The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-07-26
The 1.aat Of fha Conap.rators.


the great conspiracy assassnste the president and
cabinet is finished.
To-day at halfpass ten o'clock, within the peHisen
nary walls where they tried and convicted Lev
Is Payne Powell Mary E. Suerast, David Harold aud
Geo A. Atzerott we're hung BY the neck until they
dead in execution Of the sentence of the military
commission duly approved by the president, for the
crime of conspiracy, and treason, and murder.
The painful unattended by any cxtraor-
binary accidents incidents and conducted in the
most solemn and quiet manner At noon yesterday,
the condemned notified of the sentence of death,
and from that time their friends and spiritual advisers
we're IN their presence. During the afternoon the
condemned men we're removed from the upper row
and placed on the ground floor of the cea. Their
companions In crime Mudd, Spangler OIaugblln and
Arnold, remained on the third tier of cells unaware
of the sentence OF their fellow prisoners or of their
own. HRS Surratt kept in her old cell attended
by her daughter, Miss Anna Surrat and two Catholic
clergymen of the city. During the nigh. she was very
much oppressed and suffered from psn caused BY ner.
vous prostration. good deal of time was spent in
religious exercises and she did not therefore sleep
any. Aside from her daughter. one or two friends
were allowed to visit her but each time in the
5! of an officer During the night Mrs Surratt con.
versed freely with the Catholic priests on the crime for
which she convicted, claiming all Of the time 1t
understood that she was innocent Of any compiled.
tv in the assassination Of president Lincoln Break.
fast served to her 81 the usual hour this a. H. but
she declined to cat anything Miss Anna Surratt who
visited the presidents house this t returned to her
mothers cell and reinaiped with her to quarter be.
fore ten when she took last farewell in most agon-
! lied state of mind. #f#
Payne spent the night and morning in company Yith
the Rev Dr. Gillette Baptist minister, With when he
held free converse except for three hours when he
slept He very freely conversed with DR.. Gillette on
religious topics during the morning, sitting erect as he
did at the courtroom From his conversation it ap
pears that he raised reig:6usly and belonged to
the Baptist church until sitter the breaking of the
rebellion. He appeared to Ut sincerely repenant, and
in his cell shed tears freely He gave bis advisors
eral commissions Of private character, and stated
that lie was willing to meet his God, asking all men to
forgive and forgving all who had done aught against
him Col Doster his counsel, also took leave of him
during the a. m. as well Of Atzerott. PAYNE ate
his breakfast usual No friend relative appeared
to see him During conversation with Payne he said
that he doing right In attempting to kill secretary
Seward as he claimed to still be Confederate SOLDIER
aside from that he added that he believed it would
give peace 10 the SOUTH lie thinks it all
wrong and bames the southern leaders for his DEATH
though he did not fear to die. Several times he
pressed his thanks for the kindness which he had
cciVed from officers while in prison. lie stated that
he led into the conspiracy by Boosh and John !
Surratt .,.
Harold visited by Episcopal minister this
noon but he did not stay long Five of his sstes,
spent most all of the day with him; his mother and
two other sisters being too i'll to visit him
Atzcrot during all of last MI ht and to-day seemed
to be in very great fear He nervous, excited, !
and declared that he afraid to die that he
prepared. Two ministers attended him. but he did !
appear to be regousy comforted Atzerott stated
to these gentlemen last night that John Surratt in
duced him to Join the conspiracy abduct the pres
dent and thag John Surratt came TO Port Tobacco,
Md and got him With boat to take the president
the Potomac after he abducted This n.
Atzerott conVersed freely with two minister's and be-
fore going to the gallows he made the following state
ment: He said he took room az the KirkWood
House. on Thursday April ID, in order to get pass
from vice.president johnson to 60 to Richmond
Booth was 10 lease the Richmond theatre, and the
president was to be Invited to attend it when visiting
Richmond, and to be captured there lie (Atzerott)
said he would not have anything to do with the muir
der Of johnson, when Booth said that Harold had
more courage than Atzcrott, and he wanted Azerott
to be with Harold to urge him to do it, There vas
meeting at a restaurant about the middle Of March,
at which Mrs. Surratt, O'Laughlin Booth, Arnold,
PINE Harold and himself were present, when
plan to capture the president was discussed They
had heard the president was % visit camp and they
proposed to capture him, coach and all drive Through
Langoldfelds to 7. B. ten miles IN MARYLAND where
the coach to be left and fresh horses got and the
party would proceed to the river to take boat Iar.
rold took buggy to T. B., in anticipation that Mr.
Lincoln would be CAPTURED, and he 70 go with the
party to the river. Slavery had put him the side
of the SOUTH. He heard 1t preached in the church
that the curse of God upon the slaves for they
were turned black He always hated the negro, and !
felt they, the negroes, should be kept in ignorance
He 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 hopored
through the SOUTH and that they could eecure
change of prisoners and the recognition Of the Con.
federacy. -z........ s-...- ..Hl -... II
Atzerotts brother has occasionally visited him. and
this morning his aged mother arrived in town and
proceeded to his cell. rt
At II o'clock the preparations for the execution |
were completed. The scaffold had been finished an
hour before. The privileged persons admitted
in the yard when it erected. Some sat on the
platform almost Frustrated by heat. Gen. Hancock,
who had charge of the execution did not arrive till
iapast one, having been detained in court In making
return to the writ of habeas corpus in Mrs Surrasts
case which he was directed By the president to refuse
to obey. ~
Within the prison walls at this hour the condemned
were making their final preparations for death Ono
of the Catholic priests administered the sacrament 70
Mrs. Surratt. pa. .s. !
A few minutes to O'Clock all of HArrold's sisters
oade him farewell and borne fainting from the
room. .r. s..s
Atzerotts relatives left about the SAME tma
1t after o'clock. Some Of the specta &
tors thought the delay meant reprieVe for Mrs Sur
rat but in five minutes the prison door near the scat
fold opened and the prisoners appeared with guard Il
Of soldiers headed by Gen. Hartraut Each prisoner
manacled and Mrs Surratt headed the procession
She physically Frustrated that she had to be
fitted Oh the steps leading to the scaold in add.
ion to this her lin hs heavily manacied that h
Ter steps mpeded. She accompanied BY two G
'ihcers ana Two clereyinen once Oh the platform, p
lie placed the northern end and seated IN d
hair. She seemed at this moment In fantinc con- d
ton, leaning on her left arm, and looking sorrow.
uy upward. A soldier held an umbrella 10 protect NJ
Ter from the She attired in plain black
ress and black bonnet. Before the moose was ad. d
listed of the Catholic priests administered the b
lying service of that church. Mrs Surratt held the
ross to her lips y
Payne placed next to Mrs. Surratt, and seated y
N the drop. His eyes were Redeemed from y
Keeping, but his face had much color. He seemed
cry much collected He clad in shirt and pantc.
oons, blue and wore sailors straw hat. Is
Harold and Atzerott were seated next. Harold