The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-07-08
The End of the washington ConSpir.
ntOrs...TInair Esunn,ntinn, YnSAnu.as..


0tOrS---TIIeir Execution Yesterday.
w AsH1NGToN, July An the con-
demned conspiratOrs sentenced TO be
thanged-to-dayswere executed.
On petition of Mary f. SIrratt,
through her counsel, MeSSrs. Akin and
Clampitt, Judge Wylie, of the Supreme
CourJ OF TINS District, directed the issue
OF a writ of habeas corpus to General
HANCOCK, commanding him to produce
In court, mt 10 o'clock this morning. the
body of Mary y. Surratt, or show cause
OF delay and detention. The writ was
served on Gen. Hancock mt the Metro
Politan Hotel at O'clock this morning,
| by l. :. Marshal GOoding, He imme-
| dintely consulted with the Attorney
I General and Secretary of War. At lII:S,.
the General had not obcycd the writ.
Ihis fact was brought to the notice
OF the court by her counsel, hut the
Judge said he Ind not power to enforce
the writ.
Early to-day, guards were placed all
the entrance of persons to the scene of
execution, none being admitted except
those previously supplied With tickets
by Gen. Hancock.
The relatives of Mrs. Surritt and
Harold spent several hours with them
during the forenoon and they were also
attended by their spiritual davisers: as
4
y few minutes after 10 o'clock the
outer prison door was opened and Mrs.
Surratt was supported on her way to
the ga!lows by two military officers
next followed -AtZcrott, Hnrrold and
PaNne, accompanied bV n guard and
three respective ministers of the gospel
Two front seats were provided forthcm
ON the plnttorm i'll the following order.
Mrs. SUrrntt, Payne, Harold ana AZ
Zerou. Inc officers entrusted with the
execution and the ministers occupied
intermediate positions. Major General
LlaitLuupt, VINO has been from the
commencement i'll charge of the Dris-
oNerS, cam" forward and read the or
der OF the War Department. already
published, approving the sentences and
ordering the penalty of death to the
prisoners.
\ heavy guard was stationed OH the
walks surrounding the grounds. while
below soldiers We're formed on two sides
OF square. Perhaps several hundred
civilians We're present, anxious soertn-
Tors OF the solemn scene One of tLe
priests attendant OH Mrs. Surratt rC-
Peited Il short prayer to which PAYNE. !
VINO was seated next to her. nttentivnly
listened. The minister who had bnc1 /
administering to Payne expressed. in
III the name of the latter, his sincere
thhhKs 10 Gen. HartrAupt and the ofii- |
GERS ana soldiers who had churge of
,lilLI t"T tlIelf personal Kindness. They
hnd not uttered an unkind word nor.
given an unpleasant look or gesture, but
seemed to compassionate his miSfOr-
tune. The minister then uttered II brief
prayer, asking for Payne the forgive
ness ofall his sins and IL passage out of
tins world into the joys OfHeaven. The .
minister who attended Harold also re-
turcd thanks for the kind treatment of
the prisoner, and offered PRAYER that
God would receive his soul. Harold
was affected to tears. The minister who
attended AttZerOt also returned thanks
Tor him TO Gen. HartrnIpt and other Of
hcers for kind attentions, and then in
Hoked the mercy of God upon the pris-
OncrS.
The condemned were then required
10 rise from their seats, when the chairs
were removed. They We're now all on
the drops. Their hands were fastened
behind them and their legs bandaped.
both below and above the knees. and
white caps placed over their heads. 4
AtZerott, while being prepared for. the
execution, exclaimed: "Gentlemen. \
farewell; take care and good bye, gen
Iemen, now before me-" One of thp
clerSyInen standing near exclaimed:
- May we all meet in the other world. ~
AS soon nS the moose was placed i
around each neck, Mrs. Surratt's being
the last one adjusted. the section of the
platform on which they had been
standing suddenly fell, and the cul-
PrltS were hanging several feet from
the ground. Mrs. SurTntt and PnVne
scarcely moved muscle. Atzerott eX-
h'bited some twitching, but Harold
showed more nervous SrnSibility than
any of the others.
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