Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-07-13

fort for the Pardon Of Mrs. Surratt-
Very Affecting Scenes. Il
fwsshington Republican,
The execution of Charles ]. Guiteau,
for the Assassination OF the late Presi-
dent Garfield, naturally causes the
memory to revert TO the execution
which took place on the 9TH Of July,
1865, when Louis Payne, David E.
Herold, George A. Atzerodt and
Mary Z. Surratt suffered the extreme
penalty Of the law tor the Assassina.
ton of President Lincoln and the at
tempted murder of William II. Sew
ard, then Secretary Of State. That
was nearly seventeen years ago, and
since that that time new generation
has come up who know comparatively
little about that tragedy. That vxecu-
ton took place in the Arsenal Grounds,
and the condemned criminals
1c4sAs HAD BUT TWO DAYS
After the PRONUNCIATION of the findings
of the Military Commission by which
they were tried In which to make
their preparation for eternity. The
condition of the city and country was
vastly different from what it is now.
The infamops act.1t will be remem-
bered, was committed just at the close
of the war Of the reoellion, when the!
whole nation was full of joy at the
near approach of the close of the four
years of bloody strife that had cost so
much of valuable life and SO much of
treasure. The shock of the assassina-
ton was great and the joyful heart of
the nation was turned to bitter sor-
row. Mingled with the peoples woe
was feeling of revenge at this last
and most infamous act in the tragedy.
of treason, and the conspirators were
quickly arrested and speedily ar
raigned.
THE METHOD OF TRIAL
Was by Military Commission, mas
much as the District of Columbia was
under Martial law. The composition
of that Commission was as follows:
Major. General David Hunter and Lew
is Wallace, Brevet Major General
August v. Kautz, Brigadier- Generals
Albion P. How, Robert S. Foster,
James A., Ekin, and Thoma> NJ. Har-
ris, Brevet- Colonel Charles II. Tomp-
kins, u. S. A., Lieutenant Colonel
Chas R. Clendenin, Brigadier- General
Jos. Holt, Judge-Advocate General
U. s. A., Judge Advocate and Recor.
der, Hon. John A, Bingham, Of Ohio,
and Major Henry L. Burnet were ap.
pointed Assistant Judge-Advocates.
THOSE WHO WERE ARRAIGNED
Before the Commission were David 3.
Herold, George A. Atzerodt, Lewis
Payne, Michael O'Laughlin, Edward
Spangler, Samuel Arnold, DR.. Samuel
A. Mudd and Mary E. Surratt. The
act Of assassination was committed by
Booth on the 4th Of April on the
26th Of that month he was captured
and killed, and on the 18th of May
the Commission commenced the taking
of testimony which continued until
June 23d, at which time the argu.
ments were submitted and the record
was then reviewed by the Judge-Ad.
vocate-G General who transmitted to the
Secretary Of War and then to Presi.
dent Johnson, who approved the find
ings and sentences Of the Commission.
Although it was not known what the
sentences were until their promulga-
ton in the order Of July 5th, it was
generally supposed that
MRS. sURRATT.
Because she was a woman-not be-.
cause she was not deemed clearly
guilty of full participation in the con-
spiracy- would not be compelled to
suffer the extreme penalty. When
the order was made public every effort
that could be devised was used to OBJ
tain a mitigation of the sentence.
Judge Holt and President johnson
were besieged by persons high in auth
ority and influence, the former to rec
ommend and the latter to bestow
clemency. Judge Holt had united
with the other members Of the Court
in recommending Mrs. Surratt to Ex-
ecutive clemency, but the President
declined to grant it, and approved the
findings of the Commission. So per-
sistent were those who interested
themselves in behalf of Mrs. Surratt
that the President was obliged to shut
himself up in his private apartments
and decline to see any one. Mrs. S.
Al. Douglas was one who haunted the
White House and pleaded for the life
OF the unfortunate woman. There was
quite pressure for clemency in be-
half Of Herold, who had been known
in East Washington as a sort of reck-
less but harmless young fellow, with
not more brains than the law allowed.
The writer well remembers painful
scene in the Office of the Judge -Advo-
cate-General on the morning of the
day Of execution.
TWO SISTERS OF HERoLD,
Both clad In deep mourning, called
upon Judge Holt to intercede for their
brother. As they were shown into the
Judges private room an expression Of
mingled pain and sorrow passed over