Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-07-05
THE ASSASSINATION CONSPIRACY.
The Case as Presented By the Defense The
Degree of Guilt Of the Accused.

weeks nave been. TO the casual reader very
tedious, and TO many the efforts of the de-
fense seemed as a struggle against time.
The counsel for the accused have commen-
ced their arguments and IN all probability
the case will be concluded within the next
ten days. Ia the meantime, a brief summa-
ry Of the case and the results accomplished
may not prove unlDterestlng. Taking up
first the case of Mrs. Surratt, We have the
attempt to lmpeach the two main witnesses
against her. 1t may be said that the de-
fence have succeeded In proving that Lloyd
was much intoxicated on the day when, as
he swears, Mrs. Surratt charged him 10 have
the carblnes IN readiness; and that WEIGH
man did on one occasion declare his own sym
pathies to be with the South.
The inference from the first fact Is, that
Lloyd was incapable of understanding or re-
membering anything said to him on that
day; and in regard to the second, the coun-
sci have a theory that Weichman was really
one of the cOnSplrators, who has turned
States evidence, and that his statements are
therefore to be taken with much allowance
They have entirely failed TO fasten upon him
any completely in the conspiracy, however,
and Will be unable to make much capital
out OF his expressions OF secession senu-
ments, beyond the general effect of putting
on record the vague doubt in regard to the
AouUg HIdu itdi ttldI dClcI hilCi4 dIItdNN
existed In the minds of all who had studied
the case The defence has also proved that
Mrs. Surratt did really have business at Sur
rattville on the day of her visit there, and
did actually attend to 1t. Her declarations,
on Icing suddenly confronted with Payne,
that she had never seen him before. is in
some measure explained by the testimony of
quite number Of witnesses that her eye
sight is defective and by the fact that Miss
Fitzpatrick. who had seen Payne as many
times before as had Mrs. Surratt, also failed
to recognize him In the disguise which he
wore upon that occasion. 1t Is also worth
nothing in the prisoner favor that her fail
ure to recognize Payne at that time was the
very worst thing that could have happened,
both for her and for him. Various persons
have testified that Mrs. Surratt is by nature
and reputation, kind, devout and charitable
This is the case for the defense. On the
other hand, there has been no explanation
of Booths visit to Mrs. Surratt' house, the
frequent meetings there of those implicated
as conspirators, the visit Of her sou to Rich
mond and Montreal, her whispered words
with the chief assassin on the day OF the
murder, or her whispered instructions to
John Lloyd twice reiterated that week. There
can be little doubt that in her case the YER
dict of the court will be guilty.
1t is generally admitted that little could
be done in defense Of Harold. the valet and
courier of the assassin. Or ly two points
have been made in his favor 1t seems GER
tain that he was not, as testified by one of
the secret Canada witnesses, in Montreal
last February In consultation with Sanders
and Thompson, nor was the story intrinsic
ally probable. \ dozen witnesses or more
have swore that Harold is boyish, trivial
fellow, easily Influenced for good or evil, and
Of no tai or moral stamina.
There has been but single defense at
tempted for Payne, the assailant of Mr.
Seward, that of insanity, and that has most
signally and utterly failed Indeed the pro-
jiect of setting up the plea of insanity in be
half Of man who entered into an elabor-
ate political conspiracy, stood by the plot
when all others but its leader abandoned 1t
as hopeless and finally carried out the part
assigned him with cunning as marvellous as
his courage was to absurd too have basis
in anything but desperation. The mystery
hanging over this man seems to be IneXph
cable We have him first as a nurse IN the
hospitals at Gettysburg, treating the patients
with apparent tenderness; next taclturn
boarder in a Urion household at Baltimore,
studying medical books; next, In Virginia,
he Is an officer of the rebel army, rescuing
from the rage of more fendiSh brutes than
himself the lives of unarmed Union prison
ers. His father is asserted to be IA clergy
man in Florida, and Is called before the
court but does not appear Then the ac-
cused appears as a conspirator lodging at
the Surratt house, processing to be Bap-
tist minister, and amusing his leisure by
games with bowie-kniveS. Then he has a
room at a Washington hotel as an invalid
unable to visit the dining room; then passes
the guard at the door Of the sick SECRETARY
of State under the pretence that he Is a
physicians messenger then does his bloody
work with the feroclty and determination
which seemed superhuman then walks IN
to custody by coincidence, and stupidity
attempts to assume an impossible character;
and now sits erect and calm and unconquer-
able before the tribunal which is to condemn
him to death, blushing at the preposterous
effort to make him seem maniac Payne
has resigned himself to his fate, and has ex-
pressed desire to take the witness stand in
behalf of his fellow prisoners, whom he de-
clares to be, as far as the knowe lge of the
assassination goes, entirely innocent.
Atzerott's S case is as hopeless almost as
that of Payne, although no direct participa-
ton on his part in this tragedy of the dread
ful Friday night has been fully proved. His
inquiry for President johnson room at the
Kirkwood House tells heavily against him.
The story that on Saturday he alluded TO
the story of the murder of General Grant
in manner indicating knowledge that that
crime was contemplated, has been success
fully exploded by the defense, and it appears
that his remark was such as might naturally
have been made by any innocent person. 1t
has also been proved that the pistol and dirk