The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-07-13
The Lasl Of the COnspiracy.
HE Execution Of the Assassfns.
cAonial nisnatch to the Chicago Tribune.l


-, the l;feless forms of four of it's actors.
At AN early hour this morning, symptoms
r+bot an annual occurrence was impending
were visible, yet the indications were more
those of a holiday than such as behtted SO
/, ooIomn an occasion. Sightseers, anxious to
! ;r,d,,Ige a morbid curiosity, began to arrive
-, the aarlv trains. Passes were issued by
Major General Hancock to such persons as
go n, he admitted to the scene OF the exc
15 cution. the number being confined to mem
hers of the press, necessary witnesses, and a
few army officers. Great numbers OF PEG
ME Last night and this morning surrounded
, Gen Hancock,s headquarters asking for
masses upon every imaginable pretext. The
rules for excluding the miscellaneous crowd
was rigidlv observed, and the two or three
hundred persons admitted but scarcely hileo
fine yard when the hour for the execution
came. ...s.or..
,ouloated Yesterday, the friends and rela-
,tives of the conspirators begap to flock to
tbe White House to plead for respite.
The counsel for Mrs. Surratt, the spiritual
advisers of the condemned and a number of
others whose sympathy with treason or its
gictimIzed tools was their only reason for
interference, were among the pleaders for
-clemency. The President decided that the
only reason for a reprieve which could prop
erly be considered, must rest on purely legal
grounds, such as the production of irnpor-
tant and hitherto unknown evidence il that
were possible, and therefore referred the
whole matter to the Judgment of Judge
Advocate General Holt. No such reason
could be produced. .a
Miss Anna Surratt, who had visited the
executive mansion last evening, endeavor-
ing to obtain an interview with the Presl-
g dent again repaired thither, accompanied
by lady friend, between eight aud nine
o'clock this morning. The President having
given orders that he would receive no one
to-day, she was stopped at the foot of the
stairs leading to the Presidents Office. Find!
ing she could not get further, she asked to
see Gen. Muzzy, the Presidents Military
: Secretary. He at once came down, When
Miss S., with streaming eyes and agonizipg
sobs, threw herself upon her knees and seiz-
ed him by the coat, and begged him to aid
her ia obtaining an interview with the
President As tenderly as possible she was
told that as the orders to admit no one were
imperative, it was impossible to grant her
request. Gen. Muzzy then left her, when
where she remained some time, sobbing bit
terly, asserting the innocence of her mother,
and imploring everyone who passed to in-
tercede for her. She declared that her mo-
ther was too good and kind to be guilty of
the great crime of which she had been con :
victed, and said if her mother must die she
wished to die also. Many who were present
at this affecting scene, including hardy SOL
,lo fr II, nor feaIs
Miss s. finally became more composed and
was induced to take seat in the east room,
where she stayed several hours weeping 81 :
lently and springing up each time The front
door of the mansion was heard to open,hop-
ing to see some one who could aid her III
seeing the President.
Harrolds two sisters, dressed in deep
mourning and heavily veiled also came to
the White House soon after the arrival of
Miss S, to intercede for their BROTHER Un-
able to see the President they addressed a
note to Mrs. johnson, but she being sick it
was not thought proper to deliver it. Fail
ing in this they asked permission to forward
note to Mrs. Patterson, the Presidents
daughter, who, being also indisposed, the re-
quest was not granted. The Misses Harold
showed much self-control, and restrained
row.
This morning about h Il past eight o'clock
the following writ of hdbeUS corpus was is
sued by Judge Wylie upon application of
Mr.. Aiken, counsel for Mrs Surratt aud
was served upon Gen. Hancock at the Me-
tropolitan Hotel: ~
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, TO wrr-In the
matter Of Mary E. Surratt petition of ha-
beGS corpus.
The people of the United States to Maj Gen
Hancock, commanding the Middle Di-
vision, greeting: ~-L-E- --~-
You are hereby commanded to have the
body of Mary E. Surratt, detained under
your custody as aforesaid, together with the
day and cause of her being taken and &C.
tanned, by whatever name she may be called
. IN the same, before the Criminal Court of
the District Of Columbia, sitting at the City
Hall, i'll the city OF. Washington, at the hour
of 10 o'clock in the morning, this, the 7th
day of July, 1865, to do and receive what
ever shall then and there be considered of
III this behalf and have there this writ
Witness ANDREW WYLIE, one of the
Justices OF the Supreme Court of said Dis
trict, July 9TH, 1866. ssass
(Signed) r. j. ME1Gs, Clerk.
ENDORSEMENT certify that have serv-
ed copy Of within writ of habeas corpus
on Gen. W. S. Hancock, this 7th day of
July, 1865, at eight and half o'clock, at
the Metropolitan Hotel, Washington CITY,
D. c. 20
(Signed.l G. GooDlNe,
sa.a ..s U. S. Marshal, DC
The Marshal, 30 minutes afterwards, re-,
turned the writ, certifying that it had been
served, in order to know what further course
the Court would pursue. District Attorney
Darlington thought the proceeding extraor-
binary that the party had been tried by a
legitimate court, the sentence approved by
the President and it was now too late to
proceed IN this matter, without entering
INTO an argument upon the question. He
thought the case came strictly under the
jurisdiction of the commission upon the
principal that the defence was committed at
time when military tribunals have proper
jurisdiction i'll such cases.
Mr. Aiken said the return had not been
made at the time. She could not be nurg
cd OF the charges without being duly brought
before this court The grounds of the posi-
ton were simply that she was private cit
zen, never in any military service If she
was guilty OF any crime it was equitable
by tits court.
Judge Wylie then said the case is not now
here on its merits but on the petition of the
party. This morning at an early hour l
directed this writ of habeas corpus to be is
sued. The writ was issued and wds served
upon Gen. Hancock who has the CUSTODY
OF Mrs. Surratt the party on whose behalf
the writ was obtained. The writ required
him to have the body of Mrs Surratt wi h
the cause of her detention before this court
this morning at 10 o'clock He has neg |
lected TO obey the order of the Court aud
what is the Court to do under the circum-
stancesS That is the only question before
the Court at this term. Any discussions
on the merits involved, would now be out