Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-07-17

| traitors ana conSplratorS. am panied only
because of one thing, viz: that have been de-
ceived SO m uch in Mrs. Surratt and her SON.
Much has been said and much has been writ.
| ten about Mrs. Surratt's innocence. Sensation
paragraphs are being scattered throughout the
country, ridiculing our own times, acc using us
OF a want OF Difference and respect to the fe-
male sex, and recalling us to the days of knight
era .Iy,Wnen women was respected sin court
anu camp, ana tourney, and banquet hail.
The United States Government itself is as.
sailed, and charged with having murdered an
innocent woman.
Ihat woman SO kind, so compassionate 81
generous and so religious should have been
cognlZant of plots TO capture or assasslnate the
PRESIDENT of the United States is hardly to be
oelleved. Yet it is strangely true Her own
actions and words, for weeks prior TO the as
sasslnatlon, and even on the 14th of April it,
sell, leave very little doubt in my mind but that
she was guilty. But guilty to what extent I
do not know.
She may possibly have been eognizant only
OF the capture and of the parties concerned in
II. Yet even that deserved death. 1t was trea-
son of the President in aid of the enemy, and
as such it ought to be punished.
Mrs. Surratt is to be much blamed. She
should have exercised woman's influence
and mothers love. and then she could have
prevented all But 10, she was too infatuated
She loved the South too much. None can re.
gret her untimely end more than l, vet none
can detest her crimes more than 1 do.
Particles of conversation which were once
intended to blind me, and which had certain
their dread reality with peculiar and an aw-
full significance. Before the 4th of March Mrs
Snrratt was continually remarking to every
body that something was going to happen to
"Old Abe" which would prevent him from
taking his seat, because Gen. Lee was going
"to make movement which would startle the
whole world" This appeared in the papers,
and no notice was taken of it. The 4th of
March came and went. President Lincoln was
inaugurated, but Gen. Lee did not execute his
movement What that "movement' was
do nnf a ch ftar hat 7 vl,al
her why John brought such men Is Herold
and Atzerodt into the house. .sOh, John wishes
to make use Of them tor his dirty ,corH,'' was
her reply. l then asked her what the '.dirty
work was She said, sJohn wants them to
clean his horses" He had two at that tme
When Richmond fell and Lees army surren-
dered, When Washington was in a blaze of
glory, and all hearts beat high with Joy, Mrs.
Surratt wept and closed her house When the
illumination took place her house remained
dark and silent, without one single ray of light
at the windows to denote gladness. Gloomy
and forlorn it then was. To use her own ex-
preston it was ssindicatiye of her feelings
But, oh gloom and horror now invests il
blacker than the Furies themselves.
On Good Friday l drove her into the cOun-
try, Ignorant of her purpose and intentions.
Holiday had been granted to all the clerks in
the Department by the Secretary of War. We
started at half-past two. Before leaving she
had an interview with John Wilkes Booth in
the parlOr, and no doubt she then received
from him the feld-glass which she gave to
Lloyd.
On the way down she was very lively and
cheerful, taking the reins into her own hands
several times and urging on the steed. We
halted once and that was when about three
miles from Washington, when, observing that
there were pickets along the road, she called
an old farmer and wanted to know if they
would remain there all night. On being told
that they We're withdrawn at about eight
o'clock in the evening, she said she was glad to
know it.
On our return CHANGED to make some re-
mark about Booth, stating that he appeared to
be without employment, and asking her when
ae ss Is going New
very soon, nerer to return"
Booth is crazy on the subject, and am going
to give him good scolding the next time l see
him. What that some subject was. Mrs
Surratt never said. The people can judge for
themselves.
She was very anxious to be at home at nine
o'clock, saying she had made an engagement
with some gentleman who was to meet her at
that hour. I asked her if it was Booth. She
answered neither yes nor no.
When about mile from the city, on our re.
turn, and having from the top of a hill caught
a view Of Washington swim ming in a flood Of
light and glory, raising her Lands she said: 81
am afraid all this rejoicing will be turned into
mourning-all this glory into sadness" /
asked her what she meant. She replied, that
after sunshine there was always storm, and
that the people were too proud and licentious,
and that God would punish them. The gen.
tleman whom she expected at nine o'clock, on
her return, called. 1t was John Wilkes Booths
last visit to Mrs. Surratt, and the third one on
that day. She was alone with him for few
minutes in the parlor; what transpired there
God only knows. As soon as had taken tea l
went to the parlor.
ness had left her. She now was nervous, agi-
tated and restless. Pacing up and down the
floor, she seemed to be thinking of something,
and on my asking her what was the matter, she
said she felt very nervous and was unweiI.
Then looking at me she asked me which way
the torchlight procession was going that we
a an m q no tY0d fpot
was a procession from the arsenal, and that the
employees were probably going to serenade the
President, it being the l4th day of April. the
day appointed for the restoration Of the flag
over Sumter. She said she would like to know,
as she was much interested in it, Her nervous
ness finally increased so much that she drove
ting great deal of noise and laughter, to our
respective rooms to bed. She, however, re.
turned to the parlor and continued pacing up
and down the room long after had retired.
When the detectives arrived at O'Clock the
next morning, l raped at her door for permis-
sion to let them in.
For Gods sake let them come in! expect.
ed the house to be searched, !" said she
When the detectives had gone, and when her
daughter, almost frantic, cried out, "Oh ma,
Just think of that mans having been here an
hour before the assassination ! am afraid it
will bring suspicion upon us %
Gamma, come what will" she replied. 81 am
resigned. think that J. Wilkes Booth was
only an instrument in the hands of the Al
people
Now who is there, after all these facts, that |
will not say that Mrs. Surratt knew what was
in Booths mind I God grant he may have
spoken to her only of capture, but believe
what Judge Bingham said, and what every
true loving man will say Capture
meant murder"
The abduction of President Lincoln from the
city Of Washington, which is surrounded by
nearly thirty strong forts, and which was at
that time protected by twenty thousand SOL
diers, would have been simply an impossibili-
ty. His carriage could not have pro-
The attempted execution of this silly plot
would have been as absurd as its original con-
ception. LOUIS J. WEICHMANN.
S-The English sparrows which have been
introduced into Jersey City have cleaned the
trees entirely of the worms. A pair will destroy
six hundred caterpillars daily in feeding their
youug. The robin Of this country is eQ ually as
good q tree vermifuge, and ought not to be
killed by spOrtsmen. They are now found in