The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-08-03
HANCOCK's VHNDICATHON.
The Facts About His Connection
With the Execution Of Mrs. Sur

The Facts About His Connection
ratf.
Cincinnati Commercial (Rep).
The nomination of General Hancock for
the Presidency has revived memories of
the great tragedy of le65-the assassina-
tion of President Lincoln, and the arrest,
trial and execution of David E. Harold,
George A. Azterott, Lewis Payne and
Mary E. Surratt, as persons engaged in
the conspiracy 10 murder the President.
The trial proceeded before military COM
mission appointed by special order of
the War Department and presided over
by Major General Hunter. Michael o.
Laughlin, Samuel Arnold, DR.. Samuel A.
Mudd and Edward Spangler were also
tried by the same commission, but they
were not proven to have been guilty to
the same extent as the other parties, and
were sentenced to hard labor in the peni-
tentiary at Albany, N. r.; sentence
that was afterwards changed, we believe,
to confinement at the Dry Tortugas.
The findings of the commission were
approved by the then President, Andrew
johnson, on the 5th of July, 1865, and the
order for the execution of Harold, Ate
rott, Payne and Mrs. Surratt was issued
on the same day and was addressed "To
Major W. S. Hancock, Commanding Mil
itary Division, Washington" The time
fixed for their execution was the 7th of
July, between the hours of 10 A. NJ. and
2P. NJ.
The time between the sentence and
execution was short, but it afforded op-
portunity for an effort to save Mrs. Sur
raft from the scaffold. She protested her
innocence to the priests who attended her,
and her daughter Anna visited the Exec
utive Mansion to plead with the President
for her mothers life. A writ of hdbeGs
corpus was also issued in her case, and
General Hancock was detained until IL
o'clock on the day fixed for the execution
in making a return of the writ The
President directed him to disobey it, and
it was not until after one o'clock, says an
account of that day, "that the prison
door near the scaffold opened and the
prisoners appeared with guard of SOL
diers, headed by General Hancock" All
the prisoners were heavily manacled, and
manifested the most profound emotion as
they ascended the scaffold, where they
were bound and the white cap drawn
over their faces. The execution followed,
none being present but the officials charg-
ed with carrying the sentence of the COM
mission into effect, and the reporters of
the press. A few days after the bodies
of the executed were surrendered by the
military authorities to their friends and
were privately buried.
This is the substance of the matter, and
the beginning and end of General Han
cocks connection with their cases. There
was some doubt of Mrs. Surratt's guilt.
Payne, on the morning of the execution,
made solemn declaration of her inno-
cence, and the other condemned made
declarations to the same effect.
These were matters, however, with
which General Hancock had no business.
They had been found guilty by military
commission and condemned to death, and
the finding had been approved by the
President. When General Hancock made
return of the hdbeas corpus issued in Mrs.
Surratt's case, the President ordered him
to disregard it, and to proceed with the
execution. Whether he made any effort
to save her life, or appealed to the Presi-
dent to commute her sentence, or re-
prieve her until the case was further In
quired into, 10 unknown. Probably not,
for, with his habits of military discipline,
the General undoubtedly would have
thought it an impropriety to interfere.
His duty WAS to obey, and he was no
more responsible for the guilt or inno-
cence of the persons condemned, or for
the finding of the court before which they
had been tried, than the sheriff who hangs
man in accordance with the order of any
civil process.
Washington Ger,s:P9ndsnes OvsnOsr ia 1871 of the
The mention of General Hancock
name in connection with the Presidential
nomination has led, lie his friends suppos.
ed it would lead, to spiteful outcroppings
over the hanging of Mrs. Surratt, an
affair which his ollicial position Just after
the war compelled him to direct. A few
days ago in the Indianapolis Journal IN
| interview was printed about General
Hancock Of which the following is part
aThe Democrats can't nominate Gen. Han
| in response 70 ny sxpfession Of opinion.
"Bscsuse,r he aid with much feeling, hs
/ hanged MEs eurratt without canse and perse
1 cuted bet 16r hev relIsion.'
II dont 90 how n hanged hes, eald II NOR
than Genegal He'll Eho ~ Suoes Aasoeeae, q
sssassa SSsasos. We .se Hss .ss sdsSs = = Ap'
/ HHaucock z axElaimed The priest, had hel
I imm6dIsae c1sfoly, md ~ abeolutsly setGDed 4
i les her go hes Clergyman, ~ any cie1Kymen
Der church efter ene 2 80 senseeesA 1se e.9 :. =