The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-07-20
Mrs. Marv r. Snrratt was fortv ave

years OF age. She had dark skin, mus
cuine figure, full round face, broad
Iorehead, broad nose and thin nostril,
large and firm mouth, strong and re-.
solute chin. Her teeth were, like those
Of many Southern women, wretched
in shape and quality. Her eye was
cold, hard, steely, impenetrabie and
sleepless. She wore her bonnet and
vail during the trial, and hid her fea-
lures behind q palm-leaf fan but no
word of all the testimony escaped her,
and her feline glance kept accurate
photograph Of all persons and motions
within her range of vision, She was
born of Catholic parentage, and was,
in early life, designed for convent
She grew up fcrvId in piety and strict
in tho observance of religious duty
She has borne bIamelcss life, but
never made friends any where. Ifshc !
was not cold and repellant, she was,
at least, reserved and not easily APP
preached. Her tongue was cautious,
and hor ways were circumspect. AS
q maiden, she was attractive and i'm
pcrious; rs wife, she was at the head
of a house, but was neither a scold nor
a brawler; as mother, she was pas
sionatcly devoted to her children,
whom she brought up in naughty Sc
clusion and strict regard for Catholic
ism as a ncighbor she had few init
macies, but gave readily to the poor
and needy; as Catholic she was con
staht, in season and out of season, to
Eer religious duties, could talk fluent
ly and undcrstandingly thereof, and
said her prayers with fervid and i'm
passioncd feeling. Lately she has liv-
ed much retired, and saw but few Of
the inconsidcrablc number ofpersOns
who visited the house. She wholly
sympathizedwith the Sonth, butnever
allowed herself or her daughter TO in.
dulge in the usual flippancy of South
ern rebel women. She ordered the
ways of her household with vigor, was
known by but few persons beside mem
bers of her own faith, and was spoken Of
in Catholic and Southern circles as a
good Christian and most excellent ma.
tron. In prison she made no com
plant; spoke none but very civil
words to the guards and officers. On
the scoffold she displayed no bravado
and no lnsolence-was at first touched
with faintness, but met her fate with
calm strength. raa a..H".r .u
Lewis Thornton Powell, who, of his
own choice, goes into the wondrous
history of these times us Lewis Payne,
was worthy of "a better fate than this
he has met. Very strong men of good
impulses, noblc ambitions, and earnest
convictions of duty are not so numer-
GUS that the world can well afford to
lose them. This man was no common,
blood thirsty william, hired for price
and only anxious to earn his money
IT, through the deed OF that dread eve
ming of April II, 1865, the South had
gained national independence as the
confederate States of America, this
Lewis Thornton Powell, and not John
Wilkes Booth, would have been it;
idol and hero. He was true child Of
the South-simple, direct, frank, hon
. est, passionate He was, moreover, re
served, selt-composed, and very self
retrospective. He had no religion
and but q crude conception Of God, bu
! he was naturally religious. and bclicv
cd that Providence ordered and sane
toned the very deed he attempted q
Mr., Seward's He affected no conceal
. ment and no mystery; but his dali!
bearing was mystery, and his rea
: life, however and wherever he had liv
ed, would have been mostly concealed
{ He was, in q very special sense, of
, dual nature-vigorous in conception
strong in execution, and every wa
fitted for a leader; yet given TO inwar
musings, strange longings, and all th
:, pomp and paraphornalia ofmorbid in
= agination. That the promise of HI
/ life, and the possibility of his mar
hood we're ruined by slavery, is tru
sadly and cruelty true; but therei
was no ground for his excuse for mul
U der, no ground for a desire that h
: should be pardoncd or respited. Ther
. : never was q being who moro richI
u deserved hanging; he himself admit
ted that there was no punishmer
. for his crime but death. The naturi
expression of his eye was kindly, tn
y intonation of his voice was pleasant
y the ear. He was courteous, but awi
70 ward. He spoke readily and happil
: with his guards and attendants Ii
J. mado no complaints, and give no trol
81 bic, and often thanked the officers ft
c their kindness. He had no braggad,
J. clio, and did not even know such wol
. as fear. He had no aggressive selt-a
!, sertion, but he counted himself I'll
J, natural equal of any man. He WI
~ ~ one of the best of the thousands upc
III thousands OF young men whom SLAYER
has devoured.
'e On tbs scaffold, he manifested ne
!" ther assumption nor indifference. X
u, u membering his crime, there was righ
a a eous Joy in seeing him hung-seeiI
- his youth and possibilities, there was |
70 tensifed hate Of that villainy wheret
=, have como the war and all our woes
10 VINO WOW "". ANDREW.
- y. B6rThe Editor of the "Black f
v.
9 ., publican" " published in New orlcal
h. and himself colorcd man, is of OPT