Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-04-24
CRUEL FATE.
CRUEL FATE.
GENERAL sLoCUM ON THE MURDER OF MRS.
sURATT.

GENERAL sLoCUM ON THE MURDER OF MRS
sURATT.
General H. w. Slocum, one Of the most
distinguished brigade, division, corps and
grand division commanders of the war, re-
Gently delivered lecture in Brooklyn on
events of the great struggle, during the
course of which he expressed the opinion,
always held by the Union, that Mrs. Suratt
was murdered woman. He said:
1 am going to speak to you one word
about the execution Of Mrs. Suratt at the
close of the war, for think some good les.
sons can be learned from the story of her
trial and death. 1 believe any people, situa'
ted as we were, ought to be cautioned against
placing implicit confidence in evidence given
at time of high excitement. could stand
here to night and relate to you fifty incidents
that would serve to caution everybody against
taking evidence against others when the peo-
pie were all in a state of intense excitement.
There never was day, there never was
an hour, that did not believe Mrs. Suratt
was as innocent woman as there is in this
hall. [Applause. She was the keeper Of a
boarding house in Washington. She board
ed Wilkes Booth and half dozen other
rebel sympathizers, and she had son, John
H. Suratt. Wilkes Booth was guilty OF
shooting Mr.. Lincoln, and this poor woman
was brought to trial in connection with Wilkes
Booth and through the excitement Of the
times her neck was brought 10 the halter
Her daughter, young girl of 18 or l9 years
of age, on the morning of the execution, went
to the Presidents room and begged permis.
sion to say few words to him on behalf Of
her mother, and United States Senator from
our own State, who acted as door tender
repulsed her saying, "No, no; you cannot
60 in" Worse than that, meaner than
that, the poor girl three or four years after
ward married clerk in the Treasury De-
partment. No charges were made against
him, but because this clerk had married the
daughter of Mrs. Suratt, he was discharged
Let US brag of our achievements, but at the
same time let us learn to look at our faults
and errors squarely in the face and acknowl
edge them when we have cause to.
The murder of Mrs. Suratt was the most
cruel and cowardly act ever committed in
any civilized country. 1t is curious and
suggestive fact that all who were chiefly re-
sponsible for the execution of that innocent
woman have felt the unseen hand Of the
Great Avenger. Stanton, Secretary Of War
who was, perhaps, the worst of the number
committed suicide in fit Of remorse, although
the fact was sought to be concealed. Preston
King, the Senator from New York, who re-
pulsed Annie Suratt from the President
door, in like manner ended his own life by
deliberately jumping from ferry boat in
the North River, at New York, and drown:
ing himself. Andrew johnson, who signed
the death warrant and despotically suspen'
ded the writ of habeas corpus that had been
granted by the court, was stricken suddenly
with death upon his return to the Senate at
ter be had left the Presidency. Judge Ad,
vocate Holt, who had conducted the prose
cution, long ago disappeared from public
view, and whether dead or alive, nobody
knows and nobody cares. And John A.
Bingham, who assisted Holt, was driven from
Congress in disgrace as one of the Credit Mo-
bilier brbe takers, and sought refuge in
japan, where, we believe he now is.-Roches-
ter (N. " Union.
THE CRuc1FIx1oN.-"Christ died on Fri.
day, April 3, A. D., 33, on which day there
was an eclipse of the moon, if the calculations
of Professor Lutterback are to be relied upon,
as it would seem they are. The matter has
before this attracted attention. A year or so
ago Professor Brahus of Leipsic announced
definitely that there was such an eclipse. The
we'll known German astronomer Professor
Lutterback, took the matter in hand, and in
published letter to Professor Brahus, written
early last summer, says:
ri take the liberty of communicating to
you that had it exactly calculated after La