Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-04-17
& Murdered Woman.
Gen. Slocum Speaks Ont on the
Execution Of Mrs Surratt.


Execution Of Mrs ;Surratt.
Gen. III. w. Slocum, one of
the most distinguished brigade,
division, corps and grand diyis-
ion Federal commanders of the
war, recently delivered a lecture
in Brooklyn on events of the
great struggle, during thecourse
of which he expressed the opin-
ion, always held by many, that
Mrs. Surrat was murdered wo-
man. He said:
l am going to speak to you
one word about the execution
of Mrs. Surratt at the close of
the war, for | think some good
lessons can be learned from the
story of her death. / believe
my people placed implicit con-
fidcnee III evidence given at a
high time of excitement. /
could stand here TO night and
relate fifty incidents that would
serve to caution everybody from
taking evidence. against others
when the people were ali in a
state of intense excitement.
There never was a day, there
never was an hour, that l did
not believe that Mrs. Surratt was
as innocent a woman as there
is in this hall. Applause She
was the keeper OF ii boarding
house in Washington. She
boarded Wilkes Booth and a half
a dozen other rebel sympathi-
zers, and she had son, John
Ii. Surratt. Wilkes Booth was
guilty of shooting Mr.. Lincoln,
and this poor woman was
brought to trial in connection
with Wilkes Booth, an d
through the excitement Of the
times her neck was brought TO
the halter. Her daughter, a
young giil eighteen or nineteen
years of age, on the morning of
the execution went to the Presi-
dents room and begged permits
sion to say few words to him
on behalf Of her mother, and a
United States Senator from our
own State, who acted as door
tender, refused her saying, "No,
no, you cannot go in" Worse
than that, meaner than that, the
poor girl married a clerk in the
Treasury Department. No
charges were made against him,
but because this clerk had m ar
ried the daughter Of Mrs. Sur
raft he was discharged. Let Us
brag of our achievements, but
at the same time let us learn to
look our faults and errors square
lily and fairly in the face and ac-
knowledge them when we have
canse to.
The murder of Mrs. Surratt
was the most cruel and coward
ly act ever committed in any
civilized country. 1t is a curl
Gus and suggestive fact that all
who were chiefly responsible for
the execution Of that innocent
woman have felt the unseen hand
of the Great Avengcr. Stanton,
Secretary Of War, who was. per-
haps the worst of the number,
committed suicide in fit of re-
morse, although the fact was
sought to be concealed. Pres
ton King, the Senator from
New York, who rcpulsed Annie
Surratt at the Presidents door,
in like manner ended bis own
life by deliberately Jumping
from u ferryboat into the North
river at New York and drown
ing himself. Andrew johnson,
who signed the death warrant
and despotically suspended the
writ of habeas corpus that had
been granted by the court, Was
stricken suddenly with death
upon his return to the Senate az
ter he had left the Presidency.
Judge Advocate Holt, who con-
Quoted the prosecution, long
ago disappeared from public
view, and whether dead or alive
nobody knows andnobody cares.
And John A. Bingham, who as
sisted Holt, was driven from
Congress..in disgrace as one of
the Credit Mobilier bribe-takers,
and sought refuge in Japan,
where, we believe, he now is.