The Placer herald., 1865-09-09
THE CASE OF MRS. SURRATT.

the Secretary OF War. Mr.. Stanton, had in.
,erfer-d with :he attendance of Mrs Surra,t's
spiritual adviser. The fact WA first pub.
lished in The New York Tribune, from which
we copied il. 1t seems new tha, the New
York Times and some PhiladsI phia paper
have denied il, and denounced the story MS a
malicious fabrication. The Tribune. how.
ever. now publishes the following statement.
and ddreS the Times or the Secretary of War
to deny it:
On Thursday morning. the 9Th inst, the
Rev. Father Waller, pastor of ST. Patrick's
Church. in this city. went to the War Office
to ask for pass 10 visit Mrs Surra,t. ignor.
ant of the fact that she had already been
condemned to suffer death on the following
day. lie had never previously visited Mrs
$, nor did he know her except bv reputa-
ton. On appcaion, he WIS Informed hy
Gen. Hardie, A. A G. to Ser'v. Stanton, that
he could not give him pass without first
consulting Mr.. Stanton, who was out at :he
time. Father Walter returned home, and At
| o'clock. p. IN. on the same day received
pass to visit the prison, signed, hy order of
the Secretary Of War, Gen. uardie, A. A.
General.
The messenger who brought the pass to
Father Walter, being An intelligent Irish
man, Father w. entered into conversation
with h'm on the subject Of the execution,
firmly asserting his belief in Mrs. Surra,,'s
innocence. In half or perhaps nm hour af
terward, Gen. llardie himself called At the
r. sidence Of Father Walter. aud after some
Irrelevant conversation said "Falher Walter,
YOU made quite an impression on the mind
of my messenger in regard to the execution
of Mrs. Surralt," to which Father w. re-.
marked that he was firmly impressed with
her entire innocence. Gen. llarle then said:
"Faiher Walter. the pass YOU have will no,
admit you to the military prison Tomorrow
because it is not signed hv The Secretary of
War. ! want Won to make me a promise to
say nothing of Mrs. Surra,'s innocence, and
| | will give YOU the necessary pass"
FaIher Walter. naturally indignant, i'm.
mediai-ly refused TO acceGe to General HIS
demand, giving him to understand in ,he
pIainest k'nh of language. that no official.
civil or military, could enf"rce his silence on
this point; and rema'king that he knew I'm.
der whose authority he (G-n. II WAS acting.
Gen Harde-a converted Catholic, hy the
way-,hen said, pa'ronizingly, that as yet
Il ere were no charges lodged against him,
Father w., at the War Department, to
which the latter rtj"ined that he nigh, tell
his master. Stanton, that he conscipnIinusly
believed Mrs Su'ratt gnil,Iess; that he should
proclaim his belief. and that the War De-,
I'ar'ment nigh, hang him if i, thought
pr per.
Gen. Harlie was about to q without Civ
ing Father w. the pass. when the latter
sa,d: "G-n. llarli-, | cannot suffer Mrs. Sur.
raft I" die without administering the sacra.
ment; | say yes to y"ur pr"posil"n; give me
tho pass" Gen. Ilarde then drew from his
I'"rke, pass drIy filled up aud signed t.,
Edwin NJ Stanton, admitting him, Father
w.. to the prison until after the execution.
Previous TO the removal Ct Mrs. Surra,,
from the Carroll to the Military Prison,
Father w. had made arpl"alon t" tho War
Cflire for a pass to visit her. she being very
i'll. hu, in every instance his applications
were denied, and up to the very dav before
he execution Mrs. S. WAS deprived hy the
Secretary "f War Of spiritual attendants
The atfi'lavi's If J. p. Brophy in regard
To WeirhmAn and the innocency of Mrs.
Sur att, are new to the public but not so
new I" the Judge Advocates Of the late Mi.
,ary Commission. They are made up from
W-irhman's own statements to Brophy jus,
before and since the trial Mr. Br",hy il
far beyond the reach of assault hy the Gov.
er"ment. |, may be also stated Il al he was
called 10y the Government for ono Of their
own witnesses, but hy Weirhman's sperial
interposiIi"n he was not ared upon the
| Mro Il
them AS their Witness brrause they were not
allowed to recall W-irhman to ay the foun-
dalion for his Impeachment BY Brophy.
Weichman states that the statement of
Brophy imreaching his character and lesli-
mony is tissue Of lies from beginning to
eud; that said statement was twice submitted
to Judge Holt aud once to President John,
son and all the members OF the Court before
,hs execution, without any effect; tha. it was
only at Brophys own request that be was
not even called to the stand to testify to
Wechman's good character. The card also
details some conversation of Mrs. Surralt
which did not appear before the Court show.
ing her know ledge Of the conspiracy. lie
says Brophy is an alien, unnsluralizrd, and
has never taken the oath of allegiance to The
Government h4 attempts to assai in the per-
son of its chief witness,
Before the body of Mrs. Surratt was cut
down her friends asked Gen. IIanrork for
permission to remove the corpse, and had in
waiting Mr.. Harvey, the undertaken. Gen.
Hancock said he had no authority to grant
tho request, and referred the friends to the
Secretary Of War. They went Immediately
to the Secreary's office, and finding him in,
and being refused permission to see him, the
following note WAS sent to him:
WASHINGTON. d. c.. July 7, 1865.
To the Hon. Secretary of Var:
SIP: The friends Of Mrs. Snrratt, whose
sphere in life has not been widely different
from that of other competent and respect,
able people, desire aud earnestly AK permis'