Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-07-10
ACT OF THE TRAGEDY.
rHE E<EOUT1ON.
Last HOuYs OF the Condo mned How
they Passed the Night-Confes.
siOns by Payne and Atzerott-
The Scene at the Scatfold
Affecting Scenes at the
White House, &C., Acs
Especial to The Commercial.l

Especial to The Commercia.l
WASHINGTON, July z.
The last tragic chapter OF the great con-
spiracy to assassinate the President and
Cabinet is finished. To-day at half past
o'clock, within the Penitentiary walls,
where they were tried and convicted, Lewis
Payne Powell, Mary K. Surratt David T..
Harold and George Atzerott, were hanged
by the neck until they were dead, In exc
cution of the sentence of the Military Com
mission duly approved by the President,
for the crimes of conspiracy, treason and
murder. The painful scene was unattend-
ed by any extraordinary accident or incl
dent and was conducted in the most SOL
emn and quiet manner. .t..
At noon yesterday, the condemned were
notified OF the sentence of death, and In
short time thereafter their friends and
spiritual advisers were in their presence.
Duringthe afternoon, the condemned were
removed from the upper row and placed In
the ground floor cells. Their companions
in crime-Mudd, Spangler, O'Laughlln and
Arnold-remained in the third tier of cells,
unaware of the sentences of their fellow
prisoners, or of their own. Mrs. Surratt
was kept in her old cell, attended by her
daughter, Anna Surratt, and two Catholic
clergymen of this city. During the night
she was very much oppressed, and suffered
from pains caused by nervous prostratlon.
A good deal of her time was spent in relig-
ious exercise, and she did not, therefore,
sleep any. Aside from her daughter, one or
two friends were allowed to see her. but
each time in the presence OF an officer.
During the night Mrs. Surratt conversed
freely with the Catholic priests on the crime
for which she was convicted, claiming that
she was innocent of any completely in the
of 81 lsf not
was served to her at the usual hour this
morning, but she declined to eat anything.
Miss Anna Surratt, who visited the Presi-
dents house this morning, returned to her
mothers cell, and remained with her to
quarter before one, when she took the last
farewell in the most agOnized state of mind.
Payne spent the night and morning in
company with Rev. DIR. Gillette, Baptist
minister, with whom he held close converse,
except for three hours when he slept. He
very freely conversed with DIR. Gillette on
religious topics during the morning, sitting
as erect as he did in the Courtroom. From
his conversation it appears that he was
raised religiOusly and belonged to the Bap-
tist Church until after the breaking out of
the rebellion. He appeared to be sincerely
repentant and in his cell shed tears freely.
He gave bis adv isers several commissions
of q private character, and stated that he
was willing to meet his God, asking all men
to forgive, and forgiving all who had done
aught against him. Col. Doster, his coun-
sci, also took leave of him during the morn
| ing, as we'll as of Atzerott. Payne ate his
| breakfast as usual. No friend or relative
| appeared to see him. During the converse
tiOn, Payne said, tnat in attempting to kill
Secretary Seward, he claimed to be con,
| federate soldier. Aside from that, he added
that he believed it would give peace to the
South. He thinks now it was all wrong,
and blames the rebel leaders tor his death,
though he did not fear to die. Several times
| he expressed his thanks for the kindness
which he had received from the officers
while in prison. He stated that he was led
into the conspiracy by Booth and John
Surratt.
Harold was visited by an Episcopal min
lister, this morning. but he did not remain
long. Five of his sisters spent most all ol
the forenoon with him, his mother and two
other sisters being too i'll to visit him.
AtzerOtt, during all of last night and TO-
day, seemed to betray great fear; he wa.
nervous and excited, aud declared that ht
was afraid to die, and that he was not pre-
pared. Two ministers attended him. bu
he did not appear to be religiously com
forted. AtzerOtt stated to these gentlemen
last night, that John Surratt induced hin
to Join the conspiracy to abduct the Presi
dent, and that Surratt came to Port TObac'
co. Maryland, to get him, with boat, tC
take the President across the Potomac, af
ter he was abducted. -
This morning Atzerott conversed freely
with two minister's and before going to thu
gallows he made the following statement
He said he took a room at the kirkwo
House, on Thursday, April 13, In order tC
| eat nocc from, Vioa Prpeidpnt .J0hus0n- N
90 to Richmond. Booth was to lease th'
Richmond Theater, and the President wa
to be invited to attend it when visiting
Richmond, and captured there.
Harold brought the pistol and knife tC
the room about halt-past two o'clock on
Friday. He (Atzerott) said he would moi
have any thing to do with the murder Of
johnson, when Booth said that Harold had
more courage than AtzerOtt, ana ne wanted
Atzerott to be with Harold, to nrge him
to do it. There was meeting at restau-
rant about the middle Of March, at which
John Surratt, O'Laughlin, Booth, Arnold
Payne, Harold and himself were present
when plan to capture the President was
discussed. They had heard the President
was to visit a camp, and they proposed Il
capture him, coach and all, drive through
Langold fields to T. B., ten miles in Mary
land, where the coach was to be left, ant
fresh horses were to be got, and the party
would proceed to the river to take boat
Harold took buggy to II. B., in anticipa
ton that Mr.. Lincoln would be captured
and he was to go with the party to the riv
er. Slavery had put him on the side of th,
South. He had heard it preached In churcl
that the curse of God was upon the slaves
for they were turned black. He alway
hated the negro, and he felt that they 9TH
negroes) should be kept in ignorance. Iii
had not received any money from Booth
although he had been promised that If they
were successful they should never want
that they would be honored throughout tn,
South, and that they could secure an ex
change of prisoners, and the recognition 0
the Confederacy.
Atzerott's brother has occasionally Wis
tied him, and this morning his aged mothe
arrived in town and proceeded to his cell
At 10 o'clock the preparations for the ex
ecution were completed. The scafiOld ha
been finished an hour before. The privil
eyed persons were admitted to the var
, where it was erected. Son sat on the plat
form almost prostrated by the heat. Ger
Hancock, who had charge of the execution
. did not arrive till half-past II, having bee
detained in Court, In making return
the writ Of habeds corpus In Mrs. Surratt
, case, which he was directed by the Presl
: dent to refuse to obey.
,I Within the prison walls at this hour th
condemned we're making their final prep
arations for death. One of the CathOli
priests administered the Sacrament to Mr.
Surratt A feu minutes To one O'clock A