The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-07-17
Correspondence Baifilors CoaAiy CHi.M.
MRS. SURRATT'S CASE.
To Hon. Geo. =. lIoar,
Chairman Of the Committee
wAsniSerox, u. C.. June iii

Correspondence Baifiaore CoaAiy Uai.a.
MRS. sURRATT's CASE.
wAsniSGToS, u. C., June tIth, 1850.
MsssTs. Editors Raifihaore County CHion Since
the nomination Of ten. Hancock by the Dcno-
cratic party for the Presidency. and the revival
thereby Of the discussion Of the hanging Of Mrs
surratt. the Democratic press has given currency
to large number Of stories for the purpose Of
tcnuating OF there need be any such exicnuationl
ten. llancock's connection Herewith, and To
Piaeate ani make his nomination more paiatable
e. "a class at persons whose votes they desire for
him. Not being in Washington at the time Of the
hanging Of Mrs. Surratt, and having only the
newspapers Of that time 10 guide me, IN none Of
which saw any Of these stories which are being
now published, determined TO make some inquiry
here among eyewitness of the scene and Incl.
dents OF that occasion, and discover whether or
not there u any truth in these stories or whether
they were not merely invented for the above al.
legged purposes. Especially was | moved 10 do
this by the editorial pubIished In the MsrsI,a,f
ioHH nal VI the week before last in which the writer
laudatoriiy extcnuatcs Gen. Hancock conduct In
connection with the above affair by saying that
he acted merely in his line Of duty ~ n military
and subordinate officer. aud rciterating the story
that has been going the round. of tie Democratic
press To- prove Hancock's great sympathy Tor and
r.iUrts To- save the lille of the condemned woman
namely that Hancock had established relays OF
cavalry from the Presidents house TO the arsenal
where the executions To- take place, IN order
e. Afford the amplcst opportunity To- receive word
IL at the last moment the President should con.
clude to rcpticVc Mrs. Surratt. for which her
friends had been making the most strenuous cf.
forts. have learned from the clerk who wrote
the order in the War Department. under which
ten. Hancock executed the prisoner. that all or
nearly all Of the members of the court Nhch tried
Mr.. ;. and the other conspirator.. AZ we'll a. a
very large number of cititens. ignel petition To-
President johnson for the rcrricVc or pardon Of
Mrs. Surrait but he could not Remember whether
or not ten. Hancock signature was among the
number. his impression being that it Wa not Not
being now clerk in that Department lac could
not refer To- the documents 60 discover whether
Hancock signed such paper not. With refer.
cnce 60 the relays Of cavalry mentioned, hc was
very confident that that story has NJ foundation
IN fact. and IN order tn establish the truth Of the
remark he further said that there would have been
no necessity for such arrangement. a. there WI. a
telegraph line running from the " ar Department
where the orders were issued to the place Of hang
ing.
In all my efforts o. get at the truth ~ sai.ity Of
these stories. a. think for the benefit ul public
opinion they ought e. be either proven or ii..
proven. have not been able To- discover any one
tina; has any recollection that caValrymcn were
placed along PcnnsylVania Avenue. ur anywhere
else. for the purpose alleged doe. the ilca ID.
tain here, nor ever did IL cNis; before that liam
cock felt any Particular sympathy for either 60: tie
prisoner. that Wa con lemnrl t. execution II !.
true. a an elderly gentleman remarked 60 tue. who
was familiar with all the c,rcpu stance. and an
cyc-~itness To- al tina; tran,pircl AZ the time Of
the hanging. that Hancock treated Mr. Sufrait
AMI also her daughter with the kinincs. and
Difference due their SET and aCoHdoHnei prisoner
AMI her unhappy daughter. and 80 la ten Mus
scy. the PFcsiIcnts Military Secretary. AMI zen.
iiaFtTanit, Who. unic Gen. Iiiuctck. had iumc.
date charge % the cNccui 20. bat u, me lie .ai
AZ tina; tiiHc thuusht II Hancock feeling any more
pity Tor the condemned woman than VA. common
o. ali disiniefesicl resident. here H., related t.
any Of the prisoner. by blood or iinme late friend
ship. lie saii that u i new idea that ten.
Hancock wa. particularly anxious Tor Mr.. sur.
rau's pardon. and that ii would not nov be- heard
of or given currency 60 were Lr ~, the Demo.
cratic nominee for the Presidency. lie performed
hi, duty .pemnly. betting .ueh a tack but
deierminedly. showing no more fc'ehtance in the
matter than did Andy johnson. and IL there was
anything that the latter determined about and
persistent ill., asain', all appeals Of .ymps,hy IN
account Of sex. pity Tor her li.ircssci ani lonely
daughter. as'escratinn' of Innocence on the part
II her friend. anu other thing. It vas in han.
Ing Mrs.. STfratt viii the other cuHspIratuf. at
making treason oiiou." after he hal become
PRECEDENT.
II va. my intention go give You ,Ni,ulci cN-
tfacis from the Life # ten, I. e. Bakvs." chief
81 National police at that tine which contains a
minute historical account ut every thing connected
With the Discovery % the cHu.IlrttpT- tor the
assas.ination of Lincoln ani tic other head. oi
the Government. their capture the lc,ti, 81 Booth
al! the execution uf the other cuh-iiratuf.. bat
these extract. would scrupN tlu much pace The
following are a feN. however. that viii illustrate
the tendcrne,. anl confederation with which Mi.
SuTfait and her mother we're treated by Everyone
that hal anything 4" 4, With the rNecuiion. rN.
cepi. perhaps. President johnson. Nhp positively
rc;usri hearing ." Mi >urraii anil .hpW.t ~
sisn. of relenting At the tate 81 her mother:
About halt pact O'Clock ut the morning 81 IL.
execution Mis. Surrait, accompanied b. u female
friend. again visited the White House. haiin,
been there the cvenin. before. iur the purpose ni
obtaining an Interview with the Pfe.idoht. Pre-.
ilcnt johnson having given order. that hr would
receive no one. the dnpr.kecper stopped M,- sur
raft nj the Too; oi the steps leading up the Pres
idcn,'s Office and would not allo~ her to proceed
any further. She then asked permit .i.n 10 see
ten. Mussey. who promptly answered the .um-
mons and came down stairs where Mi.s Surratt
was standing. A. soon n the General made his
appearance Mis- Surratt threw herself upon her
knees before him. AMI catching him by the coat.
with loud sobs aud streaming eyes implurel him
90 assist her in obtaining hearing with the Pres
ident. Gen. Musscy. in A. tender manner ~
possible. Informed Misc Surfati tina, lac could not
comply with her request. a. President Jphn.on's
orders were imperative and he would receive no one
Upon ten. Massey returning 60 his Office Mis-
surrait threw herself upon the stair steps. where
sue remained ronriIcrnblc length 81 time. sob.
bing aloud in the greatest anguish protecting her
mothers innocence and inploring every one Who
came near her 10 ini-rce,c in her mothcrs behalf
While thus weeping she declared her mother wa.
too good and kind 90 be guilty Of the enormous
crime of which she was convicted, aud asserted
that u her mother was put TO death she wished To-
die with her also.
"She afterwards sought an interview with Gen.
Hancock at the Metropolitan Hotel, aud inplorcd
him In pitiable accents To get n reprieys for her
mother. The General did his best 20 assuagc the
mental anguish Of the grief stricken girl, but he
had no power 10 grant her favor
AZ 1910 o'clock Gen. Hancock had ived from
his hotel nj the arsenalin buggy and gave orders
personally TO Gen. Iiartran with reference 10 the
hanging. There IL mention made any where
which gives any eoloring whatever to these later
Democratic stories. nor do they ut all compou
with the action taken by ten. Hancock In resist.
ing the writ Of habsos corpus in Mrs. Surraits
case, he having previously obtained the power
from the President % suspend the writ In the bis.
trict pending the trial and execution of the prir-
oncrs. NISbEX vEnITATis.
FS-J. Brown George, prominent young shoe
merchant Of Baltimore, fell from the fourth story
Of bis store, on sharp street, near Lombard, on
Friday morning Of last week and was instantly
killed. II IL sunposed that In nttemntiny IN hoist