Where was John Surratt on April 14, 1865 ?

[loetar44]

(03-27-2017 07:29 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Frankly, I don't believe that "conventional" wisdom is unanimous in believing that Booth visited the boardinghouse ca. 9 pm. Even Weichmann guessed at who that was, and there is evidence that it was someone else bringing things to Olivia Jenkins. Susan H filled us in on that one months ago.

Could it be Richard M. Smoot? Mary Surratt had two incriminating meetings with him, after Smoot sold on January 14, 1865 a boat to John Surratt. When the promised payments were not made Smoot went to Mary Surratt’s pension in H-street on April 12 and April 14.

Here are Smoot’s verbatim words as written in “The Unwritten History of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln”, published in 1908 shortly after his death on May 8, 1906:

April 12:
"I went to the capital and called upon Mrs. Surratt at her home the Wednesday morning before the assassination. I was met at the door by Miss Annie Surratt, with whom I had a slight acquaintance, and she conducted me into the presence of her mother, who was seated in the parlor. I asked the old lady where I could see her son John. For a moment her face was a study. She really made me uneasy with her penetrating look of inquiry. She evidently was not satisfied with my appearance, for after a brief silence she informed me that she was unable to tell me of the exact whereabouts of her son, or when and where I could see him, I saw that I was under suspicion, and so told her the object of my visit. In an instant her whole demeanor changed. Her face brightened and she extended me a most cordial greeting. She eagerly inquired if the boat was in place and easily accessible, as it might be called into requisition that night. I informed her what disposition had been made of the boat, and that Bateman was in charge of it. Then she assumed an anxious expression and hurriedly and earnestly importuned me to leave the city at once. She did not vouchsafe me any explanation of her sudden change of disposition, but I inferred that she feared that I had been followed, and that my presence in her house would lead to her arrest as well as my own. She whispered to me that if I would return to the house on Friday I would most likely see John and the boys, and she showed me a letter written by John to a Miss Mitchell, in which he said that he would be in Washington on the following Friday if he possibly could. I never found out who Miss Mitchell was. Neither she nor the letter played any part in the subsequent happenings. I opined that Miss Mitchell was John's sweetheart, and that she had given the letter to Mrs. Surratt after having read it."

April 14:
"I returned to the capitol, reaching there about half past nine o'clock at night. I went direct to Mrs. Surratt's. As I approached the house I saw a woman standing on the porch. Her face was so hidden in the capacious depths of a huge sunbonnet that I could not see her features. As I started to ascend the steps the woman turned abruptly and went into the house, almost closing the door, and at the same time asking: 'Who is it?' I gave my name. The door was quickly reopened, and I was admitted into the presence of Mrs. Surratt. She was in a state of feverish excitement. I asked her if John had returned, and she replied that he had not. She then informed me that she was positive that the boat would be used that night, and that I would get my money in a day or two. She most earnestly besought me to leave the city and not be seen at her house again. Her manner caused me alarm. I felt that a crisis was at hand, and that I was facing some unseen danger. I left the house and went down town, feeling that it was imperative that I should get out of the city in the shortest possible time, I found that the only mode of conveyance out of the city was a stage which left the Long Bridge at ten o'clock. I hurried to the bridge only to find that the stage had gone. Impelled by the earnestness with which Mrs. Surratt had urged me to leave Washington, I determined to walk to Alexandria, eight miles distant, which I did, arriving there about eleven o'clock. I went to the City Hotel, engaged a room and went to bed …"

IMO we can learn at least four things out of this:

1. Richard Smoot was at 9:30 PM on April 14th. in Surratt's boardinghouse
2. Mary was in a state of feverish excitement at that moment
3. Maybe John Surratt was in the house or just had left (remember Susan Jackson) and Mary lied about that.
4. Mary is not as "saintly" as she is pictured by many later on (after her execution), she definitely knew (a lot) more.

Smoot also said shortly before his death: "John Surratt and myself are, perhaps, the only two persons living who were directly and indirectly connected with the killing of Abraham Lincoln, he directly and myself indirectly..."

And who was "Miss Mitchell"? Another "Anna Ward", i.e. another mail courier?