Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-02
THE sURRATT CASE.

additional Evidence as to HancocIs's Ten
derness TOtcards the Viettns of Assassi-
nation Excitement.
New York Special, July 30.
John P. Barpley, president of st. Louis
college, in this city; writes long letter to
the Herald, in which he more clearly and
fully exonorates Gen. Hancock from apy
responsibility for the death of Mrs. Surratt
than any previous statement has done. Mr..
Barpley was friend of the Surrats, and
exerted himself in vain to save the life of
the condemned woman. In The course of
his letter he says: "Of all those in authority
to whom I appealed in behalf of the I'M
fortunate woman; from two men only did
experience kindness and considera-
ton. Those two men were Gen.
John f. Hartranft and Gen.
Winfield Scott Hancock. President john
son and Secretary Stanton seemed actually
to thirst for her innocent blood.
THE TWO SOLDIERS
scorned to have the blood upon their hands,
and did what in them lay to save her from
felonious doom. l know whereof / speak,
and no man living has a better right TO
speak than 1. On July 6, 1865, the people
were startled by the official announcement,
over the Presidents signature, that four of
the prisoners, including Mrs. Surratt, were
to be hanged on the following day between
the hours of 10 and 2 O'Clock. The same
day received permission, for the first time,
to visit Mrs. Surratt. / went Immediately
to her cell, iu the penitentiary, and found
Rev. Father Wiget, the president of Con
zaga college, already there. Soon after her
daughter Anna and Ii ". Father Walter ar
rived. They had
BEEN TO THE WHITE HOUSE
in the hope of obtaining reprieve, but were
refused an audience by President johnson.
We remained with Mrs. Surratt several
hours, affording her such consolation as we
could. That night Father Walter and my
self called upon Judge Holt, but our efforts
proved fruitless. On the mo@Ang of the
fatal day went before notary and made an
affidavit of such facts ss hoped would in
duee the President to grant stay of pro-
ceedings in her case. [ then rode in haste
to the penitentiary, where found Mrs. Sur
rat suffering intensely from cramps and CON
gestive chills. AT my request Gen. Hart
ranft went to The prisoner Payne and held a
conversation with him. So impressed was
Gen. Hantranft with Payne's solemn declara-
tons of his own guilt and protestations of
Mrs. Surratt' innocence that he Immediately
wrote
LETTER To PRESIDENT JOHNSON,
couched substantially in these words. 'The
prisoner, Payne, has just told me that Mrs.
Surratt is entirely innocent of the assassina-
ton of President Lincoln, or of any knovl-
edge whatever of tue abduction: that moth
ing was ever said to her about ii, and that
her name was never mentioned by the parties
connected herewith At the close of the letter
Gen. Hartranft wrote these significant
words: 1 believe that Payne has told tho
truth in the matter While writing he or
dered a pair of the fastest horses to be
brought, and when he had finished writing
and had signed his name he delivered the
letter to me and told me to go in all haste
and place the letter in the Presidents haud5.
Arrived at the White House, 1
CRAvED AN AUDIENCE WITH ME. JOHNSON.
1t was refused. then sent Gen. Hartranft's
letter to the President and waited for an
answer. No answer came. While there 1
met Anna E. Surratt, who, in her endesvors
to see the President, had been rudely re-
pulsed. Judge Mason, of Iowa, with tears
streaming his cheeks, was there seeking in
vain for an interview with the President,
and endeayoring to assuage the grief of the
heart broken child. Mrs. Senator Douglas
came down the stairs of the White House.
Despite the efforts of the guards she had
r,a,- s,,10 IL,
and had begged for few days. respite to al
low the condemned woman time to prepare
for death. Mr.. johnson refused. Coming
to me, she said: Mr. Barpley, 1 have seen
the President, but taere is no hope | said
to her: Madam, has the President seen my
statement and the letter that | have just
brought from Gen. Hartranft?' Imms-
diately retracing her steps, she again forced
her way into the presence CT the Presi-
dent. MIR. johnson said he had seen both
papers, but there was nothing in them, and
THE WOMAN MUST DIE.
Mrs. Douglass returned to tell the sad
news, and then, with bowed head and fearful
eyes, departed for home. Finding that 10
hope remained, l urged Auna to go to her
mother while she was yet alive. We drove
~ t4o POhitOEtihLJ VA Jul way
from the White House / noticed mounted
soldiers at intervals along the route but
did not know at that time for what purpose
they had been SO stationed. When we arrived
at the arsenal gate, an hour or so before tue
execution, we were refused admission by tho
soldiers on guard. In the excitement l had
mislaid my pass, and for q time it seemed as
if mother and daughter were to be deprived
of the mournful privilege of last farewell.
Just then carriage drove no, and
GEN. HANCOCK
descended from it, and came to the ambu-
lance in which were Anna Surratt and N.Y.
self, surrounded by the guard. Ordering
the guard away, the general spoke to Auna.
in voice of subdued sadness, told her that
he feared there was no hope, as the higher
authorities were inexorable, aud urged her
to brace for the terrible ordeal. Coming
around the ambulance to the seat occupied,
Gen. Hancock said to me in a low tone:
'Mr. Barpley, | fear there is no hop., and it
would be cruel to hold out any hope to
that poor child when there is none Still,
have stationed mounted men all along the
line to the White house, with instructions to
make all possible haste III case the President
should at the last moment relent aud grant
a reprieye for Mrs. Surratt. Ii reprieye be
granted, it will probably be directed 10 me