The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-05-01
The Lincoln Assassination-rhe
Woman Murder--The Surratt
Farce,

The Lincoln AssassinatiOn-Ihe
Woman Murdcr--The Surratt
Farce.
Awaiting itself Of a dispatch from Wash
ington, respecting the probability that
JoHN II. SURRArr will not be tried for the
assassination Of Mr.. LINCOLN, owing to the
strong belief, which has lately sprung up
in the minds Of prominent men In authort-
tv. that it would only result in proving TO
the country the entire innocence of his
murdered mother, the New York Tribune,
speaks out boldly in condemnation Of the
'make-shins and tricks which are dis
grazing the Government in holding his
bodvin prison while Il trial is evaded.
These "makc-shifts and tricks in refer
ence to the crime and those accused,as pre-
scented by the Tribune, are. first, "thc gov
crnmcnt proclamations accusing DAVIS and
SANDERS and THOMPSON of the assassina-
ton. Then We had the trials, in which these
persons were solcmnly arraigned as partic-
ipants in that crime. There are few things
that our children will less care to read than
that sclf-samc trial. with its Maynard and
rude Justice. Then came the swift eXeCu-
ton of Mrs. SURRATT, although PAYNE, an
assassin by his own confession, asserted her
innocence. We had the escape of SURRArr
Ills wandcrings under government espi-
unage-thc fact that it was known where
lac was, and no effort made to arrest him
until Mr.. boutwell,, speaking the public
opinion of the nation, compelled his arrest.
We have alsohad the imprisonment of DA-
Wis 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 Il trial, is in itself a mystery and a
shame
Then followed the startling declaration
of Butler in the House, that Mrs. SURRArT
was an innocent woman then the charge
that Booru's diary had been mutilated Of
the very evidence which would probably
be conclusive of this fact and finally,
that what was left Of said diary should be
published. The Tribune ;hus closes:
We'll. time enough las passed tor twenty
things to happen, and nothing is heard Of
the Booth diary Finally, we have the
most provoking delays about the trial Of
~urratr, with AN announcement that he is
not TO be tried, because the trial might es-
tablish the fact that Mrs. Surratt was not
guilty at all!
ut 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 tragedy is one of the most mysterious
in the annals ofcrimC. 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 shuilling of the Govern
meut compel distrust and suspicion. Why
has not Booths diary been published :
Why is George y. Sanders not demanded
from the British Government if the Ad-
ministration really believe he was a partner
in the crime of Booth? Why is not Davi,
either punished or released? And why i,
not John II, Surratt, against whom. al
least. all the evidence we have points I'M
crringly, brought to justice? ?"
There is little il any doubt that the tria
of SUREATT and DAVIS, and especially tn,
former, will involve the trial at the sam,
time of those blood-thirsty wretches ant
black-hearted murderers, STANTON AM
HoLr. This is the key to the "mAkeshift
and tricks" which the Tribune has Sc
strongly stigmatized.