New-York tribune., 1880-06-26
HANCOCK'S CAREER.
,Yns voR SOUTHERN APPROVAL.

eIoN OF GENERAL HANCOCKS PART IN TIE
suRRtrr CAsE-AN INTERVIEW WITH MRS.
sURRATTs DAUGHTER - HANCoCKs MILITARY
BIUNpERs-NULLIFYiNG RECONsrRuc'IoN'
Democratic journals have begun to give
q revised version of General Hancocks
conduct in the Surratt case. Mrs.
Tonry "a daughter of Mrs. Surratt)
and her husband, Professor Tonry,
denounce General Hancock. A review OF
General Hancock's career In the Flfth
Military District in 1967-'69 shows him
TO have been the tool of conspirators
who intended the overthrow Of the recon-
struction laws. 1t is shown that General Han
cocks last active military campaign, that
against the Cheyenne indians, cost the Gov
ernmept $4,000, 900 and proved failure.
HANCOCK AND THE SURRATT CASE.
THE PLEASANT SORT OF DISPUTE THE DEMOCRATS
HAVE TO SETTLE AMONG THRMsELvEs-INTER-
VIEW WITH ANNA sURRATT-sHE is AS BITTER
AZ FyER-THR STORY THREE-FOURTHs OF
THE DEMOCRATIC PRKss swoRE BY UNTIL THIS
wREK-THE NICE WORDS THEY HAVE NOW TO
EAT.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRBUEE]
BALTIMORE June 25.--The nomination OF Gcnerai
Hancock for the Presidency hos ievived IN Demo-
cratic circles the history of his connection with the
pXecutiOn
Payne. Atzerodt and Harold, was hanged
IN the Old Capitol Prison yard, Washing
ton. July T. 1865 for completely in the scheme that
resulted in the assassination of President Lin
coin. and very nearly in the murder OF
Secretary Seward. Democratic organs ana
orators have heretofore charged that General
Hancock. who was in command OF the troops III ana
around Washington at the time. could have saVeu
Mrs. Sumatt If he had chosen to do SO. Ihey nave
complained that he not only disobeyed the VIII OF
habeas corpus that was issued to him on the
preceding day to produce MIS- ourra'.
in court but that he also prevented
her daughter from seeing President johnson when
sbe went to the White House to beg for reprieve,
and that in various other wavs he took care that
the execution should take place at the appointed
bour. But since General Hancock loomed up
as Democratic leader the party nave
taken another tack. Thew have urged that
Hancock did not desire that Mrs. Surratt should DC
hanged; that he implored President johnson 10 De
merciful to her; and that the day Of the hanging
he stationed patrols of cavalry between the White
House and the scene of execution. so that II re-
prieye for Mrs. Surratt should be granted at the last
moment it would be conveyed to him with oil posi-
BILE expedition.
Some curious illustrations Of the trouble the
Democrats arc to have among themselves over
this case came out IN interviews
with Mrs. surratt's daughter and her
husband yesterday and to-day. Miss Anna Surratt is
now the wife of Professor VIM. p Tonry, and resides
in this city. Mrs. Tonry was first seen On Ihursoay
afternoon. She is a rather tall and slender lady,
evidently of very nervous temperament, and bears
in her face and expression the traces of the
terrible ordeal through which she passed
fifteen wears ago. To the inquiries OF the
correspondent che responded that she had heard OF
the nomination of General Hancock.
The correspondent then said to Mrs. Tonry: "The
Democratic papers asserting that the part
ulayed by General Hancock in the execution was
altogether honorable and fair and that he did what
ever he could to save your mother. NOW IL lha'
truei"
Mrs. Tonrv besltated for few moments to an
swer and the recollection of past events seemed
painful to her. Finally she said that such re-
ports were not true and added that neither she nor
auy of her family had any good feeling for General
Hancock.
Correspondent-"Do you believe that General
Hancock on that occasion acted as friend toward
You and your mother ~
Mrs. TOnry-"I do not. You could not coll his
conduct exactly brutal, but do believe he wished
for the execution of my mother, and would not 30
much as have lifted his finger to prevent II.
Myself and mother were arrested at tne
same time and imprisoned In the Old Capitol
subsequently 1 was released and she was
taken to the Arsenal. I had to get my
passes to see her from Secretary Stanton, and then
take them 10 be countersigDed by General Hancock,
saw him a dozen times or more 4; he never ex-
pressed to me the slightest sympathy with my
mother II he was anxious to prevent the execu-
ton he did not do anything at that time that
know Of and think that was the proper person
to be informed about IT"
Correspondent-" As understand IT. you went to
General Hancock on the morning of the execution
at his headquarters at the Metropolitan Hotel. at
Washington, and had O long interview with him
there Can you tell me what then occurred !"
Mrs. Tonry-"I cannot answer that question
without giving more thought to those matters than
can possibly do at this moment"
CORRESPONDENTS" You can ut least tell me
whether the impression formed upon your mind
then was that General Hancock was the friend OF
yourself and your mother"
Mrs. Tonry lin an excited and emphatic tone)-
"No sir; he was not. If to tell you all that
happened and all that said at that interview 1t
would be very much to General Hancock's dis
credit"
Correspondent-" You know, then, that all the
stores az TO General Rancock's endeavorng to save
Mrs Surratt are lies p
o Mrs TOpry-" That is about the fact"
At this iuncture Professor ToDry came in. and the
conversation above reported was substantially re-
peated The question was again put to Mrs. Tonry
as to what occu rred between her and General
Hancock during the interview the morning of the
execution, but she still refused to go into
details, and the Professor remarked that
"The truth will come out sooner or later.
NV wife has already told you that it will do no
credit to General Hancock, and know
that that is the fact. For my part,
wish that he had been in the
Sandwich Islands sooner than nv party (the Demo
cratic partly had nominated him for the Presl-
deucy. repeat TO you that his connection with the
xurder Of Mrs Surratt Mas no cred him and that