St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-03
MRS. sURRATr AND STANTON.
T,co Strange Stories Told Or Wiltiam
food. r-Chief of Detectires

T,co Strange Stories Told 6y William p.
food, r-Chief of Detectives.
From the Washington Gazette.
Some time after the execution Of Mrs.
Surratt President Johnson sent for me and
requested me to give my version of Mrs.
Surratts connection with the assassination
of President Lincoln. 1 did so, and L be-
lieve he was thoroughly convinced of the in
nocence of Mrs. Surratt He assured me
he sincerely regretted that he had not given
Mrs. Surratt the benefit of executive elem
ency and strongly expressed his detestation
of what he termed the ''infamous conduct of
Stanton" in keeping these facts from him.
asserted my interchangeable friendship for
Mr. Stanton under all circumstances, and
while regretted the course adopted by the
secretary Of war towards Mrs. Surratt, l
weuld never hesitate to perform any act of
kindness for him. President johnson COM
mended me for my devotion to friends, and
the subject Of the assassination was never
afterwards discussed between him and my
self. The great war secretary of the Union
was no longer in power. He was plain
citizen of our Republic, broken in health
and lettering between life and death.
The Republican leaders had, after much
pleading, induced President Grant to name
Mr.. Stanton for judge of the supreme court.
The senate promptly confirmed the nomina-
ton, but Grant, for some reason best known
to himself, did not put his signature to the
commission, or if he did sign the commits
sion he did not forward it to Mr.. Stanton.
1t was at this time the latter sent for me, and
/ called at his residence on K street. When
ushered into his presence l was startled
his woe-begone and wrctched appearance.
He inquired if kenw the reason why that
man (meaning President Grant, withheld his
commission. l told him. Then we drifted
in our talk to the executions herein referred
to- and he rebuked me for not making
greater effort to save the woman that was
hanged. He said he would have trusted his
life in nay keeping; that l would have saved
him the torments of he'll had / been more
persistent in my efforts. | reminded him
of my call on President johnson to plead
for mercy for Mrs. Surratt, and that | was
met by L. G.. Baker at the entrance OF the
Presidents house, and Baker produced an
order over his (Stanton's) sign ature which
set forth that l should not be permitted to
enter the building or communicate with the
i president.
''Too true" he responded, "and the Sur
raft woman haunts me so that my nights
are sleepless and my days miserable, and
Grant aids my enemies by refusing to sign
my commission, which would afford me
temporary relief and prolong my life. He
will not do it, and, Wood, this is at last the
end" Placing his hands to his head he
continued: Icanhot endure the pressure;
l am dying, dying surely, dying now!"
A few parting words were exchanged be-
tween us, and the following day the death of
Edwin NJ. Stanton was publicly announced.
He never received his commission of judge Of
the supreme court though he had been con-
firmed by the senate of the United States.