The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-07-27
The Surratt Murder.
ShrpyonOrt Times.

. Pittman, the phOn"Srapher, WIN
was official reporter for the govern
ment 10 the assassination trial. says
he has no doubt Of the correctness OF
Mr., Ford's statements Of Mrs. Snrratts
innocence. and that the grand blum
ders which grew out Of tue trial were
due tn Stantou's theory, that Booth
was the instrument in a great consp'rr
acv the dictat"ry power of which
w.s the "rebel" government: Mrs.
Snrratt was hanged for c"mP'ic,tJ 10
the assassination plot, Of which she
was entirely ignorant, aud poor
Snanpler sent to the Dry Tortugas
because long rope was found in his
carretsack, with which it was sup
nosed Mr.. Lincoln was to be bound
when. in fact, no other use was to be
made Of it than the catching of crabs
Spanrler had simply borrowed the
rone from Eloid's theatre for that
We append the main portion OF
p;tman's statement to the reporter;
II was not until my return from
Washington, with all the testimony
of the $50 witnesses at tue trial. ana
nv compilation in narrative form Of
the facts testified to by those witness
! ses. that l came to the CONVICTION
: that Mrs. Surratt, though aware Of
nrevious plots to abduct the president
D and take him to Richmond, was en-
+ t;rely uniformed of the sudden re-
solve Of Booth to kill him. The only
. direct testimony that seemed to I'm
: nlicate her was that Of the drake,
9 Unreliable witness, Lloyd, who KEEP
j. the tavern al Surrattsville. her pre-
o v;ous life and history, tile TESTIMONY
" If those who knew her we'll, an
% Catholic priest Of known proo'ty an
}. honor, ali went to show her utter 10
capacity to engage in so diaool'c"l
II plot. o,o,, ~,
70 the assassination Of Lincoln was
It, sudden resolution of Booth on tindin
I'd that the presideuti was to visit IL
Mt theatre that night, and the hasty col
d, sn;racv batched up with Payne, A
n, zerodt and Herold, WAS confined q
,r- clnsiyely to their knowledg &c al
u participation. The fact is that N
las Stanton. Judge Advocate Holt, Bi
ole ham and Burnett and others otfics
ny Of the government engaged in t
las nroaecution we're somewhat uno'
tie anced by the imaginary greatness o
He conspiracy which did not exist. Not
w. inc but such a belief would just
md tho treatment to which the prison
on we're subjected.
'wn The trial for the first two We
cry was conducted in secret, aud
ned nriso uers-Herold, Payne, Atzerc
bli. and I think two others-were mas'
ing in closefttipg helmet white
we'd which Just left breathing hole
'eo- the mouth and nostrils, They "
ZION hesides mapacled at the rst and
9, l kles and to the latter were attac
mo- A heavy ball and chain. Mrs. Sur
was MT thus masked, but she:
N. mauacled at the feet throughout
yorn trial. The masks were reno
uty, when the trial became public,
the expiration Of two weeks,
,om. admission was obtained to the {
T A. only by tho personal sanction OF
Will Hunter by card: ...r.... ~.
,~ IT. The recommendation to moro!
;c.1. Mrs. SdPratt, signed by mems
1rir the court in secret session, Az
,.;oe johnson affirmed he never saw,
Origs the efforts Of Miss Anna E. Snrr'
;de3 see President johnson il bella
+ thu her unfortunate mother, were &
lone. how cruelty frustrated. An inn
Il r. matron was hanged, and hist
N for dumb as to who is responsible Il
lien terrible wrong. Frantic efforts
onlar made to connect John Surtatt
,,s1ice the assassination plot; but, fortr
al for " for him, they we're unsuccessf
into A 1t will be sreu that P'ttmar
Jerks "history is dumb as to who is re
[ohns. sible for tho terrible wrong"
. nre. 80: all the circumstances
)emo. nroye that the brute Stanton