Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-07-20
Letter from Mrs. SwtsshcInt,
from washington.


From the Pittsburgh Commercially
WAsnlNdToN. July &, 1868.
Long before this reaches you Mrs. Surratt
VIII have suffered the extreme penalty of
the law, and my rtyior her fate canpot add
one drop to that ocean of sympathy which
threatens to wash away the landmarks be-
tween vico and virtue in making them
equally safe but when Justice is satisfied,
we may proftably consider the extent Of,
completely III that crime for which Mrs. Sur
raft suffered. God only knows how she
suffered.
1t Is customary to represent her as mon
stcr with unlimited amount of cunning and
cruelty in her face but she is simply rep
rcscntatlvc Southern woman, no better or
worse that the majority of Southern women
| know those who have known her as the
belle and beauty of her county, the pcttcd,
spoiled iavoritc Friends, the idol of parents,
husband and children. Her face, and in
deed her whole figure, while on trial, was
soft, rounded, tender and mothcrly. Her
large gray eyes alone gave indication of re-
served strength. Her behavior during that
long and terrible ordeal, was full of dcicacy
and dignity. She made no scenes, rs a
weaker or vain woman would have done. -
When her daughter came into court, and,
with quivcring lip and streaming eye, ap-
pcarcd on the point Of breaking down, with
Il gesture ofcommand and cntrcaty, she re-
strained her All the long, hot days she sat
with her heavy mourning veil down, and a
large, palm-lcaf fan held between her face
and the crowds who gathered and rushed
; and struggled to gaze at her. as if she had
been an alligator hundreds of persons in
these crowds making the most insulting re-
marks in her hearing.
Won, ,n,,InrS ,ro ,,, ,Io,It r,,.I;,,, ;,J,
the form of the court room, and know that
her position was in the southwest corner Ia
cling the cast, and that door leads in from
an ante room ON the south, about four feet
from tho railing behind which she sat. On
my one visit had chair close to the wall
behind this door and the railing, so that |
was within less than two feet of the rail
with orders to keep that place clear; but
the press at the door for entrance was so
= great that L gradually moved my chair until
it was close to the rail, and sat there an
hour before being discovered. During all
that time she leaned her head YEARLY against
} the wall, and by changing hands kept her
; hands steadily before her face, and every
, few minutes low, stiilcd moan escaped her.
: Man and woman stood tptoo, and stretch
cd and strained on, having gained entrance,
stood cody and made such remarks as
} "Whcrc's Mrs. SurrattY' 81 want to see
her! ooh, goodness, just look if she isn't
pretending to be modesto II wish Icoultl
see her face better ~ ''Isn't shea devil?''
f. "Shc looks like dcvil!' ''IIasn't she a
horiid face p Il hope they hang her
tee, hcc, hco y All these remarks, and
more such, some of them again and again,
/, and often accompanied by coarse laughter,
= heard during the two hours and a half |
-. snf hnr npl glo ln,,, Io.,,l A.
. as distinctly as | did. They were evidently
meant for her.
1t appeared to me so cruel and so coward
ly thus to insult Il prisoner in chains that ]
could not refrain from answering, and sew
cral times said: "Sho has not a bad face.
She has a good face, and if she had not, it
is cowardly to insult her -
She dropped her fan and looked at me
with such an expression of gratitude as |
shall never forget | looked full into her
eyes mine were not dry while hers filed
with heavy tears. Several asked me if II
was friend of Mrs. Surratt," so strange
did any pity for her appear.
Once she arose and made an effort tc
touch her counsel with her fan as he passct
out of the door. | asked her if she wished
, to speak to him, and on offering to have hin
called, she thanked me in low, sad, sweet
tone. became suspicious character. and
: an officer came and planted himself between
us to sec that there was no communication
| afterwards applied to the authorities ioi
leave to visit her, buttcould not be granted
! Perhaps it was best she should be thus iso-
lated from human sympathy, but | thought
4 and still think it grave mistake.
Miss Harris, now ON trial for n murder
" committed by her in person and in rcvong,
5 for private wrong, has been visited, anc