Where was John Surratt on April 14, 1865 ?

[L Verge]

Read page 91 of Assassin's Accomplice by Kate Clifford Larson for a more detailed description of that midnight visit to the boardinghouse. There were more than just McDevitt at the door. When Weichmann answered the bell, McDevitt and four other associates came in (Skippon, Clarvoe, Bigley, and Kelley). They spread out in the house, so Susan Jackson (feigning sleep) may have seen only three men, but there were more. Holohan tagged along only after they searched his family's rooms.

Susan actually did see three men (only) at the house later that morning when Weichmann and Holohan came back from police headquarters with McDevitt accompanying them.

The next visit by authorities came on April 17 and included six military men inside and guards posted outside under the orders of Col. Wells. By that time, Holohan, Weichmann, and McDevitt were on their own hunt for Surratt in Baltimore, New York, and eventually Canada.

I am also trying to find the reference, but somewhere there is mention of someone outside the theater giving a tip to check out the Surratt boardinghouse. A.C. Richards said that there were quite a few tips that Booth knew Surratt. Those things led to the quick trip to H Street on April 15.

[brtmchl]

What led the Metro Police to the Surratt home so quickly after the shooting?

Mike, several possibilities are mentioned in the thread here.

Regarding who gave the Surratt tip, Mike Kauffman writes, "it remains one of the great mysteries of the Lincoln assassination story."

Thank you Roger.

In that thread Jim Garrett writes, "He doesn't name a tipster, just that it was reported that they had received information that Booth had been scene in the company of John Surratt. He mentions Superintendent A.C. Richards quickly move on the investigation,....."

Could that be taken as in the company of Surratt that day?

Again, it would seem that Booth was a very popular man and numerous people could have been identified as in the company with Booth. The fact that they seemed to move so quickly on Surratt, even pushing the narrative that he was an attacker that evening seems to imply that they believed for some reason Surratt was in the city.

I also, find the theory in that past thread, that the Surratt house was under surveillance interesting. If this was true, can you imagine the horror those people felt after learning of the assassination happening while they were investigating the very people involved? "Useless...Useless!"

[loetar44]

I remember that I once read (can't recall where) that the tipster was James P. Ferguson from the Greenback Saloon, that he told the police that Booth and Surratt were close friends.

[Susan Higginbotham]

My guess is that anyone on H Street who had seen Booth sauntering back and forth from the boardinghouse in the weeks before the assassination could have told police that he was friendly with John Surratt.

[brtmchl]

Is there a possibility that Surratt was in Washington to go about the original plot? In this diary he says he was called back to Washington by Booth, remarks that he got funds to return to Washington.

Excerpts from The private journal and diary of John H. Surratt, the conspirator
by Surratt, John H. (John Harrison), 1844-1916

April 10, 1865 Lincoln is again in Washington. Now is our time to act, and avenge the losses we have sustained on those who have caused them. Booth has written to me to say that he has changed his mind, and wants my assistance in Washington.
April 11, 1865 – Have received the necessary funds , and shall start tomorrow for Washington, to join Booth in his scheme. The Yankee Flag is to be raised over the battered walls of Fort Sumpter on the anniversary of Anderson’s surrender. If Lincoln should go down there, we shall miss our promised game.
April 15, 1865 Lincoln is gone at last, Booth has carried out is oft-repeated threat, and has, so it is said, really taken the life of the tyrant, it seems too good to be true. But the “assassin” –Saviour- is being pursued. If he takes the road planned out, he will certainly escape. He has indeed gained an Immortal fame.
(From this time forward the diary is very irregularly kept.

Next entry is April 19 Montreal.

November 2, 1865. —Conversed with Mr. A. to-day. He says Paris will ruin me, as I have already been recognized more than once. I think and the rest would like to get rid of me. They know that if I was out of the way, there would be none left to betray them. Although not the actual assassins, they had more to do with it than they would like known, especially, of New York.
June 16, 1866—St. M appears to be a better friend than before, and to have given up the idea of the girl; but yet, I am fully convinced he does not like being twice cheated thus by the same party. His whole talk is now about the late war and death of Lincoln. He seems anxious to know whether President Davis was connected with or not. That is a secret I will tell to no man, while I am safe myself; but if the Confederates desert me, then let them prepare for trouble.

Surratt makes no mention that he failed to return to Washington but makes comments that Booth appeared to veer from the plan and carries off an "oft-repeated threat." At the very least Surratts Claim that he knew nothing of an assassination plot is false.

Is it possible that his entries after the assassination could be deliberately misleading? As if to pretend he had nothing to do with the murder. Why keep the diary at all?

[RJNorton]

Mike, are you quoting from the Dion Haco publication? That is fiction --> a fabrication; it cannot be trusted as a reliable source. Mr. James O. Hall called it "the work of a hack writer." John Brennan called it "a complete forgery and fabrication produced by a diabolical, money-mad, two-bit liar of the vilest hue."

[BettyO]

Dion Haco's Surratt Diary is what was popularly called "yellow journalism" or a yellow-backed novel" (so called because of the color of the paperback covers) which was supported by the "Penny Dreadful" press - i.e. it was pure spectacular hack fiction sold for profit - not a word of truth in these things. I collect them for fun and you can find most of them online. My favorite is "The War Detective", a hack novel in which Powell is the leader (not Booth) behind the entire Conspiracy....

[Gene C]

Here is an online copy of the book.
https://archive.org/stream/privatejourna...3/mode/2up

If you would like a reprinted copy, Amazon has a few of those too
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/...=dion+haco

And here is BettyO's favorite, "The War Detective"
https://archive.org/stream/wardetectiveo...4/mode/2up

[BettyO]

Thanks, Gene!

Internet Archieve is WONDERFUL! If you've never visited it, do so -- I guarentee that you'll be hooked; almost ANY 19th Century book you want is listed there - but be forewarned - it's highly addictive!

[L Verge]

I just broke the bubble of a college professor last week. He contacted me regarding a book that he is writing on John Surratt and had been using this fake book as his primary source! He knew of Fr. Isacsson's work on Surratt, but was unaware of Jampoler's Schein's, and Hatch's. Once I swore on my mother's grave that Haco's work was pure fiction, I think I convinced him to throw it away.

I often have to offer alternatives to some of the "quick and dirty" publications that were put out immediately after (or during) the arrests and trial - such as Terrible Tragedy at Washington and others done by Barclay & Co. They are not trustworthy either because they were aimed at making money off of the assassination. Just as rude and crude as some forms of social media today.

[loetar44]

According to the Maryland Historical Society Magazine, issue 52, Dec.1957, John Surratt never wrote a diary or something substantial on paper re. his flight, capture and trial. He also never discussed this with family or friends. At one time he did write the story of his association with the conspirators at the insistence of his son, William. McClure's Magazine rejected the story, commenting that it was doubtful anyone would be interested in what he had to say. John burned the manuscript afterwards.

[L Verge]

I had posted this previously regarding his grandchildren telling us the same thing back in the 1970s. They said that his reasoning was that there were still people who could be hurt. Since we know of at least one family member who described being snubbed by Baltimore citizens on occasion, perhaps John was thinking of other descendants who would bear the "sins of the father..."

[RJNorton]

I remember that I once read (can't recall where) that the tipster was James P. Ferguson from the Greenback Saloon, that he told the police that Booth and Surratt were close friends.

My guess is that anyone on H Street who had seen Booth sauntering back and forth from the boardinghouse in the weeks before the assassination could have told police that he was friendly with John Surratt.

An opinion on the identity of the tipster was offered by Guy W. Moore in his book entitled The Case of Mrs. Surratt: Her Controversial Trial and Execution for Conspiracy in the Lincoln Assassination.

On p. 18 Moore states his guess: John Mathews.

[brtmchl]

Mike, are you quoting from the Dion Haco publication? That is fiction --> a fabrication; it cannot be trusted as a reliable source. Mr. James O. Hall called it "the work of a hack writer." John Brennan called it "a complete forgery and fabrication produced by a diabolical, money-mad, two-bit liar of the vilest hue."

Yes Roger, I was. Thanks for the info. I should have read more from a past thread.

It is vague enough to sound believable. Did John Surratt ever call this book out as a fake?

[L Verge]

While I am not "advertising" the book, Killing Lincoln: The Real Story, by Steve Hager, I would recommend that you go to Hager's internet page and read his opening words about the fraudulent (and/or unproven) works regarding the Lincoln assassination, https://stevenhager420.wordpress.com/tag/dion-haco/