Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-07-13
Charles City, Iowa, July l3, 1866.
ELECTION, TUESDAY, OCT 10, 1865.

Chairman State Central Committee,
JOSHUA F. TRACY, |
of Burlington.
Four Assassination Conspirators Hung.
In accordance with the findings and
sentences of the military commission
which President johnson approved,
David G. Harold, Lewis Payne, Mrs.
Mary L. Surratt aud Geo. A Atzerott
were hung at Washington on Friday
last by the military authorities. DIR.
Mudd, Sam. Arnold and OLaughlin
are to be imprisoned for life. Spang.
Ter is sentenced to six years imprison-
ment at hard labor in the pcnitentia-
ry at Albany, N. Y.
All the sentences of the Military
Commission were subject to the APP
prevail of the President, and after care
fully examining all the testimony the
President approved the findings and
sentences of the Commission in the
following general order:
Executive MANSION, July 8, 1866.
The foregoing sentences, in the
cases of David E. Harold. George A.
Atzerott, Lewis Payne and Mary Z.
Surratt, are hereby approved, and it
is hereby ordered that the sentences
| in the cases Of David E. Harold,
George A. Atzerott, Lewis Payne and
Mary f Surratt, be carried into exc
cution by the proper military authori.
ties, under the direction of the Secre-
tary of War, on the 7th day of July,
1865. between the hours Of 10 A. NJ.
and 2 p. NJ. of that day.
ANDREW JOHNSON, President.
The following account is given of
the scene at the execution:
At fifteen minutes past one o'clock,
Gen. Hartraupt, with his assistants,
came out of the prison, followed by
the mournful procession. Mrs. Sur
raft came first, supported by two OIL
GERS, and attended by her spiritual
friends, Fathers Wigcl and Walters.
Next came .Atzerott, with Rev. Butler,
of the Lutheran church, and Chaplain
Winchester. Harold followed, in the
attendance of Rev. DR.. Odds. of Christ
Church (Episcopal) with Payne, ac-
companied by DR.. Gillette, of the First
Baptist church, and DR.. Striker, OF
Baltimore, came last. .....s
Owing to her physical state, and
the weight of her chains. Mrs. Surratt
was almost carried to the gallows.
She was placed on the north end of
the platform, surrounded by her spir.
itual friends. With downcast looks
she sank almost insensible into her
seat. She was shaded from the pow
erfnl heat of the sun by an umbrella
held by a soldier. Her dress was
deep black, the same as worn while
on trial. Next to her, and on the
same drop, was Payne. whose face
and ewes presented an unusual color
and appearance. His dress resembled
that of sailor. On the other drop
was Harold, with slouchy dress and
woe. begone looks. Atzerott was on
the same drop with Payne, and like
him and Harold, was in stockings.
Gen. Hartraupt now advanced and
read the sentence of death, after
which the dying service of the Catho,
lie Church was administered to Mrs.
Surratt by Fathers Wigel and Walter,
she holding the cross fervently to her
lips. Atzerott was seen to mutter
some words as if in prayer. In like
manner, DIR. Butler spoke in behalf OF
Atzerott, and closed in prayer. The
prisoners were placed over the IA
tai drop. The arms and ankles OF At
zerott, who came first. were tied &C.
curely with strips of white cloth. In
the same manner the other criminals
were bound, and the nooses adjusted.
AS the fatal moment approached, Mrs.
Surratt said: "Please don't let me
fall" After violent effort with his
feverish lips Atzerott said Gentle-
men take ware" meaning. warning.
After the white caps were all put
over the prisoners heads, Atzerott
said in distinct tones: Good by
gentlemen, who are before me now
may we all meet in another world.
God help INC now. Oh |! oh oh !"
The uprights were knocked out at
the given signal and the bodies we're
suspended. Atzerott died without
any appearance Of pain, while slight
movement in the limbs of Mrs. Surratt
was all that was seen Of the death
struggle. The bodies of Payne and
harold struggled considerably. AZ
ter about eighteen minutes of solemn
silence the bodies were examined by
Surgeon Otis, U. S. Volunteers. and
Assistant Surgeon Porter and Wood.
ward, who all pronounced life extinct.
One Of the cords being prematurely
severed by soldier, one of the bod
les fell down with heavy thump
The bodies of Atzerott, Harold, Payne
and Mrs. Surratt were then placed in
strong white pine collins, in the order
named. 1t was not ascertained posi-
lively whether the necks of Atzerott
and Payne were dislocated or not, but
about those of Harold and Mrs. Sur
raft there is no doubt. The burials
were completed by detail Of the first
corps.
The graves of tho conspirators are
guarded by sentinels. The military
authorities had not decided whether
or not the remains should be delivered
to their friends.
j Mudd, Arnold, OLaughlin and
Spangler were taken to the peniten
tiary at Albany ON Monday.
Harold made o statement to the
effect that in the original plot his
part was to shut off the gass in Tho
theatre, and he had rehearsed biz
part with Booth.
Application was made by the friends
of Mrs. Surratt, Harold and Atzerott
for their bodies. The answer wal