Louisiana capitolian., 1880-03-20
MRS. ANNA SURRATT,

n correspondent Vi VIC OOI'tIlU'",
Tenn, Herald, writing from Washing
ton, relates the oft-told tale of the
judicial murder of Mrs. Surratt, as
impaired to him by John w. Clam
pitt, Esq. Mr.. Clampitt was then in
his twenty-sixth year, and on the
night of the murder was just passing
from his Office, when q gentleman
rushed by and said cxcitedly, "Presi-
dent Lincoln has been murdered
and John Wilkes Booth didit" Those
who heard him thought the man crazy
but MI. Clampitt saw great crowd
surging to and fro among the people.
The correspondent continues:
Immediately he pushed to Fords
theatre, but with great difficulty got
through the crowd and saw the woun-
died President--nOt quite dead. BY
hnd by, curses loud and deep rcndc,l
the very heavens. Cavalry were
swarming every street and avenue.
The well known sympathizers of the
South .'hid out" and made them
selves very scarce. A night or two
before that Richmond had fallen, and
Washington was as bright rs day.
Joy uncontincd rcigncd everywhere.
The rockets rcd glare was seen ut
every point in the heavens. The ex-
ulting cannon shook the surrounding
hills. Every home and tenement was
illuminated. Lincoln appeared before
the people and called for the bands
to play Dixie, saying jocoscly, eve
have captured the song, tOo!'
In that hour Of the greatest triumph
that mortal mind ever saw, the Presi
dent was warm hearted and kindly
disposed towards the South. How
strange the change! The victor of
this night was in n few short hours
suddenly hurried to the great hereaf-
ter! No wonder there was excite
mcnt. In Il few hours every home in
Washington was draped in mourning
not to do it was to become the spc-
cial mark of the hootings and peltings
of the mob.
Mrs. Surratt's boarding house was
heavily adorned with the funeral SYM
Dol. In a few hours she was laying
upon the straw covered floor of the
old Arsenal sick, brokcn-heartcdand
utterly crushed. The leading lawyers
all lawycrs-of the vicinity were
entreated to go to her bedside and
take her case. Almost all framed
miserable and shutfling excuses. Such
an infamy and such a disgrace never
fell on any country, or upon any bar
before. A profession in the leading
land of liberty in all tide of time, fall
tered and flickcred in that awful hour;
profession noted the world over and
in all ages for for its heroes furnished
but three in this crisis.
In letters of gold their names should
be set in pictures Of silver, and be
read of all men for all time. They
are Reverdy Johnson, John w. Clam
pitt and Mr.. Aiken. These three see
ing nothing but duty and casting all
fear of the present from them, stood
by her and with her until cruel hang
men carried her up, more dead than
alive, to the gallows. Clampitt, as
soon az sent for, went to the arsenal
and took her case. Day and night,
without the hope of fee or reward, he
laboled for her. A court martial was
convencd-a court martial in the cap
ital of republic in apurely civil case
hot to try a member of the army 2
Where is the warrant for it. 1t was
done. Men of the army, wholly igno-
rant of the forms of law and the die
tases of equity, were called to compose
a tribunal to try Mrs. Surratt, Payne,
Harold and Atzerot. Not one of these
persons belonged to the land or naval
forces of the Union. The war was
over. The courts of the country were
open: in fact, never had been closed
in Washington. Reverdy Johnson,
the greatest constitutional lawyer
since the days of Webster, launched
his keenest thunderbolts at the ille-
gal and unconstitutional court, but in
vain. They insulted him and madly
drove him from their presence. With
the infamous Joe Holt as Judge Ad-
vocate, they pushed things with high
hand. The prisoners were brought
in heavily ironed at every sitting. The
so-called court sat from April until
July.
Every day the accursed manacles
rattlal tha hnarinn of her connsel