The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-08
THE As s A s SINS.
sketch or Mrs. Mary r. s,rr.t,

THE ASSAS SINS.
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Sketch or Mrs. Mary e. Surratt.
After the death Of Booth tho public interest which
had been centered upon him the leading spirit Of the
conspiracy which robbed the country Of the President
was chiefly directed to Mrs Surratt and Lewis Payne as
the next most important characters The evidence be-
fore the has served still further direct attention
TO Mrs Surratt and she has been made forward
as central figure Of the group Of criminals and
cites more interest than any Of the condemned The
general repugnance to the execution Of a woman
added still the interest which felt in her. and
every particular regarding Mrs. Suatt will be devoured
with great eagerness.
Mrs Surrat, nee Mary z. Jenkins, was born in the
spring Of IS2o and at early age destined for =
conventuai life by her parents whose Catholic piey
seemed Italian and medieval in its stnctness and
fervor She was sent At the age Of ton to the
Catholic Seminary at Alexandria The home of hcr
parents, E. and Mary Jenkins, but two miles
and half from the bridge At the Navy Yard-the
bridge over which Booth destined to enter upon his
wild night ride. Twenty years ago Mary E. Jenkins
was married to John Surrat, afarmcr and mail station
keeper Of her own county and neghborhood John did
not possess much Of the fervd feeling Of devotion Of
the exalted and intense passions Of his wife, He
simple, hardworking farmer, who thought more Of the
prospects Of . nne harvest than Of the pros
poets Of the Church of the coming crisis. He
had few accomplishments, nor had the woma
he married, outside Of somewhat extended
reading Of those bellies iettres which have had
the sanction Of her Church. She neither sang
played, nor drew; seldom embroidered and then awk
wardy On the tenets and obscrvances Of her church
she could talk long and talk well, and rather
chose such topics Her eldest child was John
On hnaa ppiro haa haan nvad NJ
whose heels are ever the ceaseless feet Of the
death pursuit. Hunted, homeless fatheress and now
moherless his sister heart broken, Johns punishment
exceeds that Of any Of his companions in the crime
which they have been sentenced The mother had
destined him for the church, towards whose closters her
heart Ind turned and like herself he had received
strictly Catholic education; and his life and hers
certainly seem TO have been free from those
vices which generally prepare the mind for the
contemplation Of crime. The witness wclchman,
whose daily intimacy with the family was
iaiteriy greater than that Of any other individual
speaks respectfully Of Mrs surrstt, and IL is
markable in how different tone he would mention any
Of that family from that he used when speaking Of any
Of the other accused. The family to have been
rather reticent and retired when Maryland Hospable
John Surratt the father was something Of
rious and collected calm which envcopcd the mother
rally 20 natural pleasant relief to country monoiony
When her husband died and the station and had
been sold and the house on street occupied, very
pcrcepble change observed in the OF Mr.
Surrat Visitors whom her fastdousncss and her sons
taste would have shrunk from frequently
the house and in close intimacy with John The exact
ing letter and protecting commands OF tho Church
less regiousy needed, though the attendance just
az regular The stage so long the abominatlon
Of the Catholic church, st last furnished, in Its
gaycsi most accomplished and gifted yoa tho favored
friend OF the family. John visited the theatre though
the ritual had forbidden H. and the mother Is not
known 20 have objected. Indeed, she becomes
cecdngy intimate with Booth, and felt under his unl
to extent which has bccn her ruin. Certain II
IL that ). w. Booth became the real master Of
the widowed Mary r. surrat aud the controller or all
pertaining TO her The result Of that intimacy now
plain to all
The husband John surrait. died in 1864 of apcplcxy
lie WELT do farmer, living about ten mes from
Washington He added to his business a farmcr the
Office postmaster Of his village and kept in addition
large country store Mrs surrat have his
chief helper his business his son, John H. Snrra be-
ing wild and reckless youth, employed at the time OF
his fathers death in the conspiracy for which his mother
yesterday executed Engaged in these active pur
suits Mn surrati, who naturally or strong
mind and nerves 10 have GRADUALLY
hnbi, OF decsion not characteristic of or common with
her sex she appears to have been asculiue not only
In person and manncr but mind and throughout every
detail Of the conspiracy she appears stod and deter
mined Payne and desperate and dramatic booth
Her control her nerves her extraordinary self
and her indicate thoroughly her masculine
character and prepare for the description which
have of her Her Ave wears had not served
TO couu,ernct the effect on her person OF her acvc dis
positiou and habits and the full rounded. Amazonian
sg,,c "a. nm, ,bs Least faded Her face .s finn md IN