Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-20
MRS. SURRATT MANACLED.
Testimony of Mrs. Jane SwissheIm-
-r A Damaging Statement.

From the New York Tribune.
This mornings papers, on what pretends
to be the authority Of Gov. Hartra 1T, state
that Mrs. Surratt was not manscled during
her Imprisonment, l attended the trial OF
the conspiratOrs one day. There was
railing the whole length of one end of the
room, about three feet from the wall, in
which was a door leading, they said, to the
prison. The prisoners sat in row, behind
this railing, Mrs. Sdrr&tt being nearest to
the door leading into the ante room at that
side, aud quite near that leading to the
o ison. / was given a chair in the aisle,
lust inside the door, and so near ID Mrs.
Surratt that [ could easily have shaken
hands with he over or through the
railing. | sat there two hours,
sometimes touching the railing, when the
crowd pressing at the door for entrance in
ducsd me to move my chair, 50 that part of
the time | WAS not mOre than one foot from
her. She wore heavy black dress, fall ng
on the floor around her feet, so that could
not see them but every time she moved
them heard chains clank. l had, before
that, lived 10 years on farm on which was
a saw mil, was familiar with the sound of
chains, aud the difference between that Of.
a wagon and log chain. The sound was
that OF q log chain. Il could no. have been
made by anything but the heavy links of
chain, and that chain must have been fast
ened to DO b her ankles. The sounds could
not have been made il any other way. The
chains on her ankles must have been heavy
enough to prevent her lifting her feet, for
she only slid them on the floor, onel st q
time, for Lii lie change Of posture. She
seemed to avoid moving, so as not to attract
attention to the chain; for every time they
clanked she blushed. painfully, blushed so
that could see it through the heavy Grape
vail she wore over her face. / sat until she
was removed. She arose with difficulty,
leaning upon the arm Of the officer, who
seemed to be kind. She did not lift her feet
in moving to and through the door, but slid
one at time, little way, think not fur
ther than that tie heel of the forward foot
came on a line with the toe OF the other; but
all the time the links ground and clanked.
She could not move one foot an inch with
out making them grind. Mrs, Surratt sat
before, or rather on che side of her judges,
chained with links of iron as heavy as those
Of log chain; snd while she sat thus she
was grossly insulted by spectators, men
and women, or things that looked like men
and women. Once she turned pale when
one of these creatures said: 81 hope they'll
hang her! just look at her! She looks like a
devil % l could not bear il, but spoke out
aud said: "She does not look like devil
She looks like good, kind-hesrted woman,
and you are mean coward for insulting a
prisoner" A man, in reply, said TO me;
ashes Rebel" and repeated, Coward
coward."'
Mrs. Surratt looked up and our eyes met
The expression of her face will haunt me to
The grave, and l thank God for the look oi
gratitude it wore; but, as we were getting
up quite a side show, an officer forced hi
way to us, to see what the matter was.
told him that the people were insulting thu
prisoner. He made them stand back, NOV
ed my chair to the other side Of the aisle
and set man at The door, to keep order ant
prevent my holding communication WIFI
the prisoner. Mrs. SUrratt's chains were
common subject of conversation in Wash
ington at the time. Iwrote an account, a.
the time, which was published and exten.
sively copied and commented upon, and
this morning is the first time l have eve
heard any denial Of the fact that Mrs. Sur
raft was fettered as she satSwearily through
the long hours and days that trial.
JANE g. SwIssHELM.
PITTSBURGH, Sept. Is, 1873.