Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-12-04
Mrs. SurratE.


1t has recently been my fortune to fall in
with the gentleman who was Mrs. Surratt's
counsel, John W. Clampitt, well known
lawyer of Illinois, and from him I learned
many hitherto unpublished incidents per-
tanning to the celebrated case, writes Fanny
+. Ward from Washington TO the Cincinnati
Commercial. The half forgotten horror.
thus revived, haunted me like IL ghost, till
! determined to lay it by making n tour
ofthc places connected Herewith. First, |
hunted up Mrs. Surratt's old home, 6O4 II
street where tn" conspiracy was concoctcd
by some of her Doardcrs and their friends.
and whence she was dragged to the old cap
itol prison. 1t isan unprctcntious house. Il
story lower than others in the block.
a flight of wooden steps leads up to the
front door, and below, on 4 level with the
street, Is the basement entrance. to which
Payne returned the night after the assassi-
nation. He was Il stranger in these parts,
southerner by birth, who had served in
the confederate army. and often visited
this house with Booth, to confer with
John Surratt, while the plot was
brewing In Paync's confession he stated
that, believing he had accomplished the
work assigned him in the killing of Seward,
he endeavorcd to make his escape to Balti-
more. All that dark night he plodded on,
pursued by phantoms of his crime. started
BY every ringing bough and ru5tling leaf
till daybreak, when he climbed up into Il
large tree that grew by the roadside, and
hid himself in the thick spring foliage.
Scarcely was he secrctcd when Il company
Of cavalry rushed by III hot pursuit, and ali
day long the gallopng to and fro Of pursu-
ers went on beneath the lcafy shelter. He
knew by the barking OF dogs that Il farm
house was at hand. but though faint with
hunger and fevcrsh with thirst. he dared
not stir.
When night again let down her friendly
curtain he descended and cautiously an
preached the house. Ho was aware that
~ ask for food would be TO Sutcv surrender
himself to justice, for he had gathered
from scraps of conversation beneath his
tree that the whole country was aroused,
and that placards, describing the murtlerers
and Offering large sums for their apprehen-
sion, were already posted in every direction
Almost in starving condition. Il stranger
III strange land, with blood upon his hands
and price upon his head, the only way of
relief that occurred to him was to 90 back
to his friend, John Surratt. Close bv the
farm house he found an old cast off hat and
Il pick and shovel. Downing the one and
shouIdcrlng the Others he weariy retraccd
his steps to the city, where the night before
20 he had murderously assaulted Mr.. Seward.
twas nearly morning before he reached
Mrs. Surratt'S house and knocked at the
basement door-not knowing that its form
or inmates had been arrested. and that the
officers of the law held possession. His
presence here, at such an hour in disguise
and his confused statement when question:
ed THAT he had been employed bv Mrs.
surratt to dig a drain and had come to see
at what hour III the morning he should
Begin formed strong link in the chain
of circumstances that hanged the unfor.
tunate woman.
We ofthe north were led to believe that
Mrs. Surratt was made inscnsiblc absolute
ly intoxicated. by valcrian or some other
drug, so that she had 10 he held up between
two soldiers till the drop fell. am assured
by two persons who saw her constantly dur
ing those last days, and who attended her
to the foot of the gallows and remained
there till all was over that those statements
were entirely untrue. Judge Clamptt who
was present, said that Until the last instant
ehere were strong hopes of Il pardon. or at
least. or Il reprleve for her. General Han
COCK ilrmly believed that one would arrive
30 ne stationed cavalrymen as courers all
along the line from the white house to the
arsenal, that the word might not come too
late from delay in transit. There are SONS
shouls who lately used that circumstance of
MS humanity rs !: political weapon against
aim. He knew that at the trial il was first
proposed to acquit Mrs. Surratt. or. at any
rate. to spare her life. TO this the Judge
advocae general objected. on account of the
troublous times, when ''cxamples" must bc
made, but proposed, instead, that the com
mission render the same judgment as in the
other cases, with y recommendation to the
president for mercy in her case.
Long atterward. Andrew Johnson declared upon
MS honor that he never saw the recommendation,
ana 0ld not know of its existence till two years
4ater, whcn--having occasion TO refer to pa
PefS connected with the case-hc sent for them,
ana then for the first time found the rccommcn-
uA'loas among them in detached form. Upon
Tue morning of the execution Payne made dying
ueclaFation to General Hartranft. the special pro-
ToSt marshal who sent to the president the fol-
lowing words: The prisoner Payne has just
sworn to me that Mrs. Surratt is entirely inno-
'eAs OF the assassination of President Lincoln.
any Knowledge thereof. He also states that she
"at TO knowledge of the abduction plot; that
nothing was ever said to her about it. and that
"eT name was never mentioned by the parties
connected Herewith" And then at the close of
.nr letter, Gen HartranE adds II believe PAYNE
N%S told the truth'-and so does every other nm
pF@ndiccd person to-day.