The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-07-18
EXECUTION OF THE CONSPIRA-
TORS

concerned with Booth in the Assassination OF
President Lincoln and the attack on Secretary
Seward.
All of the prisoners had spiritual counsel
with them during the whole Of Thursday nj ht
and Friday morning up to the time OF execution
and without exception were benefited by IT:
They all exhibited a great deal OF emotion and
appeared very contrite. Mrs Surratt suffered
from nervous spasms and her cries during the
night were heart-rendng.
Miss Surratt, herself, made the most strenu-
GUS efforts to obtain pardon for her mother.
Failing in this she, aided by her counsel appeal
ed for a postponement of the execution. Her
friends did everything in their power to assist
her. Her efforts were almost superhuman. All
day Thursday she visited first one official and
then another, and her appeals for mercy were
distressing. The Government was firm IN Its
decision and withstood the influence brought to
bear upon it.
A short time previous to the execution Payne,
Atzerott and Harold, each made confession in
which they admitted their completely, and freely
developed the existence of plot as extensive as
the officers of the Government had sur missed.
Up to the last moment Mrs Surntt proclaim
ed her innocence, and repeatedly stated that she
was as clear of completely with the murder of
the President as Mrs Lincoln herself. She be-
trayed the utmost agitation.
When the prisoners were brought out of their
cells, and conducted to the scaffold, Mrs Surratt
continued to betray the greatest nervousness.
1t was with great difficulty that she could stand
on the platform, and repeatedly asked the aten-
dants not to let her fall. Almost her last words
were "please don't let me fall!' When the rope
was adjusted her lips moved as if in prayer
lid p:tho
struggle; Payne and Harold struggled violently,
and their contortions were fearful to behold.
After life had been pronounced extinct the
bodies were cut down aud given to their friends
with the exception of Payne's, which was dis.
posed of by the Government, as no one called
for it,
O'Laughlin, DIR Mudd, Arnold and Spangler
have been sent to the Albany Penitentnry.
From the Herald of the 9th we condense the
following account Of the hanging of Harold,
Payne, Atzerot, and Mary E. Surratt, on the 7th
inst:
After the announcement that the foregoing
persons were to be hung, there was great ex-
element in Washington ON the 6th aud much
sympathy exhibited for Mrs Surratt Efforts
were made in her behalf to stay the execution,
and a writ of hateds corpus was issued by Judge
Wylie and served upon Maj. Gen. Hancock, com
manding him to bring the body Of Mary E. Sur
raft before the criminal Court of the District of
Columbia, then in session. Whereupon Presi-
dent Johnson issued special ORDER suspending
the writ Her spiritual advisers and her daugh-
ter both sought her reprieve, but President john
son answered that he had already maturely con-
sidered her case and that determination had
been reached.
The morning of the It'll was extremely hot.
The great anxiety evinced the day before to wit
ness the execution had increased, but the ingress
to the Peniten:iary yard, where the hanging was
to take place, was eAectual:y debarred by senti-
nels posted in long lines facing inward, and ad-
hitting only those who had received passports
Of these, about three hundred gained admittance,
among them the reporters for the press and artists
nor illustrated papers.
The prisoners had been SO closely guarded that
venue of escape was left open; so that all
pund, as usual in their cells
last night Of the assassins was said to have
painful Payne alone of the whole
pited anything of trmness and cour-
bearing throughout, says the report,
krtaking neither of indifference and
n of cowardice. He alone slept
brokenly that night, and next
of hearty breakfast The
hit of terror, seemingly pros
reality of an ignominious
Mustered to by preachers Of
att was attended by her
8 alter and Weiget nearly
d was surrounded by
such comfort as his
ading and reciting
ture Atzerot and
linster. The lat
pate conviction
IN, and express
hume contrition,
plating an enor-