National Republican., 1880-05-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE LATE nRS. sURRATE

new evidence has been discovered since the
trial and execution of tho assassins, fifteen
years ago, to warrant the recent oft-repeated
assertions that Mrs. Surratt was an innocent
woman. Until substantial evidence Is furnished
to ovorbalance and completely destroy the
terrible array of testimony which convinced
the court that Mary l.. Surratt was q leading
character in the conspiracy to murder tho
president an intelligent public will be slow to
believe that the verdict of that court was
eithor judicial or military murder.
Unless the sympathizers aud mourners oil
the lost cause can furnish proof as strong MS
holy writ that Mrs. Surratt was Innocent
of the crime for which she suffered, it would
be not only wise but q humane act to refer
to the painful subject as seldom as possible;
adopt as u rule silence that would in the
shortest possible time consign the sad affair
10 that oblivion which knows no rcsurrec-
tion.
As so much has been said during tho past
two years about this "foul murder" perhaps
1t would bo an act of justice, besides inter-
esting TO repubish part of the voluminous
testimony taken during that eventful trial,
and which decided that Mrs. Surratt was
guilty of the charges preferred
It was proved that Mrs. Surratt owned prop
erty at Surrattsville, in Maryland, on which
was small hotel, leased by John NJ. Floyd.
Floyd's associations and sympathies were all
Ill lhNOI Oh lnO fCDelIlOn, ana DIV no means
was he s voluntary or willing witness He
testified that some six weeks before the assas.
sination John II. Surratt, Harold and Atz-
eroth came to his house, bringing with thom
two Spencer carbines, with ammunition,
wrench, and a rope from sixteen to twenty
feet in length. Surratt asked Floyd to take
care of them and conceal them and Floyd said.
l told him l did not like to have these
things in the house; no then called me into a
I had hnfnr Ackn
where could place them under joist."
The testimony of Lewis ]. Weichman
(whoso testimony was taken without an effort
to impeach on the part of the defenso) pro vod
that Mrs. Surratts house on II street was the
headquarters of Booth, John H. Surratt
Atzcroth, Payne and Harold, and in her house
and in her presence and without reasonable
doubt these mon met there Tor the purpose of
perfecting plans to assassinate tho president
vce-president, Secretaries Seward, Stanton
and General Grant. The apolgists for Mrs
Surratt contend that if these men had an
object in meeting there, il was to abduct the
president, not to assassinate and further than
this Mrs. SuIratt had no part or knowledge.
But unfortunate for the defenders of Mrs. Sur
ratt the confession of Arnold to Mr.. Horner
proved that the scheme to capture the presi.
dent and take him south had been abandoned
several weeks before the assassination, and
because the abduction scheme had been aban-
doned Arnold withdrew from the consprators
and for this act Booth told Arnold that he
ought to be shot. This story of Arnold was
also confirmed by a letter found in Booths
trunk, written for the purpose of enlisting
him (Arnold) in tho assassination scheme
Lewis j. Weichman testified On Tues.
day previous to the assassination l was sent
to the National hotel to see Booth and get
his buggy for Mrs. Surratt She wished me
to drive her into the country. Booth said
he had sold his buggy, but gave me $40 to
hire buggy for Mrs. Surratt.
O. Did you drive her out? A. Yes, sir.
Q. To what point? A. To Surrattsvlle; we
left at 10 o'clock and reached there at l2
o'clock; Mrs Surratt said she went there for
the purpose of seeing Mrs. Notify, who owed
her money.
Q. State whether on the following Friday
(that is, the day of the assassination you
drove Mrs. Surratt into the country. A. Yes,
sir.
@. Where did you drive toP A. To Sur.
rattsvile; we arrived there about half.past
o'clock.
O. Did she stop at the house of Mrs. Floyd ?
A. Yes, sir; she went into the parlor.
Mr. John M. Floyd explains more fully the
objects of these two visits to Surrattsvillo:
q. State whether on the Tuesday pre-
ceding, Mrs Surrat came to your house.
A. j met Mrs. Surratt at my house on the
Tuesday previous to the assassination; when
she first broached the subject to me | did
not understand her; she asked me about the
"shooting'rons," or something of that kind,
to draw my attention TO those things (tho car.
bines); l had almost forgotten they were
there and l told her they were hidden away.
she said they would be wanted soon.
Q, Now state whether on the evening or
day ON which the president was assasinated
Mrs. Surrat came to your house. A. Yes. I
nI1t nj Hand linn a a. al
l came back met her at the wood pile and
she told me to have them shooting-irons ready
that night, and said there would be some
parties call for them that night; she gave me
something in piece of paper to keep for her
and | found it was field glass; she asked me
also to have two bottles of whisky ready, say.
ing they would be called for that night.
q. And were they called for by Booth and
Harold that night2 A. They both came,
Booth and Harold, and took whisky out of the
bottles; Booth did not come in. but Harold
did; 1t was not over quarter after II o'clock
Booth was stranger To me; Harold took the
whisky, but don't think he asked for it he
said to me- Get me those thingsw
O. Did he not say to you what those things
were A. No; but he was apprised of that
already; knew they were coming for them
gave him all the articles, with the field. glass
and a monkey-wrenCh.
Q. She told you TO give them the whisky
the carbines and the feld-glass2 A. Yes sir
O. How long did they remain ut your house?
A. Not over five minutes.
q. Did they take both carbines, or only one?
A. Only one; Booth said he could not take his
because his leg was broken.
Q, Did he drink also A. Yes, whilo sit
Ting in the porch; Harold carried the bottle
out to him,
Q, Did thoy say anything about the assassi.
nation2 A. As they were leaving Booth said:
II will tell you some news; / am pretty Ger.
tain we have assassinRted the president and
Secretary Seward"
This testimony of Wcchman aud Floyd is
positive proof that Mrs. Suratt knew as well
MS Booth the plans which the conspirators had
agreed upon. Mrs. Suratt could not have
been so ignorant as to suppose that tho pres-
dent could be abducted from the theatre and
carried through the streets of Washington, !
pcross the branch bridge to Surrattsvillo and |
from thence south.
But there was another fact that seemed TO |
put forever at rest the question of Mrs Suratps |
in the conspiracy-that is, that |
Payne, who had made the deadly assault ON |
Seward, and who had lodged four |
days at her house aud had sat at her table and |
had often conversed with her; this guilty /
man, after wandering three days and three |
nights trying TO avoid the officers of justice,
: 4 ~, l.,