Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-05-04
THE sURRATT MYSTERY.


A dispatch from Washington to the N. Y.
Herald says:
ut is the opinion Of persons high in au-
thority and influence here, that the trial of
John II. Surratt will be ultimately abandon
ed. The impression is that there is gen.
eral conviction prevailing in official quarters
that the unfortunate Mrs. Surratt was no.
guilty of the crime for which she was exc
cuted, and that the trial of her son would
only result in more clearly establishing that
fact Such a development, of course, would
not be relished by .the Administration and
Others concerned in the trial and condemna-
tion of the mother. There is another cause,
however, not very creditable, assigned why
the President would not wish the trial to
occur; But, as it would cast deep slur upon
the reputation of one who lately has not
been sleeping on the bed of roses, refrain
from giving it publicity. 1t might only be
creating another sensation, and perhaps,
without justification of scanaa aalmongers.-
However this may be, it is not believed that
the evidence in possession of the Govern
ment will warrant the trial of John H. Sur
ratt"
The Tribune says; ...t
"We think it time to say that the many
mysteries surrounding this Surratt case
should cease. Since the assassination of
President Lincoln, We have had endless
surmises, and make shifts, and tricks, in re-
ference to the crime and those accused. In
the first place, we mad the Government pro-
clamations accusing Davis, and Sanders, and
Thompson of the assassination. Then we
had the trials, in which these persons were
solemniy arraigned as participants in that
crime. There are few things that our child
rem will less care to read than that self.same
trial, with wayward and rude justice. Then
came the swift execution of Mrs Surratt, al
though Payne, an assassin by his own con-
fession, asserted her innocence. We had
the escape of Surratt-his wanderings under
Government espionage-the fact that it was
known where he was, and no effort made to
arrest him until Mr.. Boutwell,, speaking the
public opinion of the nation, compelled his
arrest We have also had the imprison-
ment of Davis as an assassin--if there is any
value in the judgment of the commission
that tried Payne and his companions. His
continued Imprisonment without trial, or
the pretense of a trial, is in itself mystery
and shame. Then came Gen. Buffers fa-
nous speech, showing that the diary of
Booth had been suppressed, on the conspi-
racy trial, and the declaration of a great
lawyer that Mrs. Surratt had been innocent
ly hanged. Immediately came an announce
ment that the War Department would print
the Booth diary 80 soon as something or
other occurred. Well: time enough has
passed for twenty things to happen, and
nothing is heard of the Booth diary Final
ly, we have the most provoking delays
about the trial of Surratt, with an announce
ment that he is not to be tried, because the
trial might establish the fact that Mrs Sur
ratt was not guilty at all
1t is time that this juggling should cease;
and especially as the Surratt case is only a
part of the Juggling that has been permitted
since the death of Mr.. Lincoln. That trage-
dy is one of the most mysterious in the an
nails of crime. There is something hidden
that we crave to know. What it is we can
not say; but the records of the trial, the
continued Imprisonment of Mr.. Davis, and
especially the shutting of the Government,
compel distrust and suspicion. Why has
not Booths diary been published9 Why is
George N. Sanders not demanded from the
British Government if the Administration
really believes he was partner in the crime
of Booth2 Why is not Davis, either pun
ished or released And why is not John
II. Surratt, against whom, at least, all the
evidence we have points unerringly, brought
to justice ~