Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-07-08
THE VERY LATEST
rhe conruarrtors HunE.


spirators condemned to be hanged to-
day, we're executed. On petition OF
Mary E. Surratt, through her counsel,
Messrs. Aiken aud Cleubitt, Judge
Wiley, of the Supreme Court of this
District, issued writ Of hdbeds corpus
70 General Hancock, commanding him
to produce, at 10 o'clock this morning,
the body of Mary Z. Surratt, with cause
and day Of detention. The writ was
served on General Hancock, at the
Metropolitan Hotel, at o'clock this
morning by United States Marshal
Gooding. he Immediately consulted
with the Attorney General and abe Sec
rotary Of War. At 1880 the General
had not obeyed the writ.
This fact was brought 10 the notice Of
the court by her COUNSEL, but the Ja6e Q
said he had not power to enforce the
writ ..-aa
Early to day guards were placed ell
around the arsenal grounds to prevent
the intrusion Of persons TO the scene of
execution, meme being admitted ex
cepting those previously supplied With
passes by Maj Gen. Hancock.
The relatives of Mrs. Sarratt and
Harold spent several hours With them
during the forenoon, and they were also
attended by their spiritual advisers, as
were also Payne and Atzerott.
A few minntes after one clock, the
outer prison doors opened and Mrs Su O
raft was supper 9 | on her way to the ga =
lows by two mil tary &cea Next came
Atzerott, Harold and PAyae, accom-
panied by guard and their respective
Ministers Of the Gospel. 5t5es
Front seats we're provided for them on
the platform in the following order:
Mrs. Surratt, Payne, Harold and Atzs-
rott FMR
The officers entrusted With the execu-
tion and the ministers, occupied inter
mediate positions. - 80
Msj. Gen. HartsuE, who has been from
The commencement in charge of the
prisoners, came forward and read the
order of the War Department, already
published, approving the sentences and
ordering the penalty Of death to be in
Aieted. aGa 5-fil
A heavy guard was placed on the
walls surrounding the grounds, while
below soldiers were formed on two sides
of square. AN FEITF TsE
Perhaps several hundred civilians
were present as anxious spectators OF
the solemn scene.
One of the priests, attendant on, Mrs.
Surratt, repeated q short prayer, to
which Payne, who was seated next to
Der, attentively listened. ,,....gs ss55,s
The minister who had been admins
tering to Payne, expressed, in the name
of the latter, bis sincere thanks TO Gen.
Hartsuff and the officers aud soldiers
who had charge Of him for their per-
sonal kindness. They had not uttered
an uDkind word nor given an unpleas-
ant look or gesture, but seemed to COM
miserate his misfortune The minister
then uttered brief prayer, asking for
Payne the forgiveness of all his sins,
and passage out Of this world into, the
Joys Of Heaven. alplnag a-s
The minister who attended Harold
alsc returned thanks for the kind treat.
ment of the prisoner, and offered q
prayer that God would receive his soul.
| Harold was moved to tears.
The minister who attended Atzerott
! also returned thanks for him to Gen.
/ Hartsuf and the other officers for kind
attentions, and then invoked the mercy
of God upon the prisoners
The condemned we're requested to
rise from their seats, when the chairs
were removed. They we're now all on
the drops" Their hands we're fasten.
ed behind them aud their legs bandaged
both below and above their knees, and
white caps placed over their heads,
Atzerott, while being prepared for the
execution exclaimed: Gentlemen, fare
WE'LL Take care" aud Goodbye, gen.
tlemen now before me- One of the
clergymen standing near exclaimed,
"May we all meet in the other world.
As soon as the moose was placed
around each neck, Mrs Surratt's being
the last one adjusted, the sectiongof the
platform on which they had been stand
ing suddenly fell, and the culprits were
hanging several feet from the ground.
Mrs. Surrstt and Payne scarcely
moved a muscle. Aizerott exhibited
some twitching, but Harold showed
more nervous sensibility than any Of the
others. f'a aqua.
The bodies hung until life was extinct
and were afterwards given over for buri
al, the rough collins being already al
hand for that purpose. b 4 I'll (. al
The arrangements for the execution
were perfect ..--rs ,r-s
Major General Hancock was presen
throughout the entire proceedings.
1t is said that Payne, last night, mad
a statement in behalf Of Mrs. Snrrart
exhonorating her from completely, ant
another person subscribed to an aft
davit impeaching the testimony of 81
important witness against Der.