The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-07-26
THE CASE OF Mrs. sURRATT.
Was She nm Innocent Woman
Tho Affidavit of John II.
BrOplly in Full
The Confession
OF Payne.

The Confession
Of Payne.
[From the Washington Union, July III
, According to promise, We spread be-
fore our readers two documents which,
Us We remarked yesterday, GO far towards
establishing the innocence Of Mrs. Sur
ratt. Payne, it will be seen, declares her
entire innocence just before he mounts
the scafold to be launched into eternity !!
And Gen. Hartrauft, who has had charge
of the prisoners from the beginning, and
whose province it was to have them exc
cuted, says to President johnson that he
believes Payne has told the truth. The
affidavit sworn to by Mr.. Brophy, whom
VIC know, and whose lifelong character
is without spot or blemish, is also very
important, The original document be.
ing in the hands of the President, the
one which We have procured may not be
exactly word for word with it, but the
facts and entire substance are precisely
the same. From it we learn that WEIGH
man was q coward, and, being such, was
no doubt easily frightened by Messrs.
Stanton and Burnett into declaration Of
certain things, the truth of which is rcn.
dercd more and more doubtful every day.
Every good lawyer knows how far such
evidence would 60 in court Of justice.
We also learn that off not informed on"
he "would never have told them q word
about the assassination f" How does this
declaration tally with his statement on
tho witness stand, that che preferred his
Government to John SurraN ?" Indeed,
when his own declarations prove him to
have been rabid secessionist, we confess
ourselves at loss to know which "Gov-
ernmcnt" he considered his own. His
intimacy with Atzorott and Payne, and
his pleasure excursions on Booths horses,
speak for themselves 1t will also be
seen that while every trivial circumstance
which could be tortured into condemna.
tion Of Mrs Surratt was carefully COM
pounded, not one of the many things in
favor was allowed by the Commission to
be shown. They knew of Payne's con-
fcssion and Of this affidavit before they
gave their decision, although Weichman's
admissions were made since the evidence
for the defence closed, and yet in the
face Of such an array of facts, they rem
dercd decision which has made thc
blood run cold in every manly heart.
AFFIDAVIT OF MR.. JOHN p. DRopHY.
/. | can have it proved, if time be al
lowed, that Wcichman "is and always
was q coward" according to the words Of
his father.
2. That he told me since this trial
closed that he was arrested as conspira-
tor and threatened with death by Mr..
Stanton and Mr.. Burnett, unless he
would reveal all about the assassination
they (Stanton aud BurnetD alleging that
he (Wcichman) knew all about it.
| 3D. That he told me since the close Of
the trial that the detective who had him
in charge in Canada was offered twenty.
five thousand dollars to bring him
| (Weichman) back safely to Washington
4. That he stated to mo since the trial
closed that if IJaptain Gleason had mol
informed on him, they (Stanton, Burnett
and the resD would never have got Q
word out Of him concerning tho assassin
alton.
| 5. That since the trial closed he ha'
admitted to me that he was liar.
| 6. That ho sworc to q ialseheod on th'
witness stand.
| 7. That a short time before the assas
sination he introduced AtzCroIt to me a
| particular friend Of his, and that til,
same day he and Atzerott we're riding OF
Booths horses. can bring other anC
new witnesses to testify to his intimac,
with Atzerott.
s. That about the same time he boast
cd in the office in which he worked tha
he could mako fcrty thousand dollars IN,
time he liked, but that it would be in
disbonorablo way.
0. That since the trial closed, he toll
me that Mrs. Suuatt wept bitterly at th
thought of John going to Richmond, an
implored him to remain at home and nc
bring trouble upon himself and upon th
family.
10. That once while some men were q
the house, Mrs. Surratt called John (hc
sony aside and said to him :"John | al
. afraid there is something going on. VIII
do these men como hero2 Now, John,
: do not feel easy about this, and you mus