The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-17
Mrs. Swisshelm on Mrs. Surratt.

Mrs. Swisshelm on Mrs. Surratt.
Mrs. Jane G. Swisshelm, in u letter
to the Pittsburg Commercial, now that
justice is satisfied, and there is no dam
ger of evil effect from an appearance of
sympathy with Mrs. Surratt, thus de-
tends that PERSONS appearance and de-
meanor in Court: s,of
II Is customary to represent her as q
monster with an unlimited amount of
cunning and cruelty in her face; but she
Is simply a representative Southern wo-
man, no better or worse than the majori-
ty of Southern women. l know those
who have known her as tho belle and
beauty of her county, the petted, spoiled
favorite of friends, the idol of parents,
husband and childgen. Her face, and
indeed her whole figure, while un trial.
was soft, rounded tender and mother
ly. Her large grey eyes alone gave in
dicatiOn of reserved strength. Her be-
havior, during that long and terrible Or
deal, was full of delicacy and dignity.
She made no scenes, as q weak or vain
woman would have done. When her
daughter came into Court, and with
quivering lip and streaming eye, APP
peared on the point of breaking down,
with gesture of command and entrea-
ty she restrained her. All the long, hot
days she sat with her heavy mourning
veil down, and large palm-leaf fan
held between her face and the crowds
who gathered and crushed and strug-
gled to gaze at her, as if she had been
an alligator of persons in
these crowds making the most insulting
remarks in her hearing. a TIE18
During all that time she leaned her
head YEARLY against the wall, and by
changing hands kept her fan steadily
before her face, and every few minutes
a low, stitled moan escaped her. Man
and woman stood tiptoe, and stretched
aud strained, or, having gained en-
trance, stood coolly and made such re-
marks as, where's Mrs. Surratt? Il
want to see hertz Oh, goodness, just
look, if she isn't pretending to be mo-
dest! wish could see her face bet
terp Isn't she devil?' She looks
like devil = HASN'T she horrid
face?' | hope they'll hang her--tee,
hee, heen All these remarks and more
such, some of them again and again,
and often accompanied by coarse laugh
ter, heard during the two hours and a
| half sat near her, and she must have
heard them as distinctly as did. They
1t appeared to me. so cruel and cow
ardly thus to insult a prisonerin chains,
| that L could not refrain from answering,
and several times said: 'She has NOT
bad face. She has good face, and if
she had not, it is cOwardly to insult herp
She dropped her fan and looked at me
with such an expression of gratitude as
i shall never forget. l looked full into
her eyes; mine We're not dry, while hers
filed with heavy tears. Several asked
me if l was a friend of Mrs. Surratt,'
so strange did any pity for her appear.b
/ STRANGE MARRIAGE AMONG THE
NEW YORK UPPER TEN--A New York
correspondent of the Boston Journal
writes;
The upper ten in New York are Just
now excited over what, under other cir
cumstances, would be called all elope-
ment. A clegyman, between fifty and
sixty years of age, well known in your
city, who has high official position in
the church, but who is here simply
minister of congregation, is one of the
parties. In his congregation is q very
rich and fashionable family, who live in
great style. The daughters We're educa-
ted in Paris, and are among the. creme
de la creme. The minister who has
granuchAuren living, proposed to mama
and papafor one of the daughters, and
was. Indignantly, rejected. The match,
in their Judgment, was every way un-
suitable. The minister called the Off
GERS of his church together and laid the
case before them. The policy of the
match they could not recommend, but
saw no legal objection to it. Taking
this for consent, the parties were pri-
vately married. The excitement pro-
duced is intense in the parish and out of
it. The parents will have nothing to do
with the parties and the minister and
his new bride are boarding at a small
hotel on Sixth avenue.
EXTRAORDINARY NERVE AND PRES
ENCE OF MIND.LThe Baltimore Capper
records the following remarkable case:
Last Wednesday night soldier of a
Wisconsin regiment, while going home
on the Northern Central Railroad, fell
from the top of the car and the train
passed over both OF his legs above the
knee, nearly severing them from his
body. He was not missed, and being
unable to make himself heard, the train
passed on and left him. He remained
for several hours without assistance, 5un-
til he arrested another train by firing
ms ,.'Htol at the machinery of the loco
n 0tlVe. ia DOor .f;,II,.,., "a -,