The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-19
M Interview with Mr..
Benn Pitman.
THE STENOGRAPHER'S STORY
Startling Details Of the Sc
cret Trial.
A FRIEND OF WILKES BOOTH SPEAKS,
ley TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD


s,rr,tt for the assassination OF Abraham Lincoln.
His attention was Hrst called 10 tho statement OF Mr.
iohu Ford the theatrical manager, relative 10 the
innocence OF Mrs Surratt, ana, In answer
10 the HERALD correspondents questions, Mr.. PIT,
man comm unicated the following Information Hc said
tha, he was The official reporter for tho United States
government in tho ASSASSINATION trial. tho Sons OF
Liberty Investigation AMI the Congressional inquiries
into tho New Orleans ana Memphis riots, and sub
sequently OF tho Ku Klux trials all OF which gave
him peculiar insight the yet unwriten history
Of those momentous events II have doubt So d
Mr. Putnam '.or the OF Mr. Ford's state
mcnt OF Mrs Surrats innocence; the grave plumbers
which grew out OF tho assassination trial wero duo
TO the theory Mr. Stanton entertained that Booth was
The active instrument IN great conspiracy the die
tatory power which was the rcbcl government.
Mrs Surrait hanged for c,mplicy IN the assns-
plot Of whco she was entirely Ignorant and
poor Spanglsr sent TO tho Dry Tortugas because
long rope found in his carpet sack. with which II
was supposed Mr.. Lincoln was TO be bound, when In
TACT no other DO made OF IT than the catch
Ing Of crabs. SpangIer had simply borrowed the
rope from Ford's Theatre for that purpose
MRS. sURaArT GUILTY.
II was not until after my return from Washington,
with all tho testimony Of the 450 witnesses at the trial
and my compilation IN narrative form OF tho facts
testified to by those witnesses that came 10 the
conviction that Mrs. Surratt, though aware Of
previous plots TO nbduct the President ana
take him TO Richmond, was entirely min
formed OF the sudden resolve Of Booth TO
XIII him. The only direct testimony that
seemed duplicate Der that OF the drunken, un-
reliable witness. Lloyd. who kept the tavern AZ Sur
rattsvinc. Her previous Lie aud history, the test
mopy OF those who knew her we'll, and Catholic
priests OF known probity and honor all welt to show
her uttor incapacty TO engage in SO dabocal plot.
WHAT THE TESTIMONY SHOWED
The testimony went TO show that the assassination
OF Lincoln WIS sudden resolution OF Booth or Gna
ing that the President was 10 visit the thoatre
. that night and tho hasty conspiracy hatched
up with Payne. Atzerodt aDd Hcrold was
connusd exclusively TO their knowledge and
. participation The fact Is that Mr.. Stanton, Judge
Advocate Holt, Bingham and Burnett and other
officers OF the government engaged 10 tho prosecution
wcre somewhat unbalanced by imagined greatness
OF conspiracy which dd not exist. Nothing but such
n belief would justify tho treatment to which tho
prisoners were subjected
TRIAL
The trial for the first Two weeks was conducted
10 secret, and the prsoncrs-Hcrold, Payne
Aizcrodt and think Two others--were masked In
= o,oss fitting helmc,-likc white cap which JUS lott
breathing hole for the mouth and nossrils. They
were besides manaccd ut tho wrists ana ankles, aud
chain, .a' Hrs. surrat. was not thus masked,
but she maoaclcd at the feet
throughout the trial. The masks were removed when
The trial public, after ahe expiration Of Two
weeks, when admission obtained TO the Court
only BY the personal sanction OF General Hunter by
card
CoRREsPoSpEHr--Do you think tho government
Bapctiopcd this severity toward the prisoncrsY
Mr. PrrTmAx-Mr stanton was tho government at
that time He man for whom stlll entertain a
profound admiration; man OF the Cromwell type,
strong but unieciing and who 10 obtan a desired end
would IN emergency play dcspot-straugcly out OF
place q republican form OF government. For In
hats 0ni0 llo m gTiy
correspondence OF CITIZEN committed to the
public mails. yet by Mr. stanton's orders assisted
open hundreds OF letters that passed through the
General Post Office st Washington, Just alter the
ASSASSINATION, when every letter addressed TO Canada
the agents OF jefferson Davis who wsro then In
Canada the instgators OF tho assassination plot
Tho letters opened TO detect these supposed machine
lions led to very results revealing other
matters not directly sought Tor, aud mary brilliant
career OF army officer and politician Was stulthed
by these revelations which they little susp ccd would
over DO seen by the powerful War Minister.
INNOCENT nArRoK HANGED.
The recommc ndation TO mercy Tor Mrs Surratt,
signed by members Of tho Court IN secret session,
johnson affirmed he never saw, and the efforts
Of Miss Anna f. Surratt TO SEQ President johnson IN
behalf of her unfortunate mother somehow
cruelty frustrated. An innocent matron was hanged
ind history dumb Ms 10 who Is responsible for inc
Irrcparab bio wrong. Frantic efforts madc
meet John surratt with the assassination plot; but,
Intimately Tor him. they we're unsuccessful.
DINE or WILKES BOOTHS FRIENDS ON THE
POINTS OF MANAGER roRD's STATEMENT
STARTLING OMEN or THE TRAGEDY IN
TIE CONDUCT OF THE AcroB-THE con-
RELATIONSHIPS SOUTH INNOCENT.
Aprcpos OF the recent article concerning tho
s,naiion OF President Lincoln which the HERALD
quoted on Sunday from tho Baltimore Gazette, tho
B,.ton Globe OF Mond ~ says:-
AS Colonel Thomas T. Richardson, the we'll known
end popular dramatic agent Of tnis city, ana John
wilkes Booth were on terms OF tho utmost intimacy,
Globe reporter was despatched To Interview him,
and the following cooquy cnsucd:-
s.In your opinion, Colonel Richardson, wss John
frulus as god and assassination act Of justice
under crcu instances similar 10 those recorded ny
Shakespeare In 'Juiius cmsaf ~
MYSTERIOUS. His trimming from earliest infancy was
such AZ TO inspire him the kndiiost sentiments ana
the ionert motives man OF his intellect, inherited
genius ana acquired Abilities would never put such
Interpretation upon tho work Of the prince OF dra
ain tn,s connection how long had you known W likes
Booth previous TO ms assassInatIonr'
III nau known him for rix years met him first
An ~ Louis Previous to this mad met hts brother,
Edwin. wncn he WAS piayinf nm engagement there"
rnK sourn INNOCENT or rug Assassination.
s.Do you think the South had anytning To 10 with
MEETING him 10 assassinsic President Lincolnr
.xo. do not No such stigma can DC placed upon
the South Tor inciting 80 cowAdly murder. No
Southern man or soathcrn woman would commend
or applaud such an act even " they were NOT In sym
pni ny with the ADMINISTRATION"
aid Wilkes Booth ever intmate to you that he was
10 sympathy with the Southr'
"Iic never did. was with him In Washington for
tbyco mouths previous the ASSASSINATION and con-
vcrsed with HIM all topics. but never heard him
Itsp word IN that respect. always supposed no
In sympathy with Mr. Lincoln, by whom he WAS very
much liked, he spoke very highly Of Mr. Lincoln
M good Soma three weeks previous 10 me MS
gasstnalion. when Governor Morton, OF Indianapolis
received the Gags that captured In the Shenan-
oah Valley by the Indiana troops, Wilkes Booth
present and MS Mr. Lincoln drove down Pcnnsyivania
avenue there was an immense crowd gathered 10 front
of the National Hotel, where the reception was 10
takc place When Mr. Liucoln's carriage drove up
1x loAtn nj Funr ~ lns
crowd so that Tho President could pass, and thence
through the parlor TO the vcranua, where spccchos
were 10 be made By Governor Morton. President Lin
coin and Others As tho surgng crowd pressed buck,
noticed that Wilkes Booth treu With tue most deter
mined and frantic efforts TO force his way 10 tho
PRESIDENTS carriage but SO great was tue pressure
that he was unable roach the vehicle. Wan look
OF disappointment o'ersbadiuE his handsome lace ho
fell mex into the crowded ranks OF curious gnzers
A TRAGIC TABLEAr.
'swnnc this action OF hts was trausprine was stand-
Ing about thirty or forty feet away, leaning on
Lam axhnrc 1 cnnLd nenr Tie snc,cIts WIlkes