Where was John Surratt on April 14, 1865 ?

[loetar44]

(03-24-2017 09:28 AM)brtmchl Wrote:  What led the Metro Police to the Surratt home so quickly after the shooting? It is my understanding that John Surratt's name started circling 45 minutes after the attack as the attacker of Seward. I understand that Surratt and Booth were known acquaintances but Booth was a famous man who had many acquaintances.

What specific tip had they received that led them there so quickly? I can't imagine that it was from questioning of those at the theatre that could have had that quick of a reaction.

From wiki: "Department of War employee Daniel Gleason, had alerted federal authorities to Confederate activity centered on the Surratt house, but this does not explain why D.C. police rather than federal agents appeared there."

Good question!

Historians usually argue that the information Capt. Daniel H.L. Gleason supplied to the War Department led to the arrest of Mary Surratt and the other women in the Surratt house. Gleason worked with Weichmann and had heard information from him that the Surratt house “was a nest of illegal activities”. He first testified this on April 18 (one day after Mary Surratt’s arrest). When Weichmann told Gleason of his suspicions, Gleason did not take this too seriously.

It was Susan Jackson who told Mary Ann Griffin (her aunt) about seeing three men in the Surratt house on Saturday night April 15 and that one of them had said to Mary that John Surratt was in Ford’s Theater at the moment of the assassination. Ms. Griffin told her employer (Surratt's neighbor) John H. Kimball the story and Kimball in turn told Mr. P. M. Clark (citizen). Kimball and Clark informed the military authorities on April 17. Gen. Augur then gave Col. Olcott the order to arrest all the people present in the Surratt house. Later Col. John Foster said: “The information derived from this girl [Susan Jackson] led to the arrest of Mrs. Surratt, which was made late in the evening of the 17th.” (by the Metropolitan Police Force, not the War Department !)

Why would Susan gave an erroneous testimony, later repeated to Provost Marshall Wells? It is said that the three mysterious men (probably?) were: Weichmann, Holohan and Police officer McDevitt. Jackson was a new servant and lived and worked in the Surratt house for only 2 or 3 weeks. BUT, she knew Weichmann and Holohan, because they had a room there! At least they were no strangers to her! Why did she then not recognize them? Strange, very strange.

After the execution of the conspirators, people who felt they deserved reward money came forward. After much argument the rewards were finally released in July 1866. President Johnson revoked the reward for John Surratt (why?). And, why received Kimball, Clark, Griffin and Jackson their money if "the government no longer put much faith in the story." (Susan's words)?

Notice that Kimball and Clark received double (each $500) what Griffin and Jackson received (each $250). This difference was simply because Kimball and Clark were men while Griffin and Jackson were African-American women.