his friend who had introduced him
to Surratt, as McCarthy, who told him he was
expecting funds from Washington, D. C, bur that
they had not come yet.
The Doctor says that Surratt manifests no
signs of penitence, but justifies his action, and was
bold and defiant, when he speaks of the assassi-
nation of Abraham Lincoln. To illustrate this: He
told me that Surratt remarked repeatedly, that he
only desired to live two years longer, in which
time he would serve President Johnson as Booth
served Lincoln. The Doctor said he felt it his
duty to give me this information for he regarded
Surratt a desperate wretch, and an enemy to so-
ciety, who should be apprehended and brought to
justice." (Signed) John F- Potter."
To this important information, our Consul re-
ceived no reply from the War Department, as he had
expected and the next day he followed it with a tele-
gram, also in code, printed below :
"No. 236. (Mr. Potter to Mr. Seward)
U. S. Consul General,
Montreal, Can., Oct. 25th, 1865.
Sir: — I sent you a telegram in cipher with
information to the Department that John H. Sur-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 171
ratt left Three Rivers, in September, for Liverpool,
where he now is, awaiting the arrival of the Nova
Scotian, which sails on Saturday, next, by which
he expects to receive money from parties in this
city by hand of Ship Surgeon. . I have information
from Dr. McMillan, Surratt intends to go to Rome.
He was secreted at Three Rivers by a Catholic
priest, with whom he lived. I have requested in-
struction in my telegram, but hearing nothing yet,
I scarcely know what course to take.
If an officer could proceed to England on
this ship, no doubt, Surratt's arrest might be ef-
fected, and this, the last of the conspirators
against the lives of the President and Secretary
of State be brought to justice. If I hear nothing
from Washington tomorrow, I shall go to Quebec
to see further on the subject.
Respectfully, etc.
(Signed) Potter."
And now a most peculiar phase of this remarka-
ble case presents itself to us. The U. S- War Depart-
ment with the full knowledge of the exact whereabouts
of that arch-criminal, who not only assisted, but led
in, and actually directed the murder of the President
of the United States and Secretary of State, William H.
Seward, refused to make the least attempt to arrest
the said John H. Surratt, which the following cable
to our Consul in Liverpool shows:
"(Mr. Hunter to Mr. Wilding)
Dept. of State, Oct. 13th, 1865.
Sir: Your dispatches 541-543 inclusive have
been received.
In reply to your No. 538, I have to inform
you, that upon consultation with the Secretary
of War and Judge Advocate General, it is thought
advisable that no action be taken in regard to the
172 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
arrest of the supposed John H Surratt, at pres-
ent.
W. H. Hunter,
Acting Secretary."
Then in only a few weeks from that date,
the following order was sent to the War Department
from Andrew Johnson, President of the United States,
and successor to Abraham Lincoln:
"(General Order No. 164)
War Department
Adj. General's Office,
Washington, Nov. 24, 1865.
All persons claiming reward for the appre-
hension of John Wilkes Booth, Lewis Payne, G. A.
Atzerodt, David E. Herold, and Jefferson Davis,
or either of them, are notified to file their claims
and their proofs with the Adj. General for final
adjudication by the special commission appointed,
to award and determine upon the validity of such
claims before the first day of January next, after
which no claims will be received.
The reward for the arrest of Jacob Thompson,
Beverly Tucker, George W. Sander, Wm. G. Cleary,
and John H. Surratt, are hereby revoked.
By order of the President of the United
States.
E. D. Townsend,
Ass't. Adj. General."
Naturally, with the revoking of the reward for
the arrest of Surratt, his chances for his safety from
expiating his crime were multiplied many fold.
On September 30th, 1865, our Consulate at Liver-
pool, sent the following cable in Code to the Secretary
of State at Washington:
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 173
"(Mr. Wilding to Mr. Seward)
No. 539. U. S. Consulate, Liverpool,
Sept. 30, 1865.
Sir: Since my dispatch No. 538, the supposed
Surratt has arrived in Liverpool and is now stay-
ing at the Oratory of the Roman Catholic Church
of the Holy Cross. His appearance indicates him
to be about 21 years of age, rather tall and toler-
ably good looking. According to the reports Mrs.
Surratt was a very devout Roman Catholic, and
I know clergymen of that persuasion, on their
way to and from America, have frequently lodgea,
while in Liverpool, at that same Oratory, so that
the fact of this young man going there, some-
what favors the belief, that he is the real Sur-
ratt. I cannot, of course, do anything further in
the matter without Mr. Adams' instructions, and
a warrant. If it be Surratt, such a wretch ought
not to escape.
Yours respectfully, Your obedient servant,
H. Wilding."
The Oratory of the Holy Cross was the Roman
Catholic Clearing House through which the ecclesiasti-
cal agents passed between this country and the Vati-
can, during their activites through the Civil War.
And now, with the official correspondence to show
us Surratt's moves, let me chink up the open spaces.
When Surratt left the home of Porterfield, he
was taken under the wings of the French priests from
under which he never departed until they had seen
the ship surgeon on the Peruvian and arranged for
his safe passage as we have seen. The facts brought
out at the two trials of Surratt, after he had finally
been returned to the United States, showed that the
fugitive had gone to the little village of St. Liboire,
some sixty miles out of Montreal, skirting the pine
woods, and an ideal place for the purpose. The parish
•priest's name was Boucher. Here he secreted Surratt
for several weeks, when the hunt got too hot in Mon-
174 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
treal which was being combed thoroughly for him.
St. Liboire was out of the way of the general traffic,
and the inhabitants, French Catholics, who worked
for the most part in the lumber camps, and were by
their location, as well as their lack of education, cut
off from the rest of the world and its doings, as if
they were people of another planet. They were sub-
survient to their priest, so much so, that they would no
more have thought of criticising his acts, than they
would of God Himself. Consequently, when a strange
young man appeared at the parish house nothing was
thought of it, or if, perchance, some one with just
a drop of rebellious blood in him, might have asked
himself, "Is this another mouth to feed?" he would
whisper it so softly that even his guardian angel could
not hear it, and would quickly "bless" himself, for
daring to criticise or find fault with what his "Bon
Pere" should take it into his head to do.
After several weeks of this life in the Canadian
village, Surratt became restless, no doubt, and anxious
to hear from the States, for we must remember that
all his mail and the newspapers were censored by his
priestly guardians, as he afterwards told in his Rock-
ville lecture. Each time the "Holy Mother Church"
would step in and allay his anxiety and he received al-
most weekly visits from that other "Valued and trusted
friend," Priest La Pierre of Montreal. Once when he in-
sisted, Priest La Pierre took him back to Montreal, him-
self, in citizen's clothes, and Surratt disguised as a
hunter.
You will note the solicitude of these French
priests concerning this American youth who had a
price of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars on his head,
"dead or alive." Is it not an eloquent fact of, not only
their personal guilt, but the guilt of their church, that
they never thought of surrendering him and receiving
the reward, notwithstanding the inordinate love of
money which characterizes Rome's priests?
Do you think for one moment that these priests
in Canada, or the priests in Washington, would have
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 175
dared to have become parties in this conspiracy, there-
by involving their church, without the full knowledge
of the Roman hierarchy? Priests receive all their or-
ders from the Pope through their Bishops.
Would this obscure, native born American boy
have been so carefully protected and cared for as he
was by these priests, without the command of the
Vatican ?
You must remember that this government had
sent broadcast the warning that anyone who would be
found "aiding, abetting, protecting, comforting," or in
any way assisting any of the conspirators, would be
held as co-partners in the crime with them, and dealt
with accordingly.
There is not a record that I have been able to find,
wherein there is one word of criticism, one word of
disapproval, one word of regret officially, or otherwise,
on the part of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy for the
participation of the Romanists connected with this
conspiracy, which consummated in the murder of
Abraham Lincoln!
THERE IS NOT IN THE LARGE COLLECTION
OF OFFICIAL CONDOLENCES RECEIVED BY
THIS GOVERNMENT UPON THE DEATH OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, COMING FROM EVERY
CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, ONE WORD
FROM THE POPE OF ROME. AND THIS IN VIEW,
MARK YOU, OF THE FACT THAT THE POPE WAS
KING OF THE PAPAL STATES AND HAD MORE
SUBJECTS IN THIS COUNTRY THAN ANY OTHER
RULER IN EUROPE!
Pius IXth by his silence at this time, made a con-
fession of his guilt written in letters of fire — un-
quenchable lire— which brands him and his Jesuits
with the brand of Cain in the hearts and minds of the
AMERICAN PEOPLE, when they shall have been
given a full knowledge of their (the Jesuits) responsi-
176 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
bility in the CONSPIRACY OF DESTRUCTION OF
THIS POPULAR GOVERNMENT ON THAT GOOD
FRIDAY NIGHT IN FORD'S THEATRE, APRIL 14th,
1865;
Who, among the government detectives from this
country, would have thought to search the houses of
the priests for their fugitive? How much chance
would they had to secure a search warrant for such
search in French Canada if they had? The Roman
Catholic SYSTEM operates in safety through its in-
stitutions in this country and Canada. It is only in
Catholic Mexico, where the people who have been
burdened by the Papal yoke, have been progressive
enough to make laws and operate them that a search
warrant can be obtained with which these hell-holes
of the Pope of Rome in their country can be reacheu.
Do you realize that in Mexico a Roman priest
or nun has not the right of suffrage ? That they cannot
vote or enjoy any of the rights or privileges which
accompanies the ballot box? And yet we supposedly
intelligent Americans, not only permit them to vote,
but they are today the dominating force in politics
of every large city in the United States. THINK OF IT!
All the powerful machinery of the Hierarchy of
the Roman Catholic Church was set in motion from
the moment after the murder of Mr. Lincoln to shield
Surratt and defeat justice for his awful crime, and
we have public documents with which to brand these
ecclesiastical plotters. Notwithstanding the fact that
the U S. War Department knew exactly every step
taken by the young fugitive, from the day he sailed
for Europe, no effort was made to airest him. The
startling knowledge, however, came to the attention
of certain members of Congress, and the matter was
brought up in that body, and a committee appointed
to investigate same. I herewith give the report of
this committee in full:
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 177
OFFICIAL REPORT ON JOHN H. SURRATT ISSUED
BY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CONGRES-
SIONAL RECORD.
39th Congress House of Representatives Report 33
2nd Session March 2, 1867
REPORT OF JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
That John H. Surratt sailed from Canada about
September fifteenth, 1865, for Liverpool; that infor-
mation was received by Secretary of State, Wm. H.
Seward, from Mr. Wilding, V ice-Consul at Liverpool,
by communication, dated Sept. 27th, 1865; that Sur-
ratt was at that time in Liverpool, or expected in a day
or two.
By dispatch, from Wilding Sept. 30th, 1865, the
supposed Surratt had arrived and was staying at the
Oratory of the Roman Catholic church of the Holy
Cross, and that he, Wilding, could do nothing in tne
matter without instructions from our Minister in Eng-
land, Mr. Adams, and a warrant.
The Secretary of State, received a dispatch from
Mr. Potter, our Consul General at Montreal, Canada,
October 25th, 1865, informing him that Surratt left
Canada for Liverpool, the September previous, and
was there waiting the arrival of a steamer by which
he expected money, which steamer had not yet iett
Canada, and that he was intending to go to Rome.
Upon November 11th, 1865, Mr. Potter received
a dispatch from the Department of State, that the
information in his dispatch had been properly availed
of, and that on the 13th day of November, the Secre-
tary of State, requested the Attorney General of the
United States, to procure indictment against Surratt,
as soon as convenient, with a veiw to demand his
surrender.
Our Minister, Mr. Rufus King, at Rome, com-
menced as early as April 23rd, 1866, stated in his
178 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
dispatch, that information of Surratt, under the name
of "Watson" had enlisted in tne Jfapai zouaves, tnen
stationed at Sezzes.
in a dispatch, August 8th, 1865, said he repeated
information communicated to him, to Cardinal An-
tonein, in regard to Surratt; that nis Eminence, was
greatly interested by it, and intimated tnat if the
American government desired the surrender of tne
criminal, tnere would probably be no difficulty in the
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
"1st. That the Executive did not send any de-
tective or agent to Liverpool to identify Surratt, or
trace his movements, notwithstanding tnere was am-
ple opportunity, for doing so, as appears in the com-
munication from Potter.
2nd- That the Executive did not cause notice to
be given to our Minister at Rome; that Surratt in-
tended going there, when the government had every
reason to believe, such was his intention.
3rd. That on November 24th, 1865, an order was
issued from the War Department, revoking the reward
offered for the arrest of John H. Surratt.
4th. That from the reception of the communi-
cations of Mr. King, Aug. 8th, 1866, to October 16th,
1866, no steps were taken, either to indentify or pro-
cure the arrest of Surratt, then known to be in the
Military service of the Pope.
The testimony of the Secretary of State, Secre-
tary of War, and others which is herewith submitted,
tending to justify acts of the government in the prem-
ises, does not, in the opinion of your committee, excuse
the great delay in arresting a person charged with
complicity in the assassination of the late President
Abraham Lincoln.
They are constrained from testimony to report
that, in their opinion, due diligence in the arrest of
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 179
John H. Surratt, was not exercised by the Executive
Department of the government.
Respectfully submitted,
(signed) F. E. Woodbridge,
For Committee."
So ends the report of that splendid, fearless group
of men, chosen by the House of Representatives to
look into the matter.
It seems almost incredible that the memory of
Abraham Lincoln, could have been so soon forgotten.
That the virus of which he had such a clear knowledge
should have been making its deadly inroads in the
veins of his successor and the Secretary of State,
William H. Seward, whose life hung in the balance for
days, caused by the hand of one of the assassins under
the personal direction of this same Surratt!
I now call attention to the communication from
our American Consul at Rome, at the time, General
Rufus King:
No. 33 Regarding Sainte-Marie
Ames (Gen. Rufus King to Mr. Seward)
2nd Session
Legation II. S., Rome
April 23rd, 1866-
Sir:
On Saturday last, the 21st, Henry de Saint-Marie,
called upon me for the purpose, as he said, of com-
municating the information that John H. Surratt, who
is charged with complicity in the murder of President
Lincoln, but made his escape at the time, from the
United States, had recent! v enlisted in the Papal
Zouaves, under the name of "John Watson," and is
now stationed with his company at Sezze.
My informant said that he had known Surratt
in America; that he recognized him as soon as he
saw him at Sezzes: that he called him by his proper
name, and that Surratt acknowledged that he partici-
pated in the plot against Lincoln's life. .
180 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
He further said that Surratt seemed to be well supplied
with money, and appealed to him, Sainte Marie, not to
reveal his secret. Sainte Marie, expressed an earnest
desire, that if any steps were taken toward reclaiming
Surratt as a criminal, that he (Sainte Marie) should
not be known in the matter.
He spoke positively, in answer to my questions
as to his acquaintance with Surratt, and he certainly
thinks this was the man, and there seemed such an
entire absence of motive for any false statements on
the subject, that I could not very well doubt the truth
of what he said.
I deemed it my duty, therefore, to present the
circumstances to the Department, and ask instruc-
tions.
Respectfully,
(signed) RUFUS KING"
SURRATT ENTERED ENGLISH PAPAL COLLEGE
AT ROME.
An affidavit from an Irish Romanist. Edward
O'Conner, a book dealer there, .skives this illumination
upon that young criminal's movement:
"About twelve months ago Mr. Surratt came to
Rome under the name of "Watson" In Canada he nro-
cured letters from several priests to friends in Eng-
land. Having left England for Rome, he got letters
for some people here, among others for the reverend
Dr. Neane, Rector of the English College. Being de-
tained some davs in Cevita Vecchia, and having no
money to pay his expenses, he wrote the reverend t5r.
Neane, from whom he received fifty francs. On his
arrival here, he went to the English College, where
he lived for some time; after that he entered the
papal service.
Rome, Nov. 25th, 1866."
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 181
O'Connor also turned over to our Minister, which
is included in the other official papers in the archives
of this government, a letter received by him from
Surratt as follows:
"Edw. O'Connor, Esq.,
Rome, Italy.
Dear Sir:
Will you be so kind as to send me a French and
English grammar, the best method you have. I think
Ollendorff is the most in use. When I come to Rome
I will settle with you. Shall be in, in the course of
two or three weeks. If you should have time to re-
ply to me, please give me a ] l the news you can. By
so doing, you will greatly oblige,
Your friend,
John Wats<vn, Co. 3."
Surratt's handwriting was identified in this letter.
It is preceptible that O'Connor knew the nature of the
"news" wanted by his friend Watson. The statement
of O'Connor shows that Surratt had evidently related
to him about his letters of reference, and his pecuniary
embarrassment would indicate some confidence in that
gentleman.
I wonder if the non-Romanist reader gets the full
import of a Roman Driest in the City of Rome, at that,
advancing a sum of money to a foreign youth, as the
reverend Dr. Neane did ? This, itself, without any of
the other tremendous facts showing the aid that this
young traitor received from the priests in Washing-
ton, Canada, England and Italy, was sufficient to have
held them as the actual conspirators and to have
brought them to justice by hanging them on
the same scaffold with their dupes. Had this
been done, it might have saved the assassina-
tion of the other Presidents of this Republic,
Garfield and McKinley !
To those of us who know the coldness of the char-
182 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ity of the priests of Rome, the conduct of the reverend
Dr. Neane speaks volumes.
I now produce another communication in this gov-
ernment correspondence, which speaks for itself:
No. 43. Mr. Seward to Mr. King
(Extracts — Confidential)
Department of State
Washington, Oct. 16, 1866
Sir: :< ***** *^
Mr. King's private letter written from Hamburg
has just been received. It is accompanied by a letter
from Sainte Marie of the 12th of September, to Mr.
Hooker. I think it expedient that you do the follow-
ing things:
1st- Employ a confidential person to visit Velle-
tri, and ascertain by comparison with the photo sent
whether the person indicated by Sainte-Marie, is
really John Surratt.
2nd. Pay Sainte Marie to get his release in con-
sideration of the information he has already communi-
cated on the subject.
3rd. Seek an interview with Cardinal Antonelli
and referring to an intimation made by him to Mr.
King's letter No. 62 Ask the Cardinal wheth-
er his Holiness would now be willing in an ab-
sence of an extradition treaty, to deliver John H. Sur-
ratt upon an authentic indictment, and at the request
of the Department, for complicity in the assassination
of the late President Lincoln, or whether, in the event
of this request being declined, his Holiness would
enter into an extradition treaty with us, which would
enable us to reach the surrender of Surratt.
4th. Ask as a favor of this government, that
neither Sainte Marie nor Surratt be discharged from
the papal army, until we have had time to communi-
cate concerning them, after receiving a prompt reply
from you to this communication.
Sainte Marie should be told confidentially, that
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 183
the subject of his communication to Mr. Hooker is
under consideration here.
Yours respectfully,
(signed) W. H. Seward"
The following from General King gives further
iiglit.
"No. 59. (Mr. King to Mr. Seward)
Legation U. S. Rome,
July 14, 1866.
Dear Sir:
Henri de Sainte Marie's deposition. In compliance
with instructions heretofore received, I have obtained
and herewith transmit, an additional statement,
sworn and subscribed to, by Sainte Marie, touching
John H. Surratt's acknowledged complicity in the as-
sassination of the late President Lincoln.
Sainte Marie again expressed to me his great
desire to return to America and give his evidence in
person. He thinks his life would be in danger here,
if it would be known. . . .that he betrayed Surratt's
secret. ^
I have the honor to be with great respect,
Rufus King."
Again we hear from General King after a visit
to Cardinal Antonelli. That cunning old fox, who was
the real pope, saw that to attempt to refuse to sur-
render their protege would have been a dangerous
move. There was, for instance, more than a billion
dollars worth of church property in the United States,
and the temper of the great masses of red-blooded
American people was not to be trifled with. There
were thousands of priests and nuns here, and a re-
fusal, or further protection to this young monster
might precipitate such a revulsion of feeling, if the
inner facts were to become known, as to jeopardize
not only the property, but start a religious war, to
which there was no question as to the outcome.
184 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I deem this a proper place to quote again from
that valuable little book, "The Roman Question," the
description of Antonelli's personal appearance:
"In this year of grace, 1859, he is fifty-three
years of age. He presents the appearance of a
well preserved man; his frame is slight but
robust; his constitution that of a moun-
taineer. The breadth of his forehead, the
brilliancy of his eyes, his beak-like nose, and all
the upper part of his face, inspire a certain awe.
His countenance, of almost Moorish hue, is at
times lit up by flashes of intellect. But his heavy
jaw, his long fang-like teeth, and his thick lips
express the grossest appetites. He gives you the
idea of a minister grafted on a savage. When he
assists the Pope in the ceremonies of Holy Week,
he is magnificently disdainful and impertinent. He
turns from time to time in the direction of the
diplomatic tribune, and looks without a smile at
the poor ambassadors, whom he cajoles from
morning to night. You admire the actor who
bullies his public. But when at an evening party he
engages in close conversation with a handsome
woman, the play of his countenance shows the
direction of his thoughts, and those of the imagin-
ative observer are imperceptibly carried to a
roadside in a lonely forest, in which the principal
objects are prostrate postilions, an overturned
carriage, trembling females, and a select party
of the inhabitants of Sonnino!
He lives in the Vatican, immediately over
the Pope. The Romans ask punningly, which is the
uppermost, the Pope or Antonelli? All class.es of
society hate him equally. He is the only living
man concerning whom an entire people is agreed.
....... He wishes to restore the absolute
power of the pope, in order that he may dispose
of it at his ease He returns to Rome and
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 185
GIACOMO ANTONELLI
CARDINAL AND SECRETARY OF PAPAL STATES,
PIUS IX.
Mouthpiece of the "Black Pope"— the General of the "So-
ciety of Jesus". On death of Cardinal Antonelli his two at-
tractive daughters by a court decision were awarded his vast
fortune to the amazement and scandal of Europe.
186 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
for ten years continues to reign over a timid old
man and an enslaved people, opposing a passive
resistance to all the counsels of diplomacy, and
all the demands of Europe.
"No. 62. Mr. King to Mr. Seward
Legation U. S., Rome
Aug. 8th, 1866.
Sir:
T availed myself of the opportunity to repeat to
the Cardinal the information communicated by Henri
Sainte Marie in regard to Surratt. His Eminence was
greatly interested and intimated that if the American
government desired the surrender of the criminal,
there would probably be no difficulty in the way.
^Rufus King."
(Mr. King to Mr. Seward)
(Extracts)
Sir:
He added, that there was indeed no extra-
dition treaty between the two countries, and that to
surrender a criminal, where capital punishment was
likelv to ensue, was not exactly in accordance with the
spirit of the napal government, but. that in so grave
and so exceptional a case, and with the understanding
that the United States under parallel conditions wouM
do as they desired to be done by. and that he thought
that the request of the United States department for
Surratt's surrender would be granted."
Do you get the entering wedge there to make
Surratt's surrender on condition that would save his
neck? Since when did the "spirit" of the papal gov-
ernment become so compassionate? The massacre of
St. Bartholemew, the burning at the stake of Bruno,
Savanarola, John Huss, Joan D'Arc, and thousands
of others who dared to oppose the papacy, still cries
to Heaven for vengeance, but with this young criminal
who was perinde ac cadaver in the hands ejf Pius IXth
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 187
and his Jesuits, how very solicitious they are, going
just as far as they dare, to save him!
What cowardly and reprehensible conduct the
men at the head of the United States government
were guilty of in the case of Henri de Sainte Marie,
who took his life in his hands when he informed Gen-
eral King of John Surratt's identity. They dilly dallied
along for months and kept him sweating while he
awaited some action, and then it took a Congressional
investigation and a stinging rebuke and order from
Congress before the proper steps were taken to bring
this young scoundrel, Surratt, to time.
We have here the sequel of the communication
from Mr. King from Hamburg, which the Secretary
of War, Seward, referred to in the letter above:
"(Private)
Hamburg, Sept. 23rd, 1866.
My dear Governor :
I enclose a letter forwarded from Rome a few
days since, in which Sainte Marie related his griefs
to Mr. Hooker. He thinks, of course, that too little
notice has been taken to his statements about Sur-
ratt; but would be satisfied, I have no doubt, if his
discharge from the Pontifical Zouaves were procured,
and the means furnished him to pay his passage home
to Canada, where his old mother is still living. His
discharge, I could obtain without difficulty, if desir-
able.
Faithfully yours,
(signed) Rufus King."
The telegraph lines and mail service in the pontifi-
cal states, were of course, entirely in the hands of the
prelates of the Pope, and under the strictest censor-
ship.
It goes without saying that no state papers passed
through the mails in the pontifical states from our
consuls to their government, that were not read by the
priestly spies and reported to "His Eminence," copied
188 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
and filed away for future reference, if they so desired.
The following letter gives us an interesting high light
on the Jesuit system, and the credulity of a Protestant
American's psychology.
"Legation U. S., Rome,
July 14, 1866.
My dear Governor:
As you will learn from the accompanying dis-
patch, the missing documents from the State Depart-
ment arrived all right today. I cannot imagine how,
or where they have been delayed.
I will act forthwith upon the instructions in re-
gard to Sainte Marie. He is willing and anxious to
return to the United States, and can get his release
from the Pope's army, by paying fifty dollars, or so.
I should judge his parole evidence would be much more
desirable than any certified statement. He would ex-
pect to have his expenses paid and some compensation
for his time.
Faithfully yours,
Rufus King."
The reader will recall that Sainte Marie was cut
off from any reward which the government had offer-
ed by a revocation which President Johnson ordered.
President Johnson was a drunkard. He came from a
disloyal State. His revocation of a reward for the ar-
rest of John H. Surratt is conclusive proof to the
mind of the writer, to say the least he was playing
politics, which under the gravity of the circumstances
wo"uld make his conduct criminal. Andrew Johnson,
the drunkard, had nothing in common with Abraham
Lincoln. Lincoln's pure, sober, honorable life was a
rebuke to such a man as Johnson. At the first op-
portunity, the latter dared to take advantage of, to
show his dislike, which amounted to downright dis-
respect to the memory of Lincoln. It was President
Johnson that paralyzed the arm of the Department of
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 189
State in regard to Surratt's arrest. The whole official
inertness amounting to treason it would seem, should
be laid at Johnson's door.
That the Roman Catholic spirit may be truly
demonstrated in the pontifical army, a perusal of the
following document will be enlightening:
"No, 72. Mr. King to Mr. Seward
Legation U. S., Rome,
Dec. 17, 1866-
Sir:
I hasten to acknowledge receipt of the dispatches
Nos. 44-45-46-47,of the State Department .... rela-
tive to the affair of John H. Surratt. ... It will
give me pleasure to convey to Cardinal Antonelli, the
assurance of the President's sincere satisfaction with
the prompt and friendly actions of the papal court. . .
Sainte Marie, who first informed me of Surratt being
in the corps of Zouaves, has been discharged from the
papal service, at my request.
Threats had been made against him by some of
his comrades, and thinking that his life might not
be altogether safe, and that he might be wanted at
Alexandria as a witness to identify Surratt, I put him
in charge of Captain Jeffers, and he sailed on the
Swatara on Friday last. His great desire seems to be
to return to America, and aid in bringing Surratt to
justice. I have seen, as yet, no reason to doubt his
good faith, or question the truth of his statements.
Rufus King."
Surratt, one of the murderers of our great Lincoln,
was the hero and Sainte Marie, the traitor! The dif-
ference in sentiment of the papal troops and the
PEOPLE of Italy, the Revolutionists, who were
struggling for a free and united Italy, under Gari-
baldi, and Victor Emmanuel, can be appreciated if
the reader will peruse the letters of condolence which
were received by the government after they learned
190 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
of the assassination of Mr. Lincoln. Every working-
men's organization of Italy sent the most beautiful
messages, and their intimate knowledge of the life
of Lincoln astonished the writer. The bold frankness
in many of them in placing the blame on the Jesuits
was most edifying. I know of nothing that will give
the reader the mental attitude of the difference of
sentiment, and show up the venom of the Pope's si-
lence on President Lincoln's murder, than a perusal of
these messages.
After an extended diplomatic dickering which
covered several months after its initiation, the order
for Surratt's arrest was given by the Secretary of
State, Cardinal Antonelli. The official papers are ex-
ceedingly interesting and educational. We give them
in full. They are all official translations of the orig-
inals, in Italian. The Lieutenant Colonel in charge at
the time was an Austrian, whom the patriotic Ital-
ians greatly hated.
"Enclosure "C" (Translation) Kausler to Lieut.
Col. Allet.
November 6, 1866-
Col: — Cause the Zouave Watson to be arrested
and to be conveyed under safe military escort to
the military prison at Rome. It is of much importance
that this order be scrupulously fulfilled.
The Gen. Pro-Minister, Kausler.
To Lieut. Col. Allet, Com. Battalion of Zouaves, Vel-
letri."
The French Lieut. Allet acknowledges the order
as follows:
"Allet to Kausler (Enclosure "D" Translation)
Velletri, Nov. 7, 1866.
No. 463
General: — I have the honor to inform you that
the Zouave Watson (John) has been arrested at Ve-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 191
roli, and will be conducted tomorrow morning under
a good escort to Rome.
I have the honor to be General, your most humble
subordinate,
Lieut. Col. Allet.
Pontifical Zouave Commander of Battalion."
And now comes the surprise, by the way of :
"(Enclosure "E" Translation)
Presented at Velletri, Nov. 8, 1866, 8:35 A. M.
Arrived at Rome, Nov. 8, 1866, 8:50 A. M.
His Excellency, Minister of Arma, Rome.
I received the following telegram, dated 4:30 A.
M. from Zambilly:
At the moment he left the prison and while sur-
rounded by six men as a guard, Watson threw himself
into a ravine, about a hundred feet, perpendicular in
depth, which defends the prison. Fifty Zouaves in
pursuit of him.
Zambilly.
I will transmit your Excellency the intelligence
I may receive by telegram.
Allet, Lieut. 001."
It was now up to the Austrian commander to
flimflam the American Consuls and State Department
by giving this opera buffet the semblance of genuine-
ness to cover the investigation which they knew was
sure to follow.
"Kausler to Cardinal Antonelli.
Ministry of Arms, Cabinet of the Pro-Minister,
Nov. 8, 1866.
Most Reverend Eminence:
I have the honor to transmit to your most rev-
erend Eminence, the accompanying documents on the
arrest and escape of the Zouave Watson, of the 3rd
Co., and I shall not fail to communicate such further
192 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
information as I may receive, as the result of the pur-
suit of this individual.
Bowing to kiss the sacred purple, I am proud to
subscribe myself with profound devotion, your most
Reverend Eminence's most humble and obedient ser-
vant
His most Reverend Eminence Kausler
The Cardinal Antonelli, Secretary of State/'
There you are, my dear reader, how do you like
the picture? That is a glimpse of what will happen in
this country if we allow the Jesuits to "Make Ameri-
ca Catholic!"
Surratt Given Warning By His Ecclesiastical
Protectors.
"Lieut. Col. Allet to Kausler.
My General: — Following out your Excellency's
orders, I sent this morning to Veroli, Lieut. De Farnel,
to make an examination of the escape of Zouave Wat-
son. I have learned some other details of this unfor-
tunate business- Watson, at the moment he was ar-
rested, must have been on his guard, having obtained
knowledge of a letter addressed which con-
cerned him probably. This letter was sent by mistake
to a trumpeter named .... was opened by him and
shown to Watson, because it was written in English
I have sent it to your Eminence, with a report from
Captain Zambilly.
I am assured that the escape of Watson savors
of a prodigy. He leapt from a height of 23 feet on a
narrow rock, beyond which is a precipice. The filth
from the barracks accumulated on the rocks, and in
this manner the fall of Watson was broken. Had he
loaned a little further he would have fallen in an
abyss.
I am, etc, etc/'
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 193
We have below a description of the arrest of
Surratt given in the report from Lieut. Col Allet.
". . . . Then, the prisoner was awakened, who
arose and put on his gaiters and took his coffee with
the calmness and phlegm quite English. The gate of
the prison opens on a platform which overlooks the
country, situated at least thirty feet below the win-
dows of the prison.
Beside the gate of the prison are the privies of the
barracks. Watson asked permission to halt there.
Corp. Warrin who had six men with him as guards,
allowed him to stop, very naturally, not doubting,
neither he, nor the Zouaves, present, that the prison-
er was going to try to escape at a place which seemed
quite impossible to us, is quite clear. In fact, Watson
who seemed quiet, seized the ballustrade, made a leap,
and cast himself into the void, falling on the uneven
rocks where he might have broken his bones a thous-
and times, and gained the depth of the valley below.
Patrols were immediately organized, but in vain!
We saw a peasant who told us he had seen an un-
armed Zouave going towards Commari which is the
way to Piedmont. . . Lieut. Mosley and I have been
to examine the localities, and we asked ourselves how
one could make such a leap without breaking arms
and legs?
DeZambilly, Com. of Detachment."
That Surratt was given his warning by some em-
issary of the Pope's government is beyond a doubt.
Do you think for one moment if Surratt's crime, for
instance, had been the murder of a priest, he would
have escaped?
This government, through General King, demand-
ed a report of the affair, and his reauest was com-
nlied with by Cardinal Antonelli and the above trans-
lations were made and sent to Washington where
thev are now with the data pertaining to the affairs
of Surratt. Mr. King sent the following letter to Mr.
Marsh, our Consul at Florence, Italy, by courier:
194 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"Mr. King to Mr. Marsh.
(Enclosure "A" Confidential)
Dear Sir: — I send to you under very peculiar cir-
cumstances and as bearer of these dispatches, my
friend, Mr. Robert McPherson. He will tell you the
story which the accompanying dispatches will help to
illustrate.
Rufus King.
On November 13th."
The dispatches referred to above are the ones
given here, pertaining to the arrest and "escape" of
Surratt. We see now the pontifical government ma-
neuvered to permit Surratt to be taken on condition
that he be not condemned to death; we see by some
friendly advance information he was prepared for his
arrest and took it with perfect calmness and noncha-
lance, notwithstanding the fact he was aroused from
his sleep and that "he put on his gaiters and took his
coffee, with a calmness that was auite English." We
see that his arrest was a farce and that he was r>er
mitted to escape." We see Antonelli assuring our Con-
sul that he had undoubtedly "made good his escape"
and was in Italian territory."
After the order of Cardinal Antonelli for the ar-
rest of Surratt from the Papal Guard had been given
the official wires of this country were busy. The fol-
lowing orders were telegraphed to the officers of
our Fleet in the Mediterranean :
"Rome, Nov. 16, 1866, 11:50 A. M.
His Excellency, Mr. Harvey, American Minister, Lis-
bon.
Inform Adm. Goldsborough that very important
matters renders the immediate presence of one of our
ships-of-war necessary at Vecchia.
Rufus King."
Mr. Harvey's reply was:
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 195
"As Rear Adm. Goldsborough is not now in port, I
sent immediately for Commodore Steedman, who ar-
rived here some days ago, and who is now the superior
officer present, in order to consult as to the proper
measures to be adopted.
The U. S. Steamer Swatara, left here yesterday
for Tangier, Gibraltar, and other ports in the Mediter-
ranean, and if the Rear Admiral who is believed to
have left Cherbourg for Lisbon, within the last few
days, does not appear as soon as expected, Commodore
Steedman will intercept and order the Swatara by tel-
egram to proceed to Civiti Vecchia.
*. ... Harvey"
On November 17, 1866, a telegram from Minister
Harvey announced that the Swatara had been ordered
to Civiti Vecchia, which arrived in due time, but Sur-
ratt had made his escape on a steamer which left Na-
ples for Egypt and Henri de Sainte Marie was p'aced
on board the Swatara, and held awaiting word from our
Consul at Alexandria. The vessel upon which Surratt
sailed put in at Malta. Our American Minister there
who had been notified to be on the alert for that
young fugitive, found that he was on board and
cabled our Consul at Rome. This message was sent on
to our Minister at Alexandria, Egypt, so that when
the ship arrived at that port, it found Mr. Hale, the
U. S. Consul General, waiting for him. I will let the
official wire to the United States War Department
describe his arrival.
"(Extract)
It was easy to distinguish him, (Surratt) from
among the seventy-eight third-class passengers by
his Zouave uniform and scarcely less easy, by his
almost unmistakable American type of countenance. I
said at once to him: "You are the man I want; you
are an American?" He said "Yes sir." I said, "You
doubtless know why I want you ? What is your name ?"
He said, promptly, "Walters" I said, "I believe your
196 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
name is Surratt," and in arresting him I mentioned
my official position as United States Consul-General.
The Director of Quarantine speedily arranged
sufficent escort of soldiers, by whom the prisoner
was conducted to a safe place within the Quarantine
walls. Although the walk occupied several minutes,
the prisoner close at my side, made no remark what-
ever, displaying neither surprise nor irritation.
Arrived at the place prepared, I gave him the
usual magisterial caution, that he was not obliged to
say anything, and that anything he did say would be
taken down in writing. He said "I have nothing to
say. I want nothing but what is right" He declared
he had neither transportation nor luggage, nor money,
except six francs. His companions confirmed his state-
ment. They said he came to Naples, a deserter from
the Papal army at Rome. I find he has no papers, no
clothes but those he is wearing. The appearance of
the prisoner answers very well the description given
by witness Weichmann on page 116 of Pittman's Re-
port, sent me by the government.
Hale."
Here, again, we see Surratt, under the most try-
ing circumstances under which an innocent man would
have broken, taking his arrest with amazing coolness,
the same, in fact, which he displayed previously, when
he was taken at Velletri, although, so far as is
known, that was the first time that he had ever been
arrested. He was beyond doubt, fortified by the as-
surance that under the protection of the Vatican,
and he had, like all Jesuits, a clear understanding of
all that fact guaranteed. He was clever enough to re-
alize that with his inner knowledge of this whole sor-
did, treasonable transaction, his "holy church" would
jbe compelled to continue its protection as their inter-
ests were inseparable. His confidence must have been
further intensified by the fact that he would not have
to face a military tribunal, as had his mother, and the
rest of his co-conspirators, who were executed, and
JOHN HARRISON SURRATT, IN PAPAL UNIFORM AT TIME OF
HIS ARREST AND RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES.
The above is reproduced from the only photo taken at the W
which is the property of Col. O. H. Oldroyd of. Washington DC. .who
kindly gave permission to reprint it here. It is taken from Oldroyd L s
Lincoln Memorial Collection. (Col.. Oldroyd is himself author of an in-
198 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
that the political influence of the Jesuit machine al-
ready had reached the presidential chair, so recently
occupied by his victim, Abraham Lincoln.
Taking stock of the above facts, the young mon-
ster had good and sufficient reason to be philosophical
about his present condition. He was probably rather
relieved when he found himself a manacled prisoner,
with his face turned homeward to the country of his
nativity, to the country he had so miserably and wick-
edly betrayed. He knew many staunch friends await-
ed him, — friends, who, like himself, hated the gov-
ernment.
Before going further we present another offi-
cial communication of this matter which throws added
light upon the situation in Italy when the POPE WAS
KING.
"Mr. Marsh to Mr. Seward.
Legation of U. S. Florence, Italy, Nov. 18, 1866.
Sir: — On my arrival from Venice on Tuesday
morning, I found the papers, copies and translations,
of which marked respectively, A B C D and E, are
hereto annexed. Mr. McPherson introduced by a letter,
marked A, had gone to Leghorn, and I had no other
information on the subject of his mission, than such
as the papers referred to above have furnished.
I lost no time in seeing the Secretary of the Min-
ister of Foreign Affairs. I stated to him such facts as
I was possessed of, and enquired whether he thonght
his government would surrender Surratt to the United
States for trial, if he should be found in Italian ter-
ritory. He replied, he thought the accused man would
be surrendered on proper demand and proof, but prob-
ably, only on stipulation on our part, that the punish-
ment of death, should not be inflicted on him.
Having no instruction on the subject, and knowing
nothing of those Mr. King might have received, and at
that time having no reason to suppose that Surratt
had escaped into the territory of the King, I did not
pursue the discussion farther. .. . I doubt whether in
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 199
case of surrender of Surratt, a formal stipulation to
exempt him from punishment by death, will be in-
sisted upon.
In the famous LaGala escape, Mr. Viscount Venos-
to, then, as now, Minister of Foreign Affairs, refused
to enter into such a stipulation, on the extradition of
the offenders, but nevertheless, the government
yielded to the intercession of the Emperor of France,
and the sentences of those atrocious criminals, though
convicted of numerous murders, robberies and even
cannibalism, were commuted, and I suppose the gov-
ernment of Italy, would strongly oppose capital pun-
ishment and recommend Surratt to mercy, if he sur-
rendered to us.
The public sentiment of all classes in Italy, is de-
cidedly averse to the infliction of capital punishment,
and I shall not go too far, if I add, to any severe or
adequate punishment for grave offenses.
Marsh."
There is a psychological reason for the innate en-
mity in the hearts of Romanists for severe punish-
ment. It is traceable to the long dark centuries of un-
just, atrocious cruelties of the misrule which the Ital-
ians endured, under the reigns of the popes of Rome.
Suppression of any peoples continued for ages, will
react and have a strong tendency to make government
of anv sort resented and distasteful to them.
Surratt did not overestimate the orotection of his
church, for from the moment he landed in this coun-
try, he was greeted and sustained by the priests of
that church. When his trial began in Washington on
June 10th, 1867, the nresence of Roman nriests and
the students from the Jesuit University at Georgetown
and the Sulnician Monastery where he had studied
three years for the priesthood, were the most notice-
able features of the sessions. Although he declared
himself a bankrupt, he was furnished the services of
the best lawvers. When it became necessary to furnish
bail for his final release, it was immediately presented
200 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
by an Irish woman he did not even know, to the amount
of thirty thousand dollars. According to press reports
this stood there until his death in 1916. That is some
friendship, is it not?
AFFIDAVIT OF HENRI de Sainte Marie.
Aims report, House of Representatives, 39th session
Congress, Page 15, Ex. Document No. 9.
Rome, July 10, 1866.
"I, Henri de Ste Marie, a native of Canada, Brit-
ish America, age 33, do swear and declare under oath,
that about six months previous to the assassination
of Abraham Lincoln, I was living in Maryland, at a
small village called Ellangowan, or Little Texas, about
25 or 30 miles from Baltimore, where I was engaged
as a teacher for a period of about 5 months. I there
and then got acquainted with Louis J. Weichmann and
John H Surratt, who came to that locality to pay a
visit to the parish priest. At that first interview a
great deal was said about the war and slavery, the
sentiment expressed by the two individuals being more
than strongly secessionist. In the course of the conver-
sation I remember Surratt to have said that Presi-
dent Lincoln would certainly pay for the men that
were slain during the war. About a month afterward I
removed to Washington at the instigation of Weich-
mann and got a situation as tutor at Gonzaga Col-
lege where he was himself engaged. Surratt visited us
weekly, and once he offered to send me South, but
I declined.
I did not remain more than a month at Washing-
ton, not being able to agree with Weichmann and en-
listed in the army of the North as stated in my first
statement in writing to General King.
I have met Surratt here in Italy at a small town
called Velletri. He is now known under the name of
"John Watson." I recognized him before he made him-
self known to me and told him privately, "You are
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 201
John Surratt, the person I have known in Maryland.
He acknowledged he was and begged me to keep the
thing secret. After some conversation we spoke of
the unfortunate affair, of the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln, and these were his words: 'Damn tne
Yankees, they have killed my mother; but I have
done them as much harm as I could. We have killed
Lincoln the nigger's friend.' He then said, speaking of
his mother, 'Had it not been for me and that coward
Weichmann, my mother would be living yet. It was
fear made him speak. Had he kept his tongue, there
was no danger for him; but if I ever return to Amer-
ica or meet him elsewhere I shall kill him."
He then said he was in the secret service of the
South. And Weichmann, who was in some department
there, used to steal copies of the dispatches and for-
ward them to him and thence to Richmond. Speaking
of the murder he said, they had acted under the or-
ders of men who were not yet known, some of whom
are still in New York and others in London.
I am aware that money is sent to him yet — from
London .
'When I left Canada,' he said, 'I had but little
money, but I had a letter from a party in London. I
was in disguise, with dyed hair and false beard; that
party sent me to a hotel, where he told me to remain
until I heard from him. After a few weeks he came to
me and proposed to me to go to Spain, but I declined,
and he asked me to go to Paris. He gave me seventy
pounds with a letter of introduction to a party there
who sent me here to Rome where I joined the Zouaves/
He says he can get money in Rome any time. I be-
lieve he is protected by the clergy and that the murder
is the result of a deej* laid plot, not only against the
life of President Lincoln but against the existence of
the republic, as we are aware that priesthood and roy-
alty are and always have been opposed to liberty/'
"That such men as Surratt, Booth, Weichmann
and others^ of their own accord planned and executed
the infernal plot which resulted in the death of Presi-
202 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
dent Lincoln is impossible. There are others behind
the curtain who have pulled the strings to make these
scoundrels act
"He says he does not regret what has taken place
and he will visit New York in a year or two, as there
is a heavy shipping firm there that had much to do
with the South, and he is surprised that they have not
been suspected.
This is the exact truth of what I know about Sur-
ratt. More I could not learn, being afraid to awaken
his suspicion and further I do not say."
Sworn and subscribed before me at the American
Legation in Rome, this tenth day of July, 1866, as
witness my hand and seal.
Signed : Henri de Ste Marie
Rufus King, Minister Resident."
Chapter XL
The Trial Of John H. Surratt
From the very moment the Swatara, the espec-
ially chartered warship, reached this country with
John H. Surratt, bound hand and foot on board, all
the wheels of the Roman Catholic political machine
were set in motion for his certain release. The intense
excitement which had enveloped the trials of the con-
spirators two years previous had naturally subsided
perceptibly, this, of course, being an advantage to
the prisoner, and the smallest details were looked af-
ter by the array of high-priced lawyers who fought
the two legal battles for this penniless young traitor
and assassin.
His attorneys, Messrs. Merrick, Bradley and
Bradley were Romanized, the former a professed Cath-
olic, and the other two, by strong sympathy, left no
stone unturned in the building of his defense, although
his alibi, so carefully planned and presented, was soon
shattered by a number of reputable witnesses who
could not be shaken by the unprofessional tactics
which these lawyers resorted to.
The first step in the proceedings was a motion
filed by the States' lawyers from which we quote in
part:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES AGAINST JOHN
H. SURRATT, INDICTMENT: MURDER.
"And now, at this day, to-wit, on the 10th day of
June, A D., 1867, come the United States and the said
John H. Surratt, by their respective attorneys and
204 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
the jurors of the jury, impanelled and summoned also
come; and hereupon the said United States by their
attorney challenge the array of the said panel, because
he saith, that the said jurors comprising the said panel,
were not drawn according to the law, and that the
names from which said jurors were drawn, were noc
selected according to law, wherefor, he prays judg-
ment, and that the said panel may be quashed.
This motion, if your Honor please, is sustained
by an affidavit which I hold in my hand, and which,
with the permission of your Honor I will now proceed
to read. We think after this affidavit shall have been
read it will not be found necessary to introduce any
oral testimony."
The reader will note that the two charges made
were that the names were not drawn according to law ;
and that they were not selected according to law.
The law required that the registrar of the City
of Washington should make out a list of four hundred
names on or before the first day of February; the
City Clerk of Georgetown was to make out a list of
eighty names to be selected : and the Clerk of the Levy
Court of the County of Washington was to make out
a list of forty names to be selected ; and that such lists
should be preserved, and any names that had not been
drawn for service during the year, might be trans-
ferred to the lists made up for the subsequent year.
After this had been done the officers should meet
and jointly select their respective lists of the number
specified; the names being written by each officer on
a separate paner, folded or rolled ut>, so that no one
could see the name, and then deposited in a box pro-
vided for that purpose. The box was then to be thor-
oughly shaken and officially sealed, and then by these
three officers, given into the custody of the clerk of
the County Court of Washington City for safe keep-
ing.
These same officers were to meet in the City
Hall. Washington City at least ten days before the
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 205
commencement of each term of the Circuit Court, or
Criminal Court, and there the Clerk of the Circuit
Court was to publicly, and in their presence, break the
seal of the box and proceed to draw out the number of
names required. If it were a Grand Jury Court, the
first twenty-three names drawn, were to constitute the
grand jury, for the term. This having been done, the
box was to be sealed and returned to the clerk for
safe keeping.
The clerk of the Circuit Court at that time was a
Samuel E. Douglas, registrar of the City of Washing-
ton. His examination showed that no such lists had
been made out as required; that no joint action had
been had by these three officials, but that each one
had written his own required list, and deposited it in
the box independently of the others.
It was also brought to the attention of the Court
that these officers had not sealed the box as requir-
ed, but had delivered it to the clerk to be sealed by
him. It was also shown that the names had been
drawn, not by the clerk of the Circuit Court, but by the
clerk of the City of Georgetown.
There was nothing to prevent the Georgetown
clerk from carrying any of the names of the jurors
whom he might have seen fit, and who might have
been "fixed/ in his hand, and when he put his hand
into the box, which was a perfectly illegal act. to have
withdrawn the very names he held in his hand.
The whole procedure was so infamously bold and
irregular that the Court said: "My order is that the
marshal summon twenty-six talesmen. This occupied
several days. After the jury had been selected, Sur-
ratt's attorneys filed the following to be made the
basis of carrying the case up on a writ of error ;
206 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA, THE UNITED STATES VS. JOHN
H. SURRATT, IN THE CRIMINAL COURT MARCH
TERM, 1867.
And the said Marshal of the District of Colum-
bia, in obedience to the order of the Court, made in
this case on the 12th of June, this day makes return
that he hath summoned, and now hath in court here,
twenty-six jurors, talesmen, as a panel, from which to
form a jury to try the said cause, and the names of
the twenty-six jurors, so returned being called by the
clerk of said court, and they having answered to their
names as they were called, the said John H. Surratt,
by his attorneys, doth challenge the array of the said
panel, because, he saith, it doth plainly appear by the
records and the proceedings of the court in this cause,
that no jurors have ever been summoned according to
law, to serve during the present term of this court,
and no names of jurors, duly and lawfully summoned,
have been placed in the box, provided for in the fourth
section of the Act of Congress, entitled: "An act pro-
viding for the selection of jurors to serve in the sev-
eral courts of the District ,, approved, sixteenth day of
June, 1862, on or before the first day of February,
1867, to serve for the ensuing year; wherefore, he
prays judgment, that the panel now returned by the
said Marshal, and now in the court here, be auashed,
Merrick, Bradley & Bradley,
Attorneys for Surratt"
It is a notable fact that there were sixteen Ro-
manists out of the twenty-six in the first panel drawn
in that irregular manner.
The answer filed in the motion of Surratt's at-
torneys was the first step in this bitterly contested
case and while the prisoner was, according to his own
statement, absolutely penniless, he was represented
by an expensive array of legal talent and where the
money came from reimbursing them remains a mys-
tery today.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 207
Georgetown — Jesuitized Georgetown — was con-
stantly in evidence at the trial. Tne priests from the
Jesuit college were there, and the students who were
just dismissed tor their vacations, were on hand and
would always make it a particular point to greet Sur-
ratt who had been a student of tnat institution lor
two years, most cordially, and he was scarcely ever
without a priest at his side, it is small wonder that
the priests of Kome gave every assistance to the pris-
oner at the bar. Their interests were inseparable. The
interest of the Koman church in this country was
deeply involved and no one appreciated this more than
Surratt. He was confident ana defiant all through the
weeks, of what would have been to most young men
an unendurable ordeal, stimulated by the knowledge
that all of the powerful machinery of his church was
being used in his defense and that his liberty was
guaranteed.
John Surratt was a bold, cold-blooded, unscrupu-
lous, unrepentant criminal, who had been steeped in the
immoral teachings of the Doctrines of the Jesuits
from his earliest childhood when his misguided mother
had placed him under the guidance of priest Wiget
at the Boys' Preparatory school at Gonzaga College,
a fact which was testified to by that gentleman at Sur-
ratt's trial. *
Surratt's lawyers presented the following peti-
tion at the beginning of the trial:
"To the Honorable, the Justices of the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia, holding the Crim-
inal Court in March Term, 1867.
The petition of John H. Surratt shows that he has
been put upon his trial in a capital case in this court;
that he has exhausted all his means, and such further
means as have been furnished him by the liberality of
his friends, in preparing for his defense, and he is
now unable to procure the attendance of his witnesses.
He therefore prays your Honor for an order that
process may issue to summon his witnesses, and to
208 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
compel their attendance at the cost of the government
of the United States, according to the statute in such
cases made and provided."
This petition was granted by the court.
From the very beginning, duplicity and innuendo
were used, and unprofessional conduct of tne most fla-
grant character was resorted to. Tne States' witnesses
were badgered, abused and Duildozed, so much so tnat
the Judge had to interfere more than once. Especially
was this the fact in the case of Dr. McMillen, the ship
surgeon of the Peruvian, to whom priest La Pierre
introduced Surratt under the name of "McCarthy."
The physician made a splendid witness and refused to
be confused, but the attorney for the detendant was so
abusive that the witness gave an angry response in
pure self-defense.
The papal venom showed itself all through the
trials of Surratt in the never-ceasing effort of his at-
torneys to stab the memory of Lincoln and througn
their contention that the Military Court which had
convicted Surratt's mother, had been an usurpation
of power by President Johnson, and the act of a ty-
rant. When one reads the records of those trials, one
marvels that in so short a time after the passing out
of that great man, these tools of the ecclesiastical mur-
derers would dare to venture so far out in the open,
with their treasonable utterances.
When court was called to order in the John H.
Surratt trial, Judge Fisher, presiding, said: "Gentle-
men, this is the day assigned for the trial of John H.
Surratt, indicted for the murder of Abraham Lincoln,
late president of the United States. Are you ready to
proceed? Surra tt's lawyer, Mr. Bradley, answered:
"The prisoner is ready, sir, and has been from the
first." This unnecessary falsehood was a beginning
quite in keeping with the life and action of the prison-
er, and his Jesuit attorney brazenly tried to implant
in the minds of the jury the innocence of his client
who had fled to Canada, then put the Atlantic ocean
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 209
between him and his pursuers and when arrested at
Velletri, Italy, dashed himself down an unscalable
precipice to evade being returned to his native land!
Nothing less than Roman effrontery could have prof-
fered such an answer to that question, "Are you
ready?" DESPERATE FLIGHT HAS NEVER BEEN
USED AS AN ARGUMENT FOR READINESS BE-
FORE, 1 will wager, and it gives the keynote of the
conduct of the defense. This is just a sample of one of
those little Jesuit jokes. No doubt his attorney had a
mental reservation when he assured the court that
ins client had "been ready from the first," — to skip
again, if the slightest opportunity offered itself. Men-
tal reservation is one of the ethics of the Jesuit theol-
ogy.
The Roman Catholic religion was first dragged
in by Surratt's own lawyer, R. T. Merrick, when they
called attention to a telegraph dispatch to the New
York Herald, in which the fact that the State had de-
manded a new jury impanelled because there were six-
teen Romanists out of the twenty-six jurors called in
the first panel.
The district attorney interrupted by showing that
the news came from Washington and as afterwards
proved that it was but one of many press dispatches,
which were instigated by the defense to prejudice the
public in Surratt's favor. If there were no other signs
to indicate that the hand of Rome was the guiding one
in the trials of Surratt, this alone would be sufficient
to the esoteric.
A most convincing presentation of the charges
against the prisoner was made by assistant district
attorney Nathaniel Wilson who made the opening ad-
dress on June 18th. It ran in part as follows:
"May it please your Honor, and gentlemen of the
jury, you are doubtless aware that it is customary in
criminal cases, for the prosecution at the beginning
of the trial, to inform the jury of the nature of the
offense to be inquired into, and of the proof that will
210 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
be offered in support of the charges of the indict-
ment
'The Grand Jury of the District of Columbia has
indicted the prisoner at the bar, John H. Surratt, as
one of the murderers of Abraham Lincoln. It has be-
come your duty to judge whether he is guilty or in-
nocent of that charge, — a duty, than which more sol-
emn or momentous, was never committed to human in-
telligence. You are to turn back the leaves of history,
to that red page, on which is recorded in letters of
blood the awful incidents of that April night on which
the assassins' work was done on the body of the chief
Magistrate of the American Republic, — a night, on
which for the first time in our existence as a nation,
a blow was struck with the fell purpose, not only to
destroy a human life, but the life of the nation, the
life of LIBERTY itself.
"Though more than two years have passed by
since then, you scarcely need witnesses to describe to
you the scene in Ford's Theatre, as it was visible in
the last hour of the President's conscious life. . . . Per-
sons who were present will tell you that about twenty
minutes past ten o'clock, the 14th of April, 1865, on that
night, John Wilkes Booth, armed with pistol and knife,
passed rapdily from the front door of the theatre, as-
cended to the dress circle, and entered the President's
box. By the discharge of a pistol he inflicted a death
wound, then leaped upon the stage, and passing rapid-
ly across it, disappeared into the darkness of the night.
"We shall prove to your entire satisfaction, by
competent and credible witnesses, that at that time,
the prisoner at the bar was then present, aiding and
abetting that murder; and that at ten minutes past
ten o'clock that night, he was in front of that theatre in
the company of Booth. You shall hear what he then
said and did. You shall know that his cool and calcu-
lating malice was the director of the bullet that
pierced the brain of the President, and the knife that
fell upon the venerable Secretary of State. You shall
know that the prisoner at the bar was the contriver
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 211
of that villainy, and that from the presence of the
prisoner, Booth, drunk with theatric passion and
traitorous hate, rushed directly to the execution of
their mutual will. We shall further prove to you, that
their companionship upon that occasion was not an
accidental or unexpected one, but that the butchery
that ensued was the ripe result of a long premeditated
plot, in which the prisoner was the chief conspirator,
"It will be proved to you that he is a traitor to
the government that protected him: a spy in the em-
ploy of the enemies of his country in the years 1864-
65; he passed repeatedly from Richmond to Washing-
ton, from Washington to Canada, weaving the web
of his nefarious scheme, plotting the overthrow of
this government, the defeat of its armies, and the
slaughter of his countrymen ; and as showing the ven-
om of his intent, as showing a mind insensible to ev-
ery moral obligation and fatally bent on mischief — we
shall prove his gleeful boasts, that during these jour-
neys he had shot down in cold blood, weak, unarmed
soldiers, fleeing from rebel prisons.
"It will be proved to you that he made his home in
this city, the rendezvous for the tools and agents in
what he called his "bloody work" and that his hand
deposited at Surrattville, in a convenient place, the
very weapons obtained by Booth while escaping, one
of which fell, or was wrenched from Booth's death
grip, at the moment of his capture.
"While in Montreal, Canada, where he had orone
from Richmond on the 10th day of April, on the Mon-
day before the assassination. Surratt received a sum-
mons from his co-con snirator. Booth, requiring his
immediate presence in this city. In obedience to that
pre-concerted signal, ho at once left Canada and ar-
rived here on the 14th. By numerous, I had almost said
a multitude of witnesses, we shall make the proof to be
clear as the noonday sun. . . . that he was here during
the day of that fatal Friday, as well as present at the
theatre that night. ... We shall show him to you on
212 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Pennsylvania Avenue, booted and spurred, awaiting
the arrival of the fatal moment.
"We shall show him in confenerce with Herold in
the evening; we shall show him purchasing a contriv-
ance for disguise an hour or two before the murder.
When the last blow had been struck, when he had done
his utmost to bring anarchy and desolation upon his
native land, he turned his back upon the abomina-
tion he had wrought, he turned his back upon his
home and kindred and commenced a shuddering flight.
We shall trace that flight, because in law, flight is
the criminal's inarticulate confession, and because it
happened in this case, as it always happens. . . . that
in some moment of fear or elation, or of fancied se-
curity, he too, to others, confessed his guiRy deeds.
He fled to Canada. We will prove to you the hour of
his arrival there and the route he took. . . He found
there safe concealment and remained there several
months. . . In the following September, he took his
flight. . . . Still in the disguise and with painted face,
painted hair, painted hand, he took ship to cross the
Atlantic. In mid-ocean he revealed himself and related
his exploits, and spoke freely of his connection with
Booth in the conspiracy relating to the President. He
rejoiced in the death of the President, he lifted his im-
pious hands to heaven, and expressed a wish that he
might live to return to America and serve Andrew John-
son as Abraham Lincoln had been served. He was hid-
den for a time in England, and found there sympa-
thy and hospitality. . . . From England he went to
Rome and hid himself in the ranks of the papal army
in the guise of a private soldier. Having placed almost
the diameter of the globe between himself and the
dead body of his victim, he might well fancy that pur-
suit was baffled. . . but he was discovered by an ac-
ouaintance of his boyhood. When denial would not
avail, he admitted his identity and avowed his guilt
in these memorable words: 'I have done the Yankees
as much harm as I could. We have killed Lincoln, the
niggers' friend V
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 213
"The man to whom Surratt made this statement
did as was his high duty to do — he made known his
discovery to the American Minister. . .Having him ar-
rested, he escaped from his guards by a leap down a
precipice. . . He made his way to Naples and then took
passage on a steamer that carried him across the Med-
iterranean Sea to Alexandria, Egypt. . . . The inexora-
ble lightning thrilled along the wires that stretch
through the wasted waters which roll between the
shores of Italy and Egyot and spake in his ear its word
of terrible command; from Alexandria. . . manacled,
he was made to turn his face towards the land he had
polluted by the curse of murder. He is here at last to
be tried for his crime."
In his closing argument attorney Oarrington
for the Prosecution referring to Surratt's mother in
connection with him said:
"Now, gentlemen of the jury, let us view the con-
nection of Mrs. Surratt with this assassination. I feel
the delicacy of the ground unon which I stand. I know
the situation. I know that you dislike to consider this
question which has been forced upon you. I do not
want to do it. My duty is to prosecute the prisoner,
but one of the counsel has said she was murdered, and
another that she was butchered, and it becomes my
duty to trace her connection with this crime, and then
leave it to you. to say whether she was guilty. ... of the
crime for which she suffered.
"First, I call your attention to the fact to which, we
have already adverted: that her house. 541 H Street,
was the rendezvous for these conspirators. Now, gen-
tlemen, will you pause for a moment and let me ask
you how you cpn reconcile that with innocence? You
remember the l^w. that it is not how much a narty
did. but whether she had anything to do with it.
Can you, I say, reconcile it with innocence that this
woman's house should have been the rendezvous of
Booth. Lewis Pavne, Atzerodt. Herold and John
Surratt? Would you not know by intuition?
214 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Would you not know by their conversation ? Would not
your judgment and your hearts tell you who they
were and what they contemplated ?
"... Secondly, who furnished the arms with which
this bloody deed was done ? . . . According to the testi-
mony of John M. Lloyd, this is shown. Do you believe
him, or disbelieve him? My friend, Mr. Bradley, . . . .
said he was a common drunkard; but, mark you, he
was an attendant and friend of Mrs. Surratt."
(Mr. Bradley) "Who says so?"
(District Attorney) "I will prove it. When I was
examining that witness and proposed to ask him cer-
tain questions in reference to Mrs. Mary E. Surratt,
he said, 'Mr. Carrington,' for he knew me personally,
'I do not wish to talk about Mrs. Surratt, for she is
not on trial/ I said 'Go on, Mr. Lloyd.' ... I applied to
the court and the court said it was his duty to answer.
He saw her continually. He lived in her house ; he drank
her liquor. Why, this evidence shows that John H.
Surratt, Herold and John M. Lloyd played cards and
drank together. But, says the friend and companion
(Lloyd) of the prisoner at the bar, (Surratt) unwill-
ing to testify against her, when put on solemn oath. . .
he says certain arms were furnished him by the pris-
oner at the bar who showed him where they could be
safely concealed. ... he (Lloyd) protesting that it
might get him into personal difficulty. The mother
knew about the transaction, for on the 11th of April
we have Lloyd's own testimony that she asked him
where those shooting arms were, and said that they
might be needed soon. I say, first her house is the
rendezvous; secondly, she furnished arms or knows
of their being furnished.
"On the night of the 14th of April, Booth and Her-
old are leaving Washinsrton in flight for their lives.
At Surrattville they call for whiskey from the agent
(Lloyd) and friend of the prisoner and his mother.
She gives them a home, gives them arms, gives them
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 215
whiskey, not to nerve them, but to refresh them after
the commission of their horrid crime.
"But Booth,in making his escape, needs something
more than whiskey and arms. . . He needs a field glass,
and has it delivered for him by his friend and agent,
Mrs. Surratt. With the defense, no witness told the
truth whose testimony went to convict their client,
whilst the stories of the most infamous men, self-con-
fessed scoundrels and accomplices, after the fact, if not
before the fact, such as Fathers Boucher and Cameron,
must be taken as Gospel truth! (See testimony of
Father Boucher, Trial of Surratt, page 859^ Also Rev.
Stephen Cameron, page 793.)"
There were some eight or nine reputable witness-
es who testified to having seen John Surratt in Wash-
ington on the day of the murder. Sergt. Dye positively
identified him as the young man who called the time
before Ford's Theatre on the evening of the murder.
A colored cook who had been engaged by Mrs. Surratt
during John's absence testified that Mrs. Surratt had
ordered her on the day of the assassination to bring
a pot of tea and some toast into the dining room for
John. While serving it to him, Mrs. Surratt said,
"This is my son John; don't you think he looks like his
sister Anna?"
I am herewith giving the testimony of David C.
Reed, a tailor, who had known John Surratt since he
was fourteen years old, whose evidence could not be
questioned. His professional critical eye was naturally
more attracted to the up-to-date cut of Surratt's cloth-
ing.
Testimony of David C. Reed, June 3rd, 1867.
"The last time I saw John H. Surratt was about
half past two o'clock on the day of the assassination,
April 14th last. I was standing on the stoop of Hunt
and Goodwin's military store. Mr. Surratt was going
216 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
past the National Hotel. I noticed his hair was cut very
singularly, rounding away down on his coat collar. I
did not notice whether he had whiskers or a mustache
as I was more attracted by the clothing he had on. His
appearance was very genteel, remarkably so. He did
not look like a person from a long journey. I cannot
say I ever had any connection with Mr. Surratt since
he was quite a child ; I knew him by sight and we had
just bowing acquaintance." (Surratt Trial)
TESTIMONY OF SHIP SURGEON DR. L. J. McMIL-
LEN, THE PERUVIAN.
Washington D. C. Tuesday, June, 1867
Question. Did you know John H. Surratt?
If so state where and under what circumstances.
Ans. I became acquainted with John H. Surratt in
the month of September, 1865. I did not know him
under the name of Surratt. He was introduced to
me under the name of "McCarthy" by a gentle-
man in Montreal who kept him in secrecy after the
assassination of Mr. Lincoln. I was then ship
surgeon of the Steamship Peruvian plying be-
tween Quebec and Liverpool. He came on board
on September 11, 1865. I never suspected who he
was until after we left. One day he inquired of
me, "Who is that gentleman?" pointing to a pas-
senger. He said he believed he was an American
detective and that he was after himself. "But,"
said he, "if he is (he put his hand in his pocket
and drew out a revolver) that will settle him."
Then I began to suspect — not that he was Surratt
but that he had been connected with the Rebel-
lion here in some way. After that he would be con-
tinually with me every day, because I was the
only person on board he knew, having been in-
troduced to him by my friend, and he seemed
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 217
not to care for being in the company of any one
else. He used to come to me when I was alone and
ask me to walk with him on deck; and he would
always talk about what happened here during the
war. He told me that he had been from the begin-
ning in the Confederate States' service, carrying
dispatches between here and Richmond, and also as
far as Montreal; that he and Booth had planned
at first the abduction of President Lincoln; that,
however, they could not succeed in that way and
they thought it necessary to change their plan.
After this, before the assassination, Surratt was
in Montreal when he received a letter from Booth
ordering him immediately to Washington; that
it was necessary to act and act promptly and he
was to leave Montreal immediately for Washington.
He did not tell me he came here, but he told me he
came as far as Elmira, N. Y. and from that place
telegraphed to New York to find out whether
Booth had already left for Washington and was
answered that he had. He did not tell me that he
had gone any farther than Elmira. The next
place he spoke to me was St. Albans, Vermont,
where he said he arrived early one morning about
breakfast time and went to a hotel there for
breakfast. When he was sitting at the table he
heard several talking about the assassination and
he inquired, "What was up?" They asked if he
did not know President Lincoln had been assassi-
nated. He said. "I do not believe it, because the
story is too orood to be true/' On that a gentle-
man pulled out a newspaper and handed it to him.
He opened it and saw his own name as one of the
assassins. He said this unnerved him so much
that the paper fell out of his hands and he im-
mediately left the room. As he was going out
through the house he heard another party say,
that Surratt must have been or was at the time
in St. Albans, because such a person (mentioning
that person's name) had found a handkerchief
218 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
on the street with Surratt's name on it. He told
me he actually looked in his pocket and found
that he had lost his handkerchief. From that
place he went to Canada and was concealed there
from April to September.
There were a great many things he told me
that I had forgotten, or at least are not fresh in
my memory. At the time I paid particular attention
to what he said, and when I first made a deposi-
tion in Liverpool, everything was fresh in my
memory. . . .
The first time I was sure he was Surratt was
on the day he was talking about his mother hav-
ing been hung. He did not call her Mrs. Surratt
or by any other name, but just spoke about his
mother having been hung; of course I knew well
enough that there was only one woman that had
been hung in connection with the assassination
so I was pretty certain he was her son. He also
asked me who did I believe he was. I was not
sure who were the parties that escaped so
I answered that I believed he was either Surratt
or Payne. He gave me no reply but only laughed.
But the last day he was on board he called
me aside and began to talk of the assassination.
It was in the evening and we were alone together
and he took out his revolver which was always
kept in his pocket, pointed it at the heavens and
said, "I hope and wish to live just a few years
more — two will do me — and then I shall go back
to the United States and I shall serve Andy
Johnson as Abraham Lincoln has been served."
I asked him why? "Because he has been the
cause of my mother being hung." I then said,
"Now who are you?" I was pretty sure then who
he was but still he had not given me his name
himself. He looked around to see whether any
one was near us and said: "I am Surratt/'
I made this affidavit September 25th in Liv-
erpool. Next day would be Wednesc]ay the 26th,
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 219
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SCAFFOLD AND EXECUTION OF FOUR CONSPIRATORS.
"Davy" Herold, Louis Payne, Atzerodt and Mary E. Surratt,
July, 1865.
220 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I told Mr. Wilding, United States Counsel, he would
be in Liverpool in a day or two. On Wednesday
the 26th, Surratt came to my boarding house
but I was absent
He returned in the evening and wanted me to
go with him to a place he had been recommended
to go, but he could not find the place, so I went
with him. Mr. Wilding, I think had sent a de-
tective to watch us for I saw a man follow us from
the time we left my house until I left Surratt
and he went to that house to which he had been
recommended. (Oratory of the Holy Cross Church)
He promised to see me next day but didn't. I
got a short note stating he intended to go to
London but when he got to the station there were
several Americans there and he was afraid of
being recognized, and did not go any farther. In
a few days again I saw him and he gave me a
letter to bring back to the party who had taken
care of him in Montreal. He expected some mon-
ey because when he got to Liverpool he had
very little money He told me he ex-
pected a remittance from Washington but it
would come through his friend in Montreal, and
that I would very likely be charged with it when I
returned.
Testimony of F. L. Smoot, June 2nd.
(Conversation with Mr. Jos. T. Nott occurred in
the bar-room of the Surratt Tavern, at Surrattsville
on April 15th.)
Mr. Nott said: "He reckoned John was in New
York by this time." I asked him why he thought so
and he said, "My God ! John knows all about this mur-
der. Do you suppose he is going to stay in Washing-
ton and let them catch him?" I pretended to be much
surprised and said, "Is that so?" He replied, "It is,
by God! I could have told you that this thing was
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 221
coming to pass six months ago." Then, putting his
hand on my shoulder, "Keep that in your own skin,
my boy. Don't mention it; if you do, it will ruin me
forever."
(See Surratt trial)
Joseph T. Nott was Lloyd's bar-tender at the
Surratt Tavern.
General Harris in his "Assassination of Lincoln"
on page 280, says:
"Mr. Merrick then went on to meet the argument
that Surratt tad confessed his guilt by flight, by de-
claring that the mad passions of the hour and tyranni-
cal usurpations of the government in its methods of
dealing with those charged with this crime, by send-
ing them before a military commission instead of a
civil court for trial, justified him in his flight. He (Mer-
rick) then went on to vindicate the Catholic church,
which he claimed had been assailed in this matter.
The only reference to the Catholic church in connec-
tion with this trial had been made in the public press.
The prosecution had carefully abstained from any as-
sault on that church, and had tried to exclude relig-
ious prejudices from the minds of the jurors. Mr. Mer-
rick, however, seized the occasion to pass an eulogium
on that church, in which he showed as much disregard
for facts of history, as he did for the proven facts
in this case. Perhaps, he felt this vindication to be
called for from the fact, that most of the conspirators
were Catholics in religion, and the further fact that
the friends who waited and watched for the return of
his client, to Montreal, after the assassination, and
who on his return, spirited him away (priests La Pierre
and Boucher) and kept him secreted five months, and
then helped him off to Italy, where he was found in
the ranks of the Pope's army, and who voluntarily
came before the court on his trial to testify, and to
procure testimony in his behalf, were priests of that
church."
222 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Continuing, General Harris comments :
"In his eulogium on that church he forgot to men-
tion the iact that the pope, during the progress of the
war, acknowledged tne Southern Confederacy, and
wrote a sympathizing letter to Jefferson Davis, in
which he called him his dear son, and by implication de-
nounced President Lincoln as a tyrant.
"He could have scarcely forgotten that the pope
of Rome had sought to take advantage of the arduous
struggle in which our government wab engaged for the
preservation of its life, to establish a Catholic empire
in Mexico, and had sent Maximilian, a Catholic prince,
to reign over, at the time, unhappy people, under the
protection of the arms of France, lent to the further-
ance of his un-hoiy purpose, by the last loyal son
of the church, that ever occupied a throne in iiiurope."
"Perhaps, he did not realize that it was God who
frustated the last grasp of the drowning man at a
straw that eluded his grasp, by preparing for his
holiness, the pope, and for Louis Napoleon, just at
that moment, the Franco-Prussian War, which re-
sulted in the final loss of the temporal power to the
pope, and with it, his grip on the world and his em-
pire and crown, to the last servile supporter of his
temporal pretensions —Napoleon Illrd !
"To claim for that church, as Mr. Merrick did,
friendship to civil liberty, respect for the rights of con-
science and of private judgment, and love for our re-
publican institutions, is to ignore or set at naught,
all the dogmas of that church on the above questions
and all the claims of the papacy. Mr. Merrick mani-
festly thought that the attitude of the Catholic clergy
toward the assassination of the President could be
hidden from public view, by his fulsome eulogy.
"The appeals made by the eminent counsel for
the prisoner, to the politcal and religious prejudices
of jurors, was ably seconded, all through the trial by
the Jesuit priesthood of Washington City and the
vicinity. It will be recalled by scores . of people who
attended the trial, that not a day passed, but that
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 223
some of these were in the court room as the most in-
terested spectators That they were not idle spectators,
may be inferred from the fact, that whenever it seemed
necessary to the prisoner's counsel to find witneses to
contradict any testimony, that was particularly damag-
ing to their cause, they were always promptly found,
and were almost always uniformly Catholics in re-
ligion, as shown by their own testimony upon cross-
examination.
"It was a remarkable fact also, that these wit-
nesses were scarcely ever able to come from under
the fire of Judge Pierrepont's searching cross-exami-
nation, uncripnled, and also, that when they took the
risk of bringing" two witnesses in rebuttal of the
same testimony, their witnesses uniformly killed eacn
other off, before they got through the ordeal, that tests
the truthfulness of witnessess — cross-examination.
"Other outside influences were brought to bear on
the jurors, such as these: Father J. B. Menu, from
St. Charles College, (Sulpician Monastery) spent the
day in the courtroom, sitting beside the prisoner all
day. thus saying to the jury: "You see which side I
am on." A great many of the students from the samp
college also visited the trial, it being vacation, and
they uniformly took great pains to show their sym-
pathy with the prisoner by shaking hands with him.
"The press also was "prostituted almost daily by
publishing cunningly devised paragraphs impugning
the motives of the government in the prosecution and
management of the case. Thus w*re the preiudices of
the iurors appealed to and efforts also made to per-
vert public opinion."
The above from General Harris who was present
at the trials of Surratt. and who was also one of the
Military Commission which tried and convicted Mrs.
Surratt and the other three conspirators, recommend-
ing the death penalty, and sentences to the Dry
Tortugas to four others, gives the reader a concise
picture which correctly photosrranhs the "fine Italian
224 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
hand" which directed Surratt's attorneys in their line
of action. Nothing could be clearer.
And now permit us to quote from the closing ad-
dress of Judge Pierrepont. which is a masterpiece
from a legal standpoint and a classic in pure English,
superb in its logic, impregnable in its TRUTH:
"May it please your honor, and gentlemen of the
jury, I have not in the progress of this long and tedi-
ous case, had the opportunity as yet of addressing to
you one word. My time has now arrived. Yea, all
that a man hath, will he give for his life! When the
book of Job was written, this was true, and it is just
as true today. A man, in order to save his life, will
give his property, will give his liberty, will sacrifice
his good name, and will desert his father, his mother,
his sister. He will lift up his hand before Almighty
God, and swear that he is innocent of the crime with
which he is charged.
"He will bring perjury upon his soul, giving all
that he hath in the world, and be ready to take the
chances and jump the life to come and so far as
counsel place themselves in the situation of their
client, and just to the degree that they absorb his
feelings, his terror and his purposes, just so far will
counsel do the same.
"I am well aware, gentlemen, of the difficulties un-
der which I labor in addressing you. The other coun-
sel have all told you. that they know you. and that
you know them. Thev know vou in social life, ana
they know you in political affairs. Thev know your
sympathies, your habits, your modes of thought, your
prejudices, even. They know how to address you, and
how to awaken your r-vmnathies. whilst I come before
you a total stranger. There is not a face in those seats
that I have ever beheld until this trial commenced,
and yet, I have a kind of feeling pervading me, that
we are not strangers.
"I feel as though, we had a common origin, a com-
mon country, and a common religion, and that on many
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 225
grounds we must have a common sympathy. I feel as
though, if hereafter, I should meet you in my native
city, or a foreign land, I should meet you not as strang-
ers, but as friends. It was not a pleasant thing for me
to come into this case. They had, perhaps, the right
to ask, and so asking, I give you the answer. I was
called into it, at a time ill-suited in every respect.
I had just taken my seat in the convention called
for the purpose of forming a new constitution for
my State, and I was a member of the judiciary com-
mittee. The convention is now sitting, and I am ab-
sent, Where I ought to be present. I feel however, that
I had no right to shirk this duty.
"The counsel asked whether I represented the At-
torney General in this case . . . and so asking, I will
give my answer. There is no mystery about the matter.
The District Attorney feeling the magnitude of this
case, felt that he ought to apply to the Attorney
General for assistance in the prosecution of it, and
he accordingly made the application. I have known
the Attorney General for morr than twenty years.
Our relations have been most friendly, both in social
and professional point of view. The Attorney General
conferred v/ith the Secretary of State, who is, as
you know, from my own State, and they determined
to ask me to assist in the prosecution of this cause. . .
This is the way I happened to be engaged in this
case
"When the President of the United States was
assassinated, I was one of the committee sent on by
the citizens of New York, to attend his funerai.
When standing, as I did stand, in the East room by
the side of that coffin, if some citizen sympathizing
with the enemies of my country had. because my
tears were falling in sorrow over the murder of the
President, there insulted me. and I had at that time
repelled the insult with insult, I think my fellow cit-
izens would have said to me, that my act was deserv-
ing of condemnation; that I had no right in that
solemn, hoi^ hour, to let my petty passions or my
226 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
personal resentments disturb the sanctity of the
scene. To my mind, the sanctity of this trial is far
above that funeral occasion, solemn and holy as it
was, and I should forever deem myself disgraced, if
I should ever allow any passion of mine, or personal
resentment of any kind, to bring me here into any
petty quarrel over the murder of the President of the
United States. I have tried to refrain from anything
like that, and God helping me, I shall so endeavor to
the end.
"To me, gentlemen, this prisoner at the bar is
a pure abstraction. I have no feeling toward him
whatever. I never saw him until I saw him in this
room, and then it was under circumstances calculated
to awaken only my sympathy. ... To me he is a
stranger. Toward him I have no hostility, and I shall
not utter one word of vituperation against him. 1
came to try one of the assassins of the President of
the United States, indicted before you ... so far as
I am concerned, gentlemen, I believe that what you
wish to know in this case is the truth. . . . My duty
is to aid you in coming to a just conclusion. I believe
that it is your honest desire to find out whether the
accused was engaged in this plot to overthrow this
government, and assassinate the President of the
United States. When this evidence is reviewed, and
when it is honestly and fairly presented, when pas-
sions are laid aside, and when other people who havp
nothing whatever to do with the trial are kept out
of this case, you will discover that in the whole
history of jurisprudence, no murder was ever prov-
ed with the demonstration with which this has
been proven before you. The facts, the proofs, the cir-
cumstances, all tend to one point, and all prove the
case, not only beyond a reasonable doubt, but beyond
any doubt.
"This has been, as I have already stated, a very
protracted case. The evidence is scattered. It has come
in, link by link, and as we could not have witnessees
here in their order when you might have seen it in,
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 227
its logical bearings, we were obliged to take it as it
came. I shall not attempt, gentlemen, to convince you
by bold assertions of my own. I fancy I could make
them as loudly and as confidently as the counsel for
the other side, but I am not here for that purpose.
The counsel are not witnesses in the case. We have
come here for the purpose of ascertaining whether,
under the law, and on the evidence presented, this
man arraigned before you, is guilty as charged. . . . My
business is to prove to you from the evidence that
this prisoner is guilty. If I do that, I shall ask your
verdict. If I do not do that, I shall neither expect nor
hope for it.
"I listened to the two counsels who have address-
ed you for several days without one word of interrup-
tion. I listened to them respectfully and attentively.
I know their earnestness, and I know the poetry that
was brought into the case, and the feeling and the
passion, that was attempted to be excited in your
breasts, by bringing before you the ghost trailing her
calico dress and making it rustle against these chairs.
I have none of these powers which the gentlemen seem
to possess, nor shall I attempt to invoke them. I have
come to you for the purpose of proving that this party
accused here, was engaged in this conspiracy to over-
throw this government, which conspiracy resulted in
the death of Abraham Lincoln, by a shot from a pis-
tol in the hand of John Wilkes Booth. That is all there
is to be proven in this case.
"I have not come here for the purpose of proving
that Mrs. Surratt was guilty, or that she was inno-
cent, and I do not understand why that subject was
lugged into this case in the mode that it has been;
nor do I understand why the counsel denounced the
Military Commission which tried her, and thus indi-
rectly censored in the severest manner, the Presidetnt
of the United States. The counsel certainly knew,
when they were talking about that tribunal, and when
they were thus denouncing it, that President Johnson,
the President of the United States, ordered it with his
228 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
own hand; that President Johnson, President of the
United States, signed the warrant that directed the
execution; that President Johnson, President of the
United States, when that record was presented to him,
laid it before his Cabinet, and that every single mem-
ber voted to confirm the sentence, and that the Presi-
dent with his own hand, wrote his confirmation 01
it, and with his own hand signed the warrant. I hold
in my hand the original record, and no other man, as
it appears from that paper, ordered it. No other one
has touched this paper; and when it was sug-
gested by some of the members of the Commission,
that in consequence of the age, and the sex, of Mrs.
Surratt, it might possibly be well to change her sen-
tence to imprisonment for life, he signed the war-
rant for her death with the paper right before his
eyes — and there it is (handing it to Mr. Merrick). My
friend can read it for himself.
"My friends on the other side have undertaken to
arraign the government of the United States against
the prisoner. They have talked very loudly and elo-
quently, about this great government of twenty-five
or thirty millions of people, being engaged in trying
to bring to conviction, one poor young man, and have
treated it as though it was a hostile act, as though
two parties were litigants before you, the one trying
to beat the other.
"Is it possible that it has come to this, that, in the
City of Washington, where the President has been mur-
dered, that when under the form of law. and before a
court and jury of twelve men, an investigation is
made, to ascertain whether the prisoner is guilty of
this great crime, that the government is to be charged
as seeking his blood, and its officers as lapping their
tongues in the blood of the innocent? I quote the lan-
guage exactly. It is a shocking thing to hear. What is
the purpose of a government ? What is the business of
a government?
"According to the gentlemen's notion, when a mur-
der is committed the government should not do any-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 229
thing towards ascertaining who perpetrated the mur-
der, and if the government did undertake to investi-
gate the matter and endeavor to find out whether the
man charged with the crime is guilty, or not, . . . tne
government and all connected with it, must be expected
to be assailed as 'bloodhounds of the law/ and as
seeking to 'lap their tongues in the blood of the inno-
cent/ Is that the business of the government, and is
it the business of the counsel, under any circumstances,
thus to charge the government? What is government
for? It is instituted for your protection and my protec-
tion, for the protection of us all. What could we do
without jt? Tell me, my learned and eloquent counsel
on the other side, what would you do without govern-
ment? What would you do in this city?"
Have you ever heard, my dear reader, a more di-
rect, explicit analysis of Roman Catholic anarchy por-
trayed than the above presentation of Judge Pierre-
pont? Us!
There were eighty-five witnesses and ninety-six
in rebuttal, called by the government and Surratt
called ninety-eight witnesses in chief and twenty-three
in rebuttal.
The hearing began June 17th, 1867, and closed
July 26th, 1867. The arguments of the attorneys cov-
ered twelve days. The case went to the jury August
7th. The jury brought in a report that they stood
about even for conviction and acquital, with no pros-
pect of reaching an agreement. Surratt was remand-
ed to jail.
His attorneys asked that he be released on bail
which was refused by the court. The following Sep-
tember the case was nolle prosequi. He was then in-
dicted on the charge of engaging in rebellion. He was
admitted to bail on this charge in the amount of $20,-
000, which still stands.
A second indictment was found against him, but
the district attorney entered a nolle prosequi on this.
The prisoner was finally released and permitted to go
230 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
free on a technicality — an omission of the three woras
in the indictment, viz. : "Was a f ugitive."
All of the above proceedings in the face of the
burning facts brought out by his two trials, and that
every charge of his guilt of the murder of Abraham
Lincoln was proven beyond the peradventure of a
doubt.
Chapter XII.
Summing It All Up: Two And Two
The aim of the Jesuits in this country is to ulti-
mately extricate the Roman Church from its responsi-
bility in the murder of Lincoln by exonerating Mary
E. Surratt and her son John by placing the whole
blame on John Wilkes Booth—the "Protestant/' (?)
The recent activity in this direction of these Leo-
poldines, — the Knights of Columbus, — is most signifi-
cant and interesting to observe. Wide publicity was re-
cently given through the official press of the Knights
of Columbus of an offer of five thousand dollars to
"any one who can prove that John Wilkes Booth was
a Roman Catholic" is one move in the plan.
The Surratts must be white-washed before the
Catholic Church can clear its skirts. The documentary
evidence pertaining to this tragedy has been so care-
fully and completely removed from the public eye.
that they feel it safe now to openly refer to the death
of Lincoln. But for years his name never passed the
lips of either the priests or the press of Rome!
With a desire to get at the truth we have made a
study of these two characters.
There is much to convince the fair-minded inves-
tigator that John Wilkes Booth had been a pervert to
the Roman Church. The evidence in both the trials of
the conspirators and John H. Surratt shows that Booth
was frequently at "Mass" in various Roman Churches.
The fact that he wore an "Agnus Dei" bronze medal
at the time of his death which was taken from his neck
by Surgeon General Barnes as his body lay on the Mon-
tauk, which had become corroded from the moisture of
his body showed long wear. Only three weeks prior to
232 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
the murder as Rear Admiral Baird tells us, he met
Booth coming out of a Vesper Service at a Roman
Church in Washington. This alone of course would not
be conclusive, but taken together with other evidence
strengthens the conclusion, that he was not only a pro-
fessed Romanist, but that he was a devout one.
The close associates of Booth from his arrival in
Washington from Montreal the middle of November,
1864, until his flight after the murder, were fana-
tical Romanists. His first visit the next day after he
registered at the National Hotel was to the little Ro-
man Church at St. Mary's near Bryantown. He had at-
tended "Mass" and presented his credentials to the Ro-
man Catholics, Drs. Queen and Mudd; was entertained
by them and enquired for the whereabouts of John Sur-
ratt on that occasion, whom he met shortly afterwards
in Washington and became a constant, almost daily,
visitor at the Surratt home on H street which was
the meeting place of the Romish priests of Washington
and vicinity.
The complete confidence which existed between
Booth and the Surratts, in the mind of the writer, is
sufficient evidence that these schemers were taking
no chances on any "Heretic." The fact that every mem-
ber of this household was a Romanist, and undoubted-
ly a member of the Knisrhts of the Golden Circle fur-
ther confirms this belief. Having absorbed the Jesuit
psychology during my early girlhood training, and un-
derstanding the peculiar tie that binds all devout Ro-
manists together, there is not the slightest doubt in my
mind but that John Booth was not a full-fledged pape.
Add to this the fact that Booth himself had taken
the Jesuitized oath of the Order of the Knights of the
Golden Circle, given in full in this book, which no hon-
orable or sincere Protestant's conscience would permit
him to blacken his soul with, and we have another link
in the chain of circumstantial evidence He was under
the influence of the small grout* of Confederate leaders
in Montreal, who in turn were the most abject tools and
associates of the French priests in that city. Consider-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 233
ing these and other things we will be justified in con-
cluding that it John WiiK.es Jbooth was not a professed
Jttoniamst, ne might as well nave been and most cer-
tainly he was notning else.
There is no proiessed Catholic assassin in ail his-
tory, withm the writer's knowledge who was a more ef-
fectual dupe of the priests of xtome and tneir lay
agents than this once oriiliant, care iree, talented young
man whose most distinguisnmg characteristic, barring
his kindly courtesy, was his reverence and devotion to
his mother.
Without wishing to excuse or condone the cruel,
cowardly act which snatched Abraham Lincoln away
from us at the moment when his great wisdom, kind-
liness, and broad charity would have guided the re-con-
struction as no other could, but the aim is to call at-
tention to the instigators, higher up — the priests of
Home who were accessories both before and after the
fact, and who have always escaped without even cen-
sor or suspicion, leaving their tools to pay the price !
Booth was chosen for this bloody deed with keen
discernment and fine discrimination by these ecclesi-
astical plotters against this government. That he was a
young man without much depth of character is
to be conceded, for they do not seek strong
characters to execute these wicked and dangerous
deeds. No doubt the Jesuits followed Booth for
months, studying him, finding his most vulnera-
ble point, delving into his very soul, before they decid-
ed to cast on him the leading role. There were many
advantages in his selection. His profession and the
well known loyalty of the Booth family to the Gov-
ernment, placed him almost above suspicion. His knowl-
edge of changing his appearance, his expertness in the
use of firearms, horsemanship, fencing, etc., his pro-
nounced personal magnetism and easy graceful manner
and above all his childlike vanity without egotism, all
tended to, from their standpoint make him an ideal vic-
tim of their subtle influence. One other point. Booth,
even if he had no previous idea of the responsibility or
234 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
knowledge of the oath he was to take when he entered
the Golden Circle, must have fully realized after, that
had he failed to carry out instructions after he had
drawn the fatal blank, it meant his own certain
death.
Geniuses are usually so absorbed in the line of
work in which their gift inclines them, that they are
often easy victims of stronger designing or unscrupu-
lous minds, and the dramatic instinct in this unfortu-
nate young man would tend to make him particularly
susceptible to the weird ceremonies, garbs, etc., of
the Roman Church and its psychology.
Booth, by several authors, is charged with enter-
ing this conspiracy of murder and destruction from
a monetary object. The value of a dollar does not go
hand in hand with talent nor genius. If so, it is the
exception to the rule and John Wilkes Booth was not
an exception. Actors make their money easily and
quickly and the rule is that they let it go as easily;
their improvidence is proverbial. I believe it is unjust
to attribute Booth's part in this affair to a mercenary
motive and am inclined to think that he very probably
used much of his own money during his operations.
The several genuine Oil speculations in which he was
the loser, shows him to have been short on business
qualifications and the E Z mark in that respect which
characterized the members of the profession in his
day.
That John H. Surratt on the contrary, was mer-
cenary and that money held a high place in his esti-
mation is plentifully evidenced. He talked about the
large sums of money he expected to get and repeatedly
boasted to Weichmann and displayed the large bills
and twenty dollar gold pieces in his possession while
carrying on the Secret Service work in his trips be-
tween Richmond, Washington and Canada He be-
gan to dress expensively and it was because of his
ultra-fashionable appearance that the attention of
the tailor, Reed, was attracted to him on the fatal
Good Friday as he walked down Pennsylvania Avenue
from the National Hotel.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 235
It was his habit to show his money and talk of it
to his friends in a boastful way. The testimony of
Ste Marie shows that he was still given to this while
a member of the Pope's Army.
The difference in the filial devotion and the lack
of it is very pronounced between these two young men.
Surratt's immediate flight to Canada the morning after
the tragedy at Ford's theatre, where he had directed
and "called the time," where he remained in safety un-
der the care of the Roman priests La Pierre and Bouch-
er, during his mother's arrest, trial, conviction and exe-
cution; his heartless desertion of his mother and only
sister, is unparalleled as the most concentrated sel-
fishness and base ingratitude and the only charitable
thing to be said, is that it was due greatly to his theo-
logical training — or it might have been owing to the
espionage of his priestly "protectors."
GEN. T. M. HARRIS "NAILS" PRIEST WAL-
TERS' ATTEMPT TO WHITE- WASH MRS. SUR-
RATT.
The review of the Trial of John H. Surratt made
by Gen. T. M. Harris who was a member of the Mili-
tary Court Martial which tried and convicted the four
conspirators and sentenced four others to the Dry
Tortugas, was written in response to the charges of
Mrs. Surratt's confessor, the pastor of St. Patrick's
Roman Church, Washington, D. C, who had dared
to raise his voice in defense of this woman twenty-
seven years after her execution. General Harris'
book, the only one of its kind, has so effectually and
completely "nailed" the ecclesiastical liar, that it has
been removed from most of the Public Libraries
throughout the country on account of its contents. Be-
cause it has gone out of print and because it is not ac-
cessible to the readers I am incorporating the whole
chapter on "FATHER WALTER" page 204, for the
benefit of my readers, below :
236 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"From the time of the trial of the conspirators by
a military commission, and of the execution of Mrs Sur-
ratt by the order of President Johnson, Father Walter,
a secular priest of Washington City, has made him-
self conspicuous by his efforts to pervert public opin-
ion on the result of the trial of the conspirators by the
Commission. Whilst rebel lawyers, editors and politi-
cians have boldly assailed the lawfulness of the Commis"
sion and have denounced it as an unconstitutional tri-
bunal, and have characterized the trial as a "star
chamber" trial, as a contrivance for taking human life
under a mockery of a judicial procedure, with no pur-
pose of securing the ends of justice, Father Walter and
other priests whose sympathies were with the Southern
Confederacy have earnestly seconded their efforts
by the invention and circulation of cunningly devised
falsehoods.
"Father Walter has every now and then bobbed up
with the assertion of Mrs. Surratt's entire innocence.
Knowing that not one in a thousand of our people has
ever read the testimony on which she was. convicted.
he feels that he can boldly assert, "There was not
enough evidence against her to hang a cat." He has
also become bold enough to state as facts what the evi-
dence shows to be falsehoods. As an example of this:
In an article in the "Catholic Review" he asserts in re-
gard to Mrs. Surratt's trip to Surrattville on the after-
noon of the day of the assassination that she had or-
dered her carriage for the trip, which was purely on
private business, on the forenoon of that day. and be-
fore it was known that the President would go to the
theatre. Why, if this was true was it not proven in her
defense? There was no such testimony produced. The
testimony on this point against her was that shortly
after two o'clock on that afternoon she went upstairs
to Weichmann's room, tapped at the door, and when it
was opened she said to Mr. Weichmann, "I have just
received a letter from Mr. Calvert that makes it neces-
sary for me to go to Surrattville today and see Mr. No-
they. Would you be so good as to get a conveyance and
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 237
MICHAEL O'LAUGHLIN.
Delegated to assassinate General Grant. Died in Dry Tor-
tugas after serving three years, of yellow fever epidemic.
238 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
drive me down? Upon Weichmann's consenting to do
so, she handed him a ten dollar bill with which to pro-
cure a conveyance. Surely, there is no evidence here
that a carriage had been ordered already, as Weich-
mann was left free to procure a conveyance where he
might see fit.
Weichmann went down stairs, and as he opened
the front door he saw John Wilkes Booth, who was in
the act, as it were, of pulling the front door bell. Booth
entered the house.
When young Weichmann returned, after having
procured the buggy, he went up to his own room after
some necessary articles of clothing, and as he again
descended the stairs and passed by the parlor doors he
observed that Booth was in the parlor conversing
with Mrs. Surratt. In a little while Booth came down to
the front door steps and waved his hand in token of
adieu to Weichmann, who was standing at the curb.
When Mrs. Surratt came and was in the act of get-
ting into the buggy, she remembered she had forgotten
something, and said, "Wait a moment, until I go and
get those things of Mr. Booth's." She returned from
the parlor with a package which was done up in brown
paper, the contents of which the witness did not see,
but which was afterwards shown to have been the
field glass which Booth carried with him in his flight.
This glass Booth sent to Llovd by Mrs. Surratt, with
a message to have it, with the two carbines and two
bottles of whiskev, where thev would be handy, as they
would be called for that night. Llovd swore that this
was the message delivered to him by Mrs. Surratt in
the nrivate interview she sought with him in his back-
yard on his return home that evening, and that in ac-
cordance with these instructions he delivered them
to Booth and Herold about midnierht that night.
Now, let us see about the private business on
which she professed to be goinor, and on which she
claimed at her trial that she went. The letter from Mr.
Calvert was a demand for money that she owed him,
and was written at Bladensburg on the 12th of April.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 239
On the afternoon of the fourteenth she presented her-
self to Weichmann and claimed that she had just re-
ceived it. It would seem very strange that it took this
letter two days to reach her at a distance of only six
miles. She claimed that she must go and see Mr. Nothey
who owed her and get money from him to pay her debt
to Mr. Calvert. Mr. Nothey lived five miles below Sur-
rattsville, and as she claimed that she had just receiv-
ed Mr. Calvert's letter, it was impossible that she could
have made any arrangement with Nothey to meet her
at Surrattsville that day. She did not meet him there,
neither did she go to his house to see him. When she
arrived at Surrattsville she took Weichmann into the
parlor at the hotel and asked him to write a letter for
her to Mr. Nothey, which he did at her dictation; and
this she sent to Mr. Nothey by Mr. Bennett Gwinn, a
neighbor of his who happened to be passing down.
Now, in view of all these facts, can any one see how
her private business was in any way subserved by her
trip to Surrattsville on that afternoon? She could as
easily have written to Mr. Nothey from Washington
as from Surrattsville. A postage stamp, a sheet of pa-
per and an envelope would have saved her six dollars,
the cost of her trip, and would have served her busi-
ness just as well. The truth is that this talk of going on
private business of her own was all a fabrication, first
to deceive Mr. Weichmann as to the object of her trip,
and then to be used, should it become necessary, in her
defense. We have already seen what her real business
was.
Father Walter falsifies again in the article re-
ferred to saying that she did not see Lloyd on that af-
ternoon, but delivered the things to his sister-in-law,
Mrs. Offutt. Both Lloyd and his sister-in-law testified
to her interview with him in his backyard, and Lloyd
testified as to what passed between them on that occa-
sion.
(See testimony of John M. Lloyd, Trial Conspira-
tors, PP. 85-86 and Testimony Mrs. E. Offutt and Trial
of Surratt, P. 281.)
240 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
It would seem that Father Walter is going on the
theory that we have gotten so far past the time, and
that the testimony has been so far forgotten that he
can foist upon the public any statement that he may
please to fabricate. vVe would kindly remind the rever-
end Father that no ultimate gain can be derived from
an effort to suppress the truth. Neither can it be ob-
literated by our prejudices. We may misconstrue facts,
but we cannot wipe them out by a mere stroke of a
pen; and a fact once made can never be recalled. But J
am not done yet with this Father. He prefaces his
article in the "Review" with the statement that he
heard Mrs. Surratt's last confession and that whilst his
priestly vows do not permit him to reveal the secrets
of the confessional, yet from knowledge in his posses-
sion he is prepared to assert her entire innocence of this
most atrocious crime. He means that we shall under-
stand that were he at liberty to give her last confes-
sion to the world, he would say that she then and there
asserted her entire innocence.
Will Father Walter deny that under the teachings
of the Roman Catholic church he had an absolute right,
with her consent, to make her confession public on this
point? Nay, more, could not Mrs. Surratt have com-
pelled him to do so in vindication of her good name,
and of the honor of the church of which she was a
member? And having this consent, was it not his most
solemn duty to proclaim her confessed innocence in
every public way through the press and even from the
very steps of the gallows?
Why was not that confession made public ?
Why was it not reduced to writing and signed with
her own hand?
Why has it not, in its entirety, been given to the
world ?
Why must the public wait twenty-seven years,
and instead of having the full confession, be required
to content itself, in so great a case, with a mere asser-
tion from the reverend Father, based on his alleged
knowledge? Aye, just there's the rub!
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
241
JOHN H. SURRATT at 72.
The above is the last picture taken
of John H. Surratt who died m baiti-
moreMd, April 23, 1916 surrounded
by his wife and grown family. At his
request he was buried m the Suriatt
lot at Mt. Olivet, Washington, D. U
at left side of his mother's grave He
was auditor of a large corporation
until his death.
242 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
That confession of Mrs. Surratt's would have
proved very interesting reading, and might have let
in a flood of light on some of tne places that are now
very dark; it would, indeed, have shown how far Mrs.
Surratt was involved in the abduction and assassination
plots and to what degree she was the willing or unwill-
ing tool of her son, and of John Wilkes Booth. That
confession woujd have shown the object of Booth's
visit to her on the very day and eve of the murder. It
would have explained what she had in her mind when
she carried Booth's field glass into the country and
told Lloyd to have the "shooting-irons" and two bot-
tles of whiskey ready on that fatal night of the four-
teenth of April. And if she did not explain satisfacto-
rily every item of testimony which bore so heavily
against her, then her last confession was worth noth-
ing.
Father Walter never had at any time Mrs. Sur-
ratt's consent to make her confession public, and he
dare not do so now after twenty-seven years have
elapsed since he shrove his unfortunate penitent.
Why did Father Walter not do this ? Pie was inter-
esting himelf very much in her behalf in trying to get
her a reprieve; why did he not use this as an argument
with the President in her behalf, that in her final con-
fession she asserted her innocence? Why did he wait
until the sentence had been confirmed by the Presi-
dent and a full Cabinet without a dissenting voice,
and then had been carried into execution, before he
put into circulation the story of her confessed inno-
cence? And why does he refer to his priestly vows as
his excuse for this conduct, when he knows full well
that having gained Mrs. Surratt's consent to make her
confession public as an entirety, these vows imposed
upon him no such restrictions? In vindication of the
Commission and also the Court of Review — the Presi-
dent and his Cabinet — we submit that the evidence
shows her to have been guilty, no matter what she
might have said, in her final confession.
Perhaps she had been led to believe that President
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 243
Lincoln was an execrable tyrant, and that his death
was no more than that of the "meanest nigger in the
army." Her remarks to her daughter the night her
house was searched indicate the views she took of
the subject. "Anna, come what will, I am resigned. I
think that Booth was only an instrument in the hands
of the Almighty to punish this wicked and licentious
people."
To one who could have taken this view of the case,
Booth's act could not have been regarded as a crime:
and she who rendered him all the aid she could would
feel no guilt. They were only co-operating with the Al-
mighty in the execution of vengeance. On the trial of
John H. Surratt, Mr. Merrick brought Father Walter
on the stand and asked him if he heard the last confes-
sion of Mrs. Surratt, to which the Father answered.
"I did, I gave her communion on Friday and prepared
her for death."
Mr. Merrick in his argument before the jury said:
"I asked him 'Did she tell you as she was marching to
the scaffold that she was an innocent woman?' I told
him not to answer that question before I desired him
to. He nodded his head, but did not answer that ques-
tion, because he had no right, as the other side oo-
jected."
Now, what was the object of all this? Mr. Merrick
brought the Father on to the stand and asked him
a question that had not the slightest relevancy to any
issue before that jury. He knew, of course, that the
prosecution would object, and that the auestion could
not be answered. It was a direct question and could
have been answered by "She did," or "She did not."
Why does not the Father answer at once? He had been
cautioned not to do so until desired, and so he waits
for the prosecution to object and estop him from an-
swering the question. Mr. Merrick, however, in his ar-
gument, assumes that the Father stood ready to say
that: "She solemnly declared her innocence to me in
her last confession," and throws the responsibility on
the other side for not getting this answer. The argu-
244 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
ment was this: "You see that Father Walter stood
ready to testify to this fact, but the prosecution object-
ed, and so he could not do it."
Now, what has become of the Father's priestly
vows, behind which he has always been hiding? Or
was all this a mere piece of acting, to give the counsel
a point from which to denounce the government, the
Commission, and all who were concerned in visiting
justice upon the assassins?
We believe it to be true that the laws of his church
do not forbid him to make public, with her consent or
command, her last confession on this point, and that
the Father in making the statements he does at this
late day is simply practicing slight of hand upon the
public. It is a very strange circumstance, too, that
whilst Payne, Arnold, O'Laughlin, Atzerodt, and even
John H. Surratt, admitted their connection with one or
the other of the conspiracy plots, Mrs. Surratt has not
left one word or line after her to explain away the in-
criminating evidence brought against her. The reason
is plain ; she could not have explained anything without
involving herself and her son and giving away the
whole case.
For twenty-six years Father Walter and his rebel
coadjutors have kept a paragraph going the rounds of
the papers, stating as a fact that all the members of
the Commission, but one, are dead, and that they died
miserable deaths which marked them as the subjects
of heaven's vengeance and that some of them perished
from the violence of their own hands, being crazed
with remorse.
The truth is that at this writing, April, 1892, all
the members of the Commission are alive except Gen-
eral Hunter and General Ekin. General Hunter lived
to over four score years and General Ekin to seventy-
three. The present writer is nearly seventy-nine and
is still able to vindicate the truth in the interest of a
true history of his period. Is it not high time that the
American people should be fully informed as to this
most important episode in their history, in order that
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 245
they may not be misled by men who were not the
friends, but the enemies, of our government in its
struggle for its preservation and perpetuation/' (See
page 204)
The above statement of facts is sufficient to refute
the lying priest Walter and block the Roman Church's
mad efforts to subvert this damning evidence of
its own participation in Lincoln's murder.
OTHER TESTIMONY OF TB'E SURRATTS'
CATHOLIC FRIENDS.
Testimony of Miss Anna Ward, for xne Defense,
June 3rd. :';>;:' ifPlil
I reside at the Catholic Female Seminary on Tenth
Street, Washington. I have been acquainted with Mrs-
Surratt six or eight years. I have not been very inti-
mate with Mrs. Surratt. She always bore the charac-
ter of a perfect lady and a christian, as far as my ac-
quaintance with her extends.
I received two letters from John H. Surratt post-
marked Montreal, Can., for his mother. I received the
second the day of the assassination. ... I answered
his letters to me, and left them with his mother as 1
supposed that she would be glad to hear from him. I
have not seen him since. (See Conspirators Trial, page
134.)
This Miss Ward, by the way, was twice brought
into the trial sufficient participation it might seem to
involve her in conspiracy. Mr. Weichmann testified
that in March 1885, Surratt invited him to accompany
him to the Herndon Hotel to see about securing a
room. When they arrived Surratt called for the
housekeeper, a Mrs. May Murray, and asked her^ to
have the room in readiness for the man, not mentioning
the name, whom Miss Ward a few days previous, had
246 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
spoken to her about. The housekeeper seemed not to
remember until Surratt further reminded her that it
was "For a delicate gentleman" who was to have his
meals served in his room. With this refreshing she
remembered. Surratt then told her that the gentle-
man would occupy the room on the following Monday.
Later on, Weichmann met Atzerodt coming along
Seventh Street, who told him in answer to his ques-
tion as to where he was going, that he was going to
the Herndon House. Weichmann then said "Is that
Payne that is at the Herndon House ?" Atzerodt ans-
wered, "Yes."
Then Miss Ward, this Catholic school teacher, was
the one who prior to the crime, had been delegated,
to establish an alibi for John H. Surratt by calling at
the Surratt house on the day of the assassination with
a letter which she had purported to have received that
day from John Surratt in Canada. She proffered this
information to Louis Weichmann, who happened to be
at home. Weichmann did not read the letter which dis-
appeared and was never introduced into the evidence.
Surely, it was a fact worth noting from the
amount of evidence, that Mrs. Surratt, a woman impov-
erished by the war with no special social standing
should have had the privilege of intimate acquaintance
with so many priests. I give below the verbatim testi-
mony of these reverend gentlemen as the records
show: $ «i
REV. B. F. WIGET FOR DEFENSE, MAY 25th,
I am president of Gonzaga College, F Street be-
tween Tenth and Eleventh.
It is afeout ten or eleven years since I became ac-
quainted with Mrs. Mary E. Surratt. I know her very
well, and I have always heard everyone speak very
highly of her character as a lady and as a christian.
During all this acquaintance nothing has come to my
knowledge respecting her character that could be
called un-christian.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 247
I have a personal knowledge of her character as
a christian, but not as to her character for loyalty. My
visits were all short and political affairs were never
discussed; I was not her pastor. I first became ac-
quainted with Mrs. Surratt from having her two sons
with me. I have seen her perhaps once in six weeks. I
cannot say that I remember hearing her utter a dis-
loyal sentiment, nor do I remember hearing anyone
talk about her being notoriously disloyal before her
arrest. (See page 135, Trial.)
REV. FRANCIS E BOYLE FOR THE DEFENSE,
MAY 25th.
I am a Catholic priest. My residence is St. Peter's
Church. I made the acquaintance of Mrs. Mary E. Sur-
ratt eight or ten years ago. . . .Have always heard her
well spoken of as an estimable lady. I do not undertake
to say what her reputation for loyalty is. (See page
136, Trial.)
REV. CHAS. H. STONESTREET, FOR THE DE-
FENSE, May 26th
I am pastor of Aloysius Church in this city. I first
became acquainted with Mrs. Mary E. Surratt twenty
years ago. I have only seen her occasionally since. At
the time of his acquaintance there was no question
of her loyalty, (page 136, Trial.)
By the bye, on a recent trip which the author took
through the Jesuit University at Georgetown in the
cloister of one of the buildings there are a number of
paintings of Jesuit priests connected with the institu-
tion, among whom I noted one labeled, Rev. Chas. H.
Stonestreet. The reverend gentleman testified that at
the time of his acquaintance there was no question
about the lady's loyalty. Certainly not. The question of
loyalty had not arisen twenty years before the war, —
evidently this is an example of "Mental reservation" of
a Jesuit priest. All of them could have said: I never
248 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
questioned her loyalty. — Mental reservation — (To
the Holy Mother Church.)
REV. PETER LANIHAN, DEFENSE, MAY 26.
I am a Catholic priest. I reside near Beantown,
Charles County, Md. I nave been acquainted with Mrs.
Surratt, prisoner at the bar, ior about thirteen years;
intimately so, tor about nine years. In my estimation
she is a good christian woman and highly honorable.
Have never on any occasion heard her express disloyal
sentiments. I have been very familiar with her, staying
at her house, (page 136, Trial.)
In "The Doctrine of the Jesuits" by Gury, in the
Eighth Precept of the Decalogue, page 156, 442-1. Is
it not permitted to make use of the purely and proper-
ly mental restriction ? 443-2. It is sometimes permitted
to make use of the restriction largely; that is to say,
improperly mental ,and also of equivocal words, when
the meaning of the speaker can be understood
Besides, the good of society demands that there should
be a means to lawfully hide a secret; now there is no
other way than by equivocation or restriction, .... One
is permitted to use this restriction even under oath. . .
444: A culprit interrogated judicially, or not lawfully,
by the judge, may answer that he has done nothing,
meaning: "About which you have the right to ques-
tion me."
The canon law of the Roman church does not con-
cede the right of any civil authority to question or
cross-question a priest. Not only so, but the canon
law of the Roman church automatically excommuni-
cates any Catholic layman who would bring a priest
into a civil court. Consequently none of these priests'
testimony was worth the paper it was written on in
the matter of truth, and they were at perfect liberty to
swear to anything they chose, or to whatever would
seem best for the interest of the prisoner and their
church.
Gury in a foot note quotes Bessius, a Jesuit au-
thority as follows:
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 249
MONUMENT OF PRJEST JACOB WALTER
Pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Washington, D. C, friend
and confessor of Mrs. Surratt, who, as such must have been fully
cognizant of the woman's knowledge and participation in the
conspiracy and murder. After Gen. T. M. Harris brought Wal-
ter to time by his book he ceased to "break into print."
250 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"If a judge interrogates on an action, which must
have been committed without sin, at least a mortal
one, the witness and the culprit are not obliged to an-
swer according to the judge's intention/'
REV. N. D. YOUNG, DEFENSE, MAY 26.
I am a Catholic priest. I reside at the pastoral
home of St. Dominick's church on the Island and Sixth
Street, Washington City. I became acquainted with
Mrs. Mary E. Surratt eight or ten years ago. My ac-
quaintance has not been very intimate. I have occa-
sionally seen her and visited with her. I had to pass
her house about once a month, and I generally called
there, — sometimes stayed an hour. I have heard her
snoken of with great praise. She never uttered any
disloyal sentiments to me.
Certainly the above testimony makes the posi-
tion of Mrs. Surratt and her church beyond question,
but to say that any one of these nriests did not know
that she was DISLOYAL TO THE UNION and enter-
tained a deep hatred for President Lincoln, to whom
she, like many others, attributed the loss of her wealth,
might be acceptable to non-Romanists who do not un-
derstand the relation of such a woman to her priest,
but certainly no ex-Romanist could be deceived by it.
TESTIMONY OF THE REVEREND B. F. WI-
GET.
Washington, February 28, 1867.
Question: State your residence and profession.
Answer I am connected with the Gonzaga Col-
lege on F. Street. Washington, between Ninth and
Tenth.
Question: How long have you resided in Wash-
ington ?
Answer: With an interruption of four months I
have resided here four years.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 251
Question: Look at this photo (marked exhibit
G) and state whether you have known this person
from whom it was taken.
Answer: John H. Surratt, I should think.
Question : Have you known Surratt many years ?
Answer: Many, many years, yes, sir. I knew
him when he was about 12 years old. He was one or
two years under my tuition.
EXTRACTS FORM THE TESTIMONY OF LOUIS
J. WEICHMANN.
Mrs. Surratt and her family are Catholics. John
H. Surratt is a Catholic and was a student of divinity
at the same college as myself. I met the prisoner, Dav-
id E. Herold at Mrs. Surratt's house on one occasion.
I also met him when we visited the theatre when Booth
played Pescara; I met him at Mrs. Surratt's in the
country in the spring of 1863 when I first made his
acquaintance.
I met him (Herold) in the summer of 1864 at the
Piscataway (Roman Catholic) church. These are the
only times to my recollection I ever met him. . . .1 gen-
erally accompanied Mrs. Surratt to church on Sunday
Surratt never intimated to me nor to anyone else
to my* knowledge that there was a purpose to assas-
sinate the President. He stated to me in the presence
of his sister shortly after he made the acquaintance
of Booth that he was going to Europe on a cotton
speculation. That three thousand dollars had been ad-
vanced to him by an elderly gentleman whose name he
did not mention, residing somewhere in the neighbor-
hood, that he would go to Liverpool and remain there
probably two weeks to transact his business; then he
would go to Nassau and from Nassau to Matamoras,
Mexico and find his brother Isaac. . . . His character
at St. Charles College, Maryland, was excellent. On
leaving college he shed tears and the president ap-
proaching him told him not to weep, that his conduct
had been excellent during the three years he had been
there, and that he would always be remembered by
those in charge of the institution. . . I had been a com-
252 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
panion of John H. Surratt for seven years (in answer
to a question) No, I did not consider that I forfeited
my friendship to him in mentioning my suspicions to
Capt. Gleason. He forfeited his friendship to me by
placing me in the position in whicii 1 now stand, testi-
fying against him. I think i was more of a friend to
him than he was to me. He knew I had permitted the
blockade runner at the house without informing upon
him, because I was his friend, but I hesitated for three
days; still when my suspicions of danger to the gov-
ernment were aroused, I preferred the government xo
John Surratt. My remark to Captain Gleason about the
possibility of the capture of the President was merely
a casual remark. He laughed at the idea that such a
thing could happen in a city guarded as Washington
was.
Mr. Weichmann also testified that on the night of
the arrest he answered the doorbell when the detec-
tives rang it for the purpose of demanding admittance
so that they might search the house. He rapped at Mrs.
Surratt's door and informed her who was at the door
and what they had come for. Her answer was: "J?or
God's sake, let them come in; I have been expecting
them." (See page 394, Trial of Surratt ; also supplemen-
tal affidavit of L. J. Weichmann.)
Other comments by Gen. T. H. Harris are as fol-
lows:
"When they inquired for her son, she said, "He is
not here; I have not seen him for two weeks." This
was a sufficient answer, but her guilty conscience
would not let her stop here, she had to add, "There are
a great many mothers who do not know where their
sons are/' Let us ask ourselves at this point, how many
mothers in Washington City at that hour of that
eventful night were lying awake expecting their houses
to be searched by detectives ? Our inner consciousness
will unerringly dictate the answer, "Not one who was
innocent of crime/' It is only necessary to say further,
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 253
in regard to this defense set up of an alibi that al-
though there is no more common defense resorted
to by criminals, because there is none more easy of es-
tablishment, there was never perhaps in all the his-
tory of jurisprudence a weaker and more unsuccess-
ful effort made to establish it, than in this defense.
Probably no witness had ever been subjected to the
severe grilling which Louis Weichmann received dur-
ing these trials, his testimony at Jonn H. Surratt's tri-
al being precisely the same, and he could not be shak-
en by the badgering which the defense's lawyers re-
sorted to. A lifelong persecution followed in conse-
quence. ,J
During a recent interview the writer had with a
relative of his who was with him during his last ill-
ness she said: "No one will ever know the sadness of
Lou's life nor dream of how he was persecuted for sim-
ply telling the truth. The day before he died he motion-
ed for a pencil and paper and before a witness wrote :
'To All Lovers of Truth, I, Louis J. Weichmann, being of
sound mind and memory do declare that everything
that I testified to at the trials of Mary E. Surratt and
John H. Surratt, was the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, so help me God. (Signed) Louis
J. Weichmann.' He died the next day."
The "persecution" was that they accused him of
swearing away the life of an innocent woman who
had been a kind friend to him. For many years Mr.
Weichmann was under the protection of the govern-
ment where he held a public position in Philadelphia.
He was practically excommunicated from the church
although he in later years attended. On the other hand
John H. Surratt, conspirator and assassin was protect-
ed and helped by the priests up until his death April
22, 1916.
After Surratt's release from prison on a techni-
cality he went to Rockville, Md., where he delivered a
lecture which he prepared with the ostensible purpose
of going on the lecture platform. He only delivered it
once. The public sentiment, even in the South, was
254 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
strong against him. He then secured a position in the
public school at Montrose, near Kockville, where he
taught several years. The writer in making the picture
of the Surratt house produced here, had a talk with
the present tenant, a Mrs. Wm. Penn, whose step-
mother was a pupil of John Surratt's while he taught
at Montrose. Mrs. Penn has a linen pocket handker-
chief, hemstitched, with the name "Surratt" embroid-
ered in large script letters across the corner of it,
which her step-mother, a Mrs. A. M. Higgins, was
given by the owner, John H. Surratt. Some years later
secured a lucrative position with a Baltimore steam-
ship company where he remained until just a short
time before his death. He left a widow and several
grown children, one of whom, William, is an attor-
ney in the "Monumental" city.
On looking up the death notices some months ago
when the writer was in Baltimore for that purpose, the
protection of the Catholic church was shown by the in-
formation that a High Requiem Mass was to be said for
the deceased and that the funeral would be private,
interment would be at Bonnie Brae. As a matter of
fact, the body was brought quietly to Washington and
buried in the family lot at the left side of his mother.
The significance of this probably is that some day
in the future the Roman Catholic church plans to erect
a memorial to John Surratt and his "Martyred" moth-
er. In a talk with the superintendent of Mt Olivet cem-
etery as we stood by the graves, he proffered this infor-
mation, he being himself a Catholic. "The hanging of
this woman was one of the greatest crimes ever com-
mitted. We would erect a monument to her in a min-
ute, if we could." I asked him why they did not do it.
He said: "We wouldn't dare now. The feeling for Lin-
coln is too strong." On pressing the matter further
with him, I found that he had no personal knowledge of
the case and knew nothing but what he had been told
by his church.
Before closing this chapter I cannot but call your
attention to God's "Wondrous ways" of just retribu-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 255
"MRS. SUR.RATT"
The small headstone with but two words on it, "Mrs. Sur-
ratt" which marks the lonely grave in the outskirt of Mt. Olivet
Catholic Cemetery, Washington, D. C. That the body lies in
"consecrated" ground is significant.
256 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
tion. Contemplate the small lonely headstone, labeled
merely; "Mrs. Surratt" on the outskirt of the Ro-
man Catholic Cemetery in Washington, the scene of
her wicked work and within a gun shot the magnifi-
cent white marble Lincoln Memorial as it stands over-
looking the Potomac river, erected to the memory of
the great American whom she and her priestly spon-
sors had tried so energetically to destroy because he
was the living type of the triumph of Popular Gov-
ernment and every act of his beautiful, clean, upright
public life was a stinging rebuke to the tyrannical,
corrupt System, of which Mary E. Surratt, her son
and the other papal assassins were legitimate products !
EXECUTING THE SECRET TREATY OF VERONA.
Reverting to the Secret Treaty of Verona, we
recall that the "high contracting parties," on being con-
vinced that the system of representative government
is . . . incompatible with monarchial principles. . . en-
gage mutually in the most solemn manner, to use
all their efforts to put an end to the system of repre-
sentative government . . . and to prevent it from being
introduced in those countries where it is not yet
known.
Article 2. As it cannot be doubted that the liberty
of the press is the most powerful means used by the
pretended supporters of the rights of nations, . . . the
high contracting parties promise reciprocally to adopt
all proper measures to suppress it."
The process of destruction has gone on steadily
from the assassination of the five presidents in the
United States, which begun in 1841, and has continued
at intervals, and which finds us without a semblance of
a free press.
After sixty years of activity by these foreign
enemies within our borders what do we find?
We find a subversion of free speech ; a subversion
of a free press; we find a denial of the right of the
American people to peaceable assemblage: we find the
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 257
complete separation of Church and State, the very
basis of our form of government being a dead letter;
we find the freedom of conscience being attacked;
we find our great IDEA of public education being
viciously undermined and sapped by a great system
of parochial schools wherein are taught the prin-
ciples of the old concept of monarchial institutions.
And by whom is this concerted plan of destruc-
tion being carried on, principally?
By the priests and lay members of the Roman
Catholic Church. Upon what authority is this work
of subversion being operated? By the ex-cathedra
mandates of the Popes of Rome, conveyed to their
"subjects" in this country through Encyclical Letters.
We find that the Roman Catholics who comprise less
than one sixth of the population, have been the domi-
nating power in our political affairs and of late years
have headed almost every national, state and munici-
pal office from the President down to the dog catcher.
During the Wilson administrations the Army, the
Navy, the Treasury, the Secret Service, the Post Of-
fice, the Emergency Fleet, Transports, Printing, Air-
craft and dozens of others were presided over by
Fourth Degree Knights of Co 7 umbus !
The PLUNDERS of Hog Island and the Emer-
gency Fleet under E. N. Hurley are matters of Con-
gressional Record which mounted up into the mil-
lions.
Mr. Hurley is a Roman Catholic and Knight of
Columbus.
The "Aircraft Scandal" under the supervision of
John M. Ryan, ardent Roman Catholic and Fourth
Degree Knight of Columbus ran into the billions and
was also subject of investigation.
Admiral Benson who was advanced in a most
unusual and r>eculiar way by his sponsor Woodrow
Wilson, is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and
violated the spirit and the letter of this Republican
Government by accepting a foreign title from the
Pope of Rome. Admiral Benson is a member of the
258 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
"Household" of this alien ruler, who never has ceased
to claim his right to temporal power for one moment
since he was forced to relinquish it by the Italian
People, Sept. 20, 1870.
This disloyal act has never been rebuked by the
American people whom Admiral Benson is sup-
posed to represent. "Knighthood" is not a spiritual
acquisition, nor was it bestowed as such. It is a foreign
title given in recognition of his service to the Pope
of Rome who claims temporal sovereignity and allegi-
ance from his subjects in every country. One of the
aims of the Knights of Columbus is to restore the
temporal power of the Pope.
The presence of these laymen of the Romish
Church in our public offices is not accidental or in-
cidental. They are there by the express command of
their Pone, whom thev are obliged to Obey as God
Himself." (See Leo XHIth's Great Encycles, nage 192)
Roman Catholics are serving under a Citizenship
diametrically opposed to American citizenship.
American Citizenship is based upon the contention
that the only authority to rule must come from th?
consent of the governed.
Roman Catholic citizenship is based upon the
negation of this. Leo XIII has this to say:
The sovereignity of the people, however ... is
held to reside in the multitude: which is doubtless
3 doctrine exceedingly well calculated to flatter and in-
flame the many passions, but which lacks all reasonable
proof, and all power of insuring public safety and
preserving order, (page 123)
j
LIBERTY OF SPEECH AND PRESS
So too, the libertv of thinking, and of publishing
whatsoever each one likes, without hindrance ... is
the fountain head and origin of manv evils (page 123)
The unrestrained freedom of thinking and open-
ly making known ones thoughts is not inherent in
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 259
the rights of citizens, and is by no means reckoned
worthy of favor or support, (page 126)
We must now consider briefly liberty of speech,
and liberty of the press. It is hardly necessary to say
that there can be no such right as this. . . . (page 151)
If unbridled license of speech and writing be
granted to all, nothing will remain sacred and in-
violate, (page 152)
So you see the Pope denies today the right
to think. The Romanists of this country are obliged
to obey and inculcate these treasonable principles.
It is because of this citizenship that the Roman Church
has established its gigantic parochial school system.
ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY THE FREE PRESS
FITZGERALD BILL (H. R. 6468)
On December 17, 1915, Roman Catholic Repre-
sentative John J. Fitzgerald, Knight of Columbus, of
Greater New York introduced the following Bill:
"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States of America, in Con-
gress assembled, That whenever it shall be established
to the satisfaction of the Postmaster General that
any person is engaged, or represents himself as en-
gaged the business of publishing any obscene or im-
moral books, pamphlets, pictures, prints, engravings,
lithographs, photographs, or other publicatons, matter,
or thing of an indecent, immoral, or scurrilous charac-
ter, and if such person shall, in the opinion of the
Postmaster General, endeavor to use the postoffice
for the promotion of such business, it is hereby de-
clared that no letter, packet, parcel, newspaper, book,
or other things sent or sought to be sent through
the Postoffice, or by or on behalf, of or to, or on behalf
of such person, shall be deemed mailable matter, and
the Postmaster General shall make the necessary rules
and regulations to exclude such nonmailable matter
from the mails."
260 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The Record shows that Holy Names Societies of
the Roman Catholic Church immediately became active
and sent to their Representatives many petitions urg-
ing the enactment oi these measures into laws.
Liberty, then, as we have said, belongs only to
those who have the gift of reason or intelligence.
(Leo XHI the Great Encyclicals, page 137).
And the priests claim the right to be the judge
of those who would have the "Gift of reason or in-
telligence."
Roman Catholic citizenship is inimical to Ameri-
can citizenship. Roman Catholc citizenship is repre-
sented by the confessional box. American citizenship
is represented by the BALLOT BOX.
ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY THE FREE PRESS
GALLIVAN BILL (H. R. 13778)
On March 27, 1916, Roman Catholic Representa-
tive James A. Gallivan of Boston, introduced the fol-
lowing: ,,,^l^
"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States of America, in Congress
assembled, that the Postmaster General shall make the
necessary rules and regulations to exclude from the
mails those publications, the avowed and deliberate
purpose of which is to attack a recognized religion,
held by the citizens of the United States or any
religious order to which citizens of the United States
belong."
In January, 1915, Representatives Fitzgerald
and Gallivan had each introduced a Bill substantially
identical with the Fitzgerald Bill hereinbefore set out.
At the hearing on those Bills before the House Com-
mittee on the Post Office and Post Roads, Roman
Catholic Representative James P. Maher, of Greater
New York, stated frankly that the Bills had been in-
troduced to shield sixteen million Roman Catholics
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 261
and twenty thousand Roman Catholic priests from
public criticism, by excluding," The Menace," the "Yel-
low Jacket" and similar publications from the mails.
The above un-American citizens sponsored these
Bills on the explicit instructions of their Church.
Leo Xlllth commands them thus:
Furthermore, it is in general fitting and salutary
that Catholics should extend their efforts beyond this
restricted sphere (Municipal politics) and give their
attention to national politics. . . While if they hold
aloof . . this would tend to the injury of the Catholic
religion, forasmuch, as those would come into power
who are badly disposed towards the Church, and those
who are willing to befriend her would be deprived of
all influence, (page 131)
These laymen, tools of the Romish Church would
strangle our Press to prevent criticism of their religion
and 20,000 bachelor fathers!
LEO XIII ON LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
Another liberty, is widely advocated, namely the
liberty of conscience. If by this is meant that every
one may, as he chooses, worship God or not, it is
sufficently refuted by the arguments already adduced,
(page 155)
Hence follows the fatal theory of the need of
separation of Church and State, (page 148)
From this teaching, as from its source and prin-
ciple flows that fatal principle of the separation of
Church and State, (page 159)
From what has been said, it follows, that it is
quite unlawful, to demand, to defend, or to grant un-
conditional freedom of thought,of speech, of writing,
or of worship, (page 161).
And now let us see how well the Roman Catho-
lic Church requires its members to observe and ac-
cept the above concentrated treason to our POPULAR
GOVERNMENT.
The strangulation of a Free Press in this country
262 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
HON. JOHN J. FITZGERALD,
Who introduced one of the postal bills.
is to be completed through legislation. We call your
attention to the three Bills which the Knights of
Columbus have been trying to engineer through for
the past seven years under the photographs of the
Pope's Catholic Citizens, Messrs, Fitzgerald and Galli-
van and the papalized Hebrew, one, Isaac Siegal.
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 263
HON. JAMES A. GALLIVAN,
Who introduced two of the postal bills.
PEACEABLE ASSEMBLAGES DENIED IN
UNITED STATES BY ROMAN CATH-
OLIC MOB RULE
THE
That the right of peaceable assemblage is almost
a thing of the past in this country is proven by the
numerous mobs instigated and led by the priests and
Knights of Columbus and their hoodlums in the
various cities from coast to coast.
264 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The reader has seen from the foregoing quota-
tions from the Great Encyclicals of Leo Xnith that
the right to think and to speak and liberty of con-
science is absolutely prohibitive in CATHOLIC citizen-
ship. In order to prove to you the existence of this
divine right citizenship; and in order to prove to you
that the members of the Roman Catholic church can-
not and do not grant liberty of conscience to Romanists
who have left the church, I call your attention to the
following table of mobs and riots carried on by them :
June 12th, 1913, the Protestant people of Oelwein,
Iowa, invited Jeremiah J. Crowley, ex-priest and author
of the "Parochial School; A Curse to the Church and
a Menace to the Nation," to address them in the theatre
of that town on the subject of the public school ques-
tion. At the instigation of the Roman Catholic priest
of that city who delivered his sermon the Sunday be-
fore the Crowley lecture, some two thousand Roman-
ists led by the Knights of Columbus and their hood-
lums, mobbed Mr. Crowley as he was leaving the
theatre with some of his friends, and beat him severely.
April 14th, 1914, the Rev Otis Spurgeon of Iowa,
who had been called to deliver a course of lectures
by Protestant Americans at Denver, Colorado, was
kidnapped from the Pierce Hotel in that city at eight
o'clock in the evening, bound hand and foot, gagged
and a strap placed around his neck, and was thrown in-
to an automobile, narked in front of the hotel, whisked
out into the country and beaten into unconsciousness.
En route his captors told him they were Knights of
Columbus and repeatedly during the trip when he
refused to answer or did not answer as they wished,
he was choked by the strap. ("Strangulation cord")
The Rev. Spurgeon was finally rescued, taken to
a hosnital where he was found to have sustained in-
ternal injuries and lay very ill for three weeks. The
Rev. Spurgeon was a "heretic" and a "Mason."
On Feb. 4th, 1915, Rev. Win. Black, ex-priest,
at that time a Congregational minister, was deliver-
ing a course of lectures, enroute to the California
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 265
Coa3t, where he was to have testified that while he
was a Roman priest and a Knight of Columbus he had
taken the Jesuit oath on the Congressional Record . . .
cited hereto! ore. The Reverend Black had reached Mar-
shall, Texas, where he was to deliver two lectures. He
gave his first lecture on the public school question in the
auditorium of the City Hall at Marshall, Feb. 3rd.
About five o'clock in the evening on Feb. 4th, Mr.
Black and his body guard, a Mr. J. A. Hall, ex-soldier
and expert shot whom he took with him on his trip
were returning from a walk about the city. On reach-
ing his door four men standing at the end of the
corridor nearby approached him. They asked if he
was Mr. Black and permission to come in and speak
with him a few minutes. The Rev. Black opened the
door and invited them in. The visitors first of all in-
formed him that they were members of the Knights
of Columbus Council of Marshall; that they under-
stood that he intended to deliver another lecture
"against their church" that night. Mr. Black assured
them that they were correct. Then the spokesman,
a prominent attorney, Ryan by name, said, "No you
won't. We will give you just fifteen minutes to pack
your suitcase and get out of town." Mr. Black coolly
informed them that he intended to deliver his lecture;
that he would relinguish his American constititional
rights for no man. On rising from a shoeblacking case
where he had been sitting, John Rogers, a leading
architect of that vicinity who had drawn up plans of
the hotel in which they now were, sprang toward him,
pinioned his arms and in shorter time than it takes to
tell it, Black's body was riddled with bullets, and in
the melee John Rogers' body fell across that of Black's,
being also instantly killed. Copeland, a leading banker
the third Knight of Columbus, — Catholic citizen — re-
ceived a wound from which he will never fully recover
and promptly received the consolations of his church
in the corridor, outside the room where they carried
him. It may be of interest to know that the priest
was in the lobby of the hotel when Black and Hall
266 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
entered to go to their room. Through political influ-
ence, these surviving K. C. participants in this coward-
ly assassination went free.
April 6th,1915, the Rev Dr. Joseph and Mary
Slattery, ex-priest and ex-nun, of Boston, Mass. were
called by Protestant Americans to deliver some lectures
in Chicago, 111. They were lecturing in a Masonic hall
on the south side of the city. In the early part of Dr.
Slattery's talk a mob of Roman Catholic hoodlums
and members of the Knights of Columbus left their
hall which was just across the street, entered the
Slattery meeting and proceeded to start a riot in true
Roman style, by calling Dr. Slattery "a liar." At a
signal from a man wearing a Roman collar from which
he drew a handkerchief which had concealed it, the
riot started in earnest. Chairs and furniture were
smashed, men and women were beaten indiscriminately
and disfigured by the use of brass knucks and black
jacks. The telephone wires in the hall and even the
nearby drugstores had been cut and it was fully three-
quarters of an hour before they had any response from
the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus policemen. The
speaker and his wife made a miraculous escape. The
windows of the automobile in which they were driven
were shattered by bullets. These Roman thugs entered
street cars, attacked the passengers who had not been
at the lecture and knew nothing about the riot. They
pulled the trolleys off the wires and derailed and de-
molished several cars. So much for Roman Catholic
citizenship in the great city of Chicago.
In Haverhill, Mass., April 4th, 1916, these Knights
of Columbus and their hoodlums being summoned lor
the occasion from neighboring cities and towns, forced
their way into the City Hall where a meeting was
being held by Thos. E. Leyden, who was speaking
upon the political activities of the Roman church in
American politics. I will quote the headlines from
some of the Massachusetts papers :
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 267
Boston Post,
BIG RIOT RAGES IN HAVERHILL
MANY BEATEN
MILITIA IS CALLED
CITY HALL STORMED BY ANGRY MOBS
WHILE REV. THOS. E. LEYDEN WAS HIDDEN IN
THE ALDERMAN'S CHAMBER
10,000 IN WILD HAVERHILL RIOTS— MILITIA
CALLED OUT TO SUPPRESS MOB THAT
GETS BEYOND POLICE
City Hal! and Police Station Attacked With Missiles
Torn from Streets. National Club Wrecked and
Officer and Civilian Badly Beaten
EDITORIAL FROM THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
JOURNAL, BOSTON, APRIL 21, 1916
MOB LAW
The question of free speech is one of such funda-
mental importance to humanity that it is easy to un-
derstand the commotion which has been caused in
the State of Massachusetts, by the recent riots in
Haverhill. The contention that a mob with or without
cause, is at liberty to usurp the prerogatives of the
courts, and to substitute lynch law for official justice,
constitutes, indeed, a precedent destructive of all popu-
lar liberty. The history of liberty is very largely the
effort of authority to restrain license. When the
human passions are roused license is always apt to
come to the top.
268 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
i
There is no rhyme or reason in the attack of a
mob. It is just as willing to smash a great invention
like the spinning- jenny, for fear of the displacement
of labor, as it is to stuff the mouth of a Foulon witn
straw. It is just this that makes the case of the mob
in Haverhill so important. If its action is overlooked,
if it is connived at. worse still if it is justified today,
there is no length to which it may not go tomorrow,
and the example set, in Haverhill, may be repeated
elsewhere at the expense of the very views which
the Haverhill exhibition was intended to support.
The simple fact is that the Haverhill mob out-
raged in the frankest and most indefensible way the
common right of free speech. It is not of the slightest
importance who Mr. Leyden was, what he was going
to say, or what the effect of his words might be. He
was entitled to speak, or he was not entitled to speak. If
he was entitled to speak no mob had any right to pre-
vent him. If he was not entitled to speak no mob had
any right to decide the question and to enforce its
own decision. In each event it outraged entirely the
rights of free speech, the only difference is that in one
case it outraged it rather worse than in the other.
RESOLUTIONS OF BAPTIST MINISTRY
The Protestant clergy of greater Boston have
registered their protest against the outrage in no un-
certain tones. Perhaps the most notable of these were
the resolutions adopted by the Baptist ministers of
greater Boston on April 10th. Thev were read by
Professor F. L. Anderson of Newton Theological Sem-
inary and were, in part, as follows:
"The plain, significant and undisputed fact is that
an American citizen was denied the right of free
speech, guaranteed by the constitution of Massachu-
setts, and that the authorities failed to protect him.
That the mob was the result of a premeditated plan
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 269
appears clear from the fact that the lecturer was not
permitted even to begin.
"We want to know whether this sort of thing is
to continue, whether it is possible that we are
entering upon an era of Catholic tyranny in this
state, whether henceforth in this state criticism of
one church, and only one, is to be indulged in only
at the risk of life and limb. We demand of the cardi-
nal that he publicly state his attitude and enforce his
authority in such a manner as shall make Catholic
mobs impossible in this state. If the cardinal fails to
accede to our demand, we shall know how to interpret
his continued silence and shall act accordingly.
"We demand that the public authorities bring to
justice the leaders of the mob and that the courts
impose suitable punishment. A failure here will prove
the constitution and laws of Massachusetts mere
scraps of paper, and will forever debar our state,
the nursery of liberty, from criticising those Common-
wealths where lynching goes unavenged. We say this
advisedly, for, according to the beliefs of both our
fathers and ourselves, liberty of speech is more pre-
cious than life.
"But more than this is required. The only adequate
reparation which can be made for this public outrage
is a public atonement. This, to our mind, should take
the form of an arrangement with Mr Leyden by the
citizens of Haverhill, by which he shall speak in
Haverhill on the topic already advertised, and shall be
protected in his rights by the city and state at any
cost. If he then transgresses the laws against slander or
incendiary speech, let him be proceeded against by due
process of law."
PROTESTANT MINISTERS SPEAK
The entire body of the Protestant clergy of Hav-
erhill, thirteen in number, appeared before Mayor
Bartlett and Commissioner Hoyt. on April 7, to pro-
test against the outrage, the inefficiency of the police
270 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
and the equally disgraceful failure of the department
of justice to ferret out, arrest and punish the ring
leaders of the mob.
The Rev. Nicholas Van der Pyl acted as spokes-
man for the ministerial body. In the course of his
address he thus voiced the sentiments of the united
Protestant ministry of Haverhill:
"I speak in behalf and by the authority of the
entire Protestant clergy of the city of Haverhill.
"We deplore, and we feel indignant about the
lawlessness which overran this city last Monday night.
Our city has been disgraced before the country, and
only the people of this city can remove the disgrace
which is ours today.
"We are not bigots. We have the highest charity
for all who worship God in their own way and according
to the dictates of their own conscience.
"But we are also American citizens, and we are
the accredited representatives of the morals and re-
ligious interests of this city. We hold inviolable the
great principles of freedom of speech and freedom
of the press, subject to the laws of libel and incendiar-
ism, after the fact, which have been established by
all the people, and which only the people can abrogate.
"A mob has overrun our city. Churches have been
broken into and desecrated by that mob. The homes
of unoffending and innocent citizens have been stoned.
In some cases lives have been threatened and placed in
jeopardy. We cannot forget so long as the mob is
permitted to be victorious, and its leaders glowing in
the fact that they have trampled under their feet
the most sacred rights of all our people. We will not
forget until the principle of free speech has been im-
pressively vindicated by the law-abiding element of
this community itself."
In point of fact the condition is this, that no
ex-Romanist now in the field in this conflict in this
country is granted his or her constitutional rights
by the priests and prelates of the Roman Cath-
ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 271
olic church. There is not an ex-Catholic lecturer
in the field today who does not take his or her
life in their own hands every time they appear be-
fore an audience. Speaking from personal experience
the writer has had several mobs, one of which was in
the Pioneer Congregational church in Chicago, Illi-
nois, where the following subjects were advertised:
"The Enemy within our borders."
"The Public vs. Parochial schools."
"The Suppressed Truth about the Assassination of
Abraham Lincoln."
The church early in the evening was surrounded
by a mob of about 2,000 Catholics some of whom
forced their way in and filled up the auditorium. After
listening for about three quarters o± an hour, at a
whistle from the leader of the mob which was the
signal to begin, windows were broken, chairs were
smashed, literature torn and scattered all over the hall.
In response to a riot call from the down town station
(police at that precinct there would not respond) two
wagon loads of officers stepped out, all of whom but
one were Knights of Columbus. I know this because
they admitted it to me. Such wide publicity of my
meetings has been given by the local and anti-Roman
press of K. of C. mobs in San Francisco, Sept. 22nd
and Sept. 26th, 1921, that it is not necessary to dwell
on them. ,•
Only a few weeks ago we read of the mobs of the
meetings of the Baptist minister, ex-Monk Eli M.
Erickson in Chicago, El., who speaks upon his con-
version from Romanism to Protestantism. But again
the priests of Rome denied Rev. Erickson his Ameri-
can rights. This mobbing is not confined to ex-Ro-
manists. That splendid patriotic worker and eloquent
lecturer, Wm. Lloyd Clark, of Milan, Illinois, has, in
spite, of Rome's vicious mobs, time without number,
held the torch of American patriotism up for the last
thirty-five years. For the most part he was almost sin-
gle handed and alone. Mr. Clark has been rotten-egged,
272 ASSASSINS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
shot at, arrested and jailed, dozens of times,
but he has never ceased to batter at these assassins
of Liberty.
In closing I will leave it to my reader to decide
whether I have proved my contention in the beginning
of this book that the assassination of Abraham Lin-
coln and four other presidents is but a part of t**e
great conspiracy which was outlined in the Secret
Treaty of Verona to destroy this Republic.
That the execution of this conspiracy in Lincoln's
case, was delegated by the Pope of Rome to the Jesuits
in the United States and their lay agents, the Leopol-
dines.
That instead of the use of bullets and bayonets,
their method has been and is to destroy from within
by the subversion of all of the free institutions upon
which this Republic is based.
That the church of Rome has established a sepa-
rate citizenship to promote its teachings and by its
enormous wealth a large proportion of which has been
obtained by unconstitutional and illegal appropriations
from public funds; that with this wealth (over two
and a half billion dollars worth of church and other
religious property, for the most part exempt from
taxation) it has by a system of intimidation and brib-
ery corrupted our free press and is in control of every
avenue of publicity, so that the American people re-
main in almost total ignorance of its pernicious activi-
ties, which, if not curbed, will succeed in accomplishing
its object in these United tates.
For the further information of the reader, allow
me to impress it upon you, that the present Pope,
Pius Xlth, is the Cardinal Ratti, whom the late Pope
sent to Poland on the express mission of inducing the
makers of the new constitution to restore the Roman
church as the State church, a feat which the gentle-
man covered himself with papal glory, by accomplish-
ing, an act n® doubt, which earned him the Pontifical
throne. Also remember that Pius Xlth stands for just
what all Popes have stc^/ for.
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