The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-05-01
Il CfUEI FI7'E,
The Federal General SlOcum Oh tho Iurtler
of NlrA. Surrntt.

of Mrs. Surratt.
General II. w. Slocur, one Of the
most distinguished brigade, division,
corps and grand division commanders
of the war, recently delivered a lect-
urc in Brooklyn on events of the great
stru"olo, during the course Of which
he expressed the opinion, always held
by the Unioa, that Mrs, Surratt Mns a
murdered woman. lie SAID:
Il am going to speak to you one word
abou the execution Of Mrs, Surrutt at
the close Of the war, forI think some
goodlrS$onS can be learned from the stU-
ry of her trial and death. believe any
people situated rs we were ought to be
cautioned against placing implicit con-
fidcncc in evidence given at IL time of
high excitement. could stand here
to night and relate to you fifty Incl
dents That would serve to caution
everybody against taking evidence
against others when the people were
all in Il state Of intcnSc cXcitcmcnt.
There never was a day, there never
was an hour, that [ did not believe
Mrs. Surrntt was as Innocent u woman
as there is in this hall [Applausc.]
She was the keeper Of a boarding
house in Washington. She boarded
Wilkes Booth and half II dozen other
rebel sympalhiZcrs, and she had Il son,
John Fl. Surratt. Wilkes Booth was
guilty OF shooting Mr. Lincoln, and
this poor wolnsn was brought TO trial
in connection with Wilkes Booth and
through the excitement Of the time her
neck was brought to the halter. Her
daughter, young girl of eighteen or
nineteen years of age, Oh the morning
of the execution, went to the Prcsi-
dents and begged permission to say n
few words to him in behalf Of her
mother, and Il United States Senator
from our own State. who acted as
door tender, rcpulscd her. saying, "No
no: YOU canl0t 60 in.' Worse than
| that. mcahcr than that, the poor girl
three or four years attcrward married
Il clerk in the Treasury Department.
No charges were made against him,
: but because he had married the dau1h-
ter Of Mrs. Surratt he was discharged.
Let Us biaT Of our achievements, but at
the same time let us learn TO look at
our faults and errors squurcly in the
face and ackowlcdgc them when We
have cause to-"
The murder of Mrs. Surratt was the
most cruel and cOwartlIv act ever conf
llIltitt III itlh ClN lllIttl toulIlIS. IL Is
curious and suggestive fact That all
who were chiefly responsible for thc
exc II ion Of t.i:t innocent woman have
felt unseen the hand OF the Great
Avcngcr. Stanton, Secretary Of War,
who was, perhaps, the worst of the
number, committed suicide in q fiji Of
rcmorSc, although the fact was sought
to be concealed. Preston King, the
Senator from New York, who rcpulsctl
Annie Surratt from the Presidents
door, in like manner ended his own
life by deliberately jumping from Il
ferry boat into tho North River, at
New York, and drowning himself
| Andrew johnson, who signed tho
death warrant and dcspotically sus,
pended the writ ofh0bcuS r0,puS that
had been granted by the court, was
stricken suddenly with death upon lis
return to the Senate after he had left
the Presidency. Judge Advocate IIol,
who conducted The prosecution
long ago disappeared from the public
view, and whether dead or alive
nobody knows and nobody cares. And
John \. bingham, who assisted Holt
was driven from Congress- in disgract
as one of the Credit Mobilicr bribt
takers, AMI sought refuge in Japan
where, we believe, he now is.