Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-06-29
MIA. sURRATT,
Some Inside HIstory Touehin


ton With II, as Told by "a Re.
publican Journal.
Cincinnau Commercial
The nomlnation NJ General Hancock
recalls the stirring incidents connected
with the trial OF Mrs. suratt, and In
some quarters u has been urged against
hlm as q campaign document that he
was in some way responsible for the ex
eoution ~ Mrs. Surratt, and that he
might have prevented u II he had inter
posed his power at that time. Know.
ins that the gentleman MAS In Clncin.
natl al the Convention who could ans.
wer some questions connected with
those times, reporter called ON Mr.. u
w, hmalley, al the Atlanta Constitu.
ton, better known as old Isl" by the
characteristic sketches In that paper.
And propounded Ia him sone queries on
tho subject.
Mr. Smalley Tor some time acted A.
the private secretary al President John.
snn, after his retirement from the Presi-
denoy, and Ia the interval between his
retirement aud election IN United States
Senator from the State oi Tsnnesseo; in
that capacity u Iell In the line oi his du.
~ Ia eollate and put into shape the Of,
hcial aud private correspondence ol tho
eN President, which camc from the
White House Ia a state III confusion.
lu ilschargng this duty hc became
familiar with the contents III many doc.
umentA important on account al their
historical aud personal bearings, aud
among them those papers which Mr..
Johnson most particularly preserved Ia
connection with the charges aud the
iacts concerning the trial and execution
pt Mrs. Surutt.
RepOrtcr-What do you recall al the
harls al tho evidence la that Commits.
aioni
I recall that General Hancock was by
the circumstance oi the situation i'm.
mediately following the surrender oi
AppomatIox and the assassination al
Lincoln, the departmental commander
Ia the department embracing Washing.
ton City. know the Commission
which sat ior the trial oi the murderers
III Mr.. Lincoln. ! know that the con.
siitutionality oi that Commission Was
questioned, debated and settled Ia the
Cabinet. | EnOw that President John
son doubted, aud did until the day III
nls death, the cunstltullnnallty III those
proceedings. | know ~ iar M ! can
know from his own declarations, that he
Welded tn the decision al hls Cabinet,
recognized the legality ni the acts III the
Commission, Hnd that hr awaited its
decision without the desire or inten-
iion 1T further questioning iIS aulhort-
ty."
when the decision ri this Commits.
sion Nas rendered, what was Mr..
IuuNsON's ATTITUDE
"Mr johnson has frequently sail tO
mr that when the record al that Count
was presented to him, hr carefully con
sidrrrd u first, lor the purpose oi dis
covering whether upon evidence that
Judgment vas correct aud second,
whether from the eN idUncr there were
reasons why the discretion al the Exec,
uIlvr should hr cNcTcu'cd upon the slde
ui rlrmrncy toward ANY unu III these IN
,luIrd ln the sentence ul the Court.
tie dr,idrd that the Judgment upon the
evidence, a. presented Vas correct, aud
that there was nu reason iur any dls-
tinrtiun boiWcru the condemned, cN-
,rpt.thc scX III Mira. SurTalt
lie hrId then az hc had continued To
hold, that sex neither iorsaye nOT cN-
banded the character al the crime, that
the woman Who committed "a crime, aud
that crime hring proved, was subject tn
the same pcnaltlrs that tho law pre-
srrlhrd, without regard Ia SEX or cnndi,
ton ui the offender"
MIR Johnson approved the sentence,
then. taking that WOW at the situation
Yea hc did approve u, hut he AZ.
pruvrd "A upon the naked presentation
1T the official records ri the Court. tn.
fortunately iur his lame ia this Councc.
ton, u lunsplrcd long after the dccease
III Mrs SuTmtt that the Court had Pri-
yatrly, tlmidly, ynu may sav agreed
and recommended a. the fTrSldrnt, Hlg
niiyinv that MTs Surrait might n Ius.
lre and IA view Ol all her surroundings
have her sentence cummuted from the
death penalty tO imprisonment These
Recommendations ul the Commission
we're not gwen Ia the public, but IN
/ trusted tn General Joseph Holt, the
puhIi, Advocate Oi the Commission, Ia
| bs hy him transmitted Ia the fTosldeni,
/ IN rnnnectinn with the other paperr.
MT. Jnhnsnn always claimed that Lee hal
never srrn the recommendation ol tho
| the Court until hls attention was Callod
| tn ID by All article, | believe, ~ the Now
/ York IribUHt, after Mrs. SurTali y
/ JraIh, Tho announcement Was sur
prisc to him, and caused hlm Ia go at
! ans, in the War Department aud inspect
| the papcrz nn file in the ease. lie iound
| ,hnt Ma, Court had recommended Mrs.
Surrntt tn the clemenCy ut the Execu-
- "A. sNsastH as ia
Inc Court we're nn Tile, and WIS the last
document among the papers and hollow
ing the approval oi the sentence 10y him'
/ self
Glow could the recommendation have
hrrn attached Ia the papers ~ that
/ iorm1" =,
III MAS attached after the papers had
/ h,,n returned To- General Holt, and alter
| pr,.idsut Johnson hal approved the
s,utrncn oi the CuuIt The papers were
/ made up lu legal iuIu attached al tho
! tnp. and starting from page Ia page, as
/ laval documents usually dn. Tie sigma
| ,nr,s AL the Commission TAI the sentence
| th,y had pronounced ended about hall
| vny down tire last page hut one Oi the
| sheet. "A hirh composed the entire do'u'
mont The proper place ior the recon-
| incubation ui mercy Vas following thai
nf Ala. sentence at the Court, hut Mt.
Inhnsnn claimed that no such RECON-
incubation Was presented, aud that, al
/ Ter fulI consideration and anxious IN
| un,ry into all the points oi the case lac
| had negun Ia write his approval oI u'c
sentence. Just having hall the sigma
/ ,ur,. oi the members al the Commission
tnat approval by the President more
Imam hiIrd the remaining halt "i the
page, aud, moreover, To the top OF the
nrnt page, aud partially down u to the
.iyuature. A. the document should no"
stand among the records at the war pe-
partment, AMI recommendation appear
| I,,l,,,I oven the approval oi the sen.
renee by President Johnson, aud 80
marked AS 10 show that the tiie hal
been opened, anl that the paper MAS at
,,,h,J after Il lett the hands at the fresi
dent"