Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-05-14
JUDGE WYLIE,S COURAGE.
ANECDOTE OF THE TRIAL AND EIECU-
TION OF MRS. SURRATT.

Judge Andrew J. Wylie, of the District of
Columbia, who recently asked that the Pres
ident appoint his successor, twenty years
fearless judicial officer by performing an
act which brought down upon his head the
censure of many of his political friends and
associates at the time. Itwas after the trial
of the assassination conspirators, when all
had been convicted and sentenced to be
hanged, including the ill-fated or unfortu-
nate woman and friend of John Wilkes
Booth, Mrs. Mary D. Surratt. The latter's
counsel had resorted to every known meth
cd under the law and by petition to secure
Communication of Mrs. Surratt's sentence of
death, but in vain. AS all must remem-
ber who read the occurrences of that day,
the conspirators had been tried by, court
martial, and even the counsel for the de-
fence of Mrs Surratt (Hon. Reverdy John
son, of Maryland,) had been objected to by
the prosecution. 1t was necessary to resort
to a desperate move in order to save Mrs.
Surratt, or to even have her life respited for
few days. President johnson was deaf.
He even declined to give Mrs. Surratt a
respite for a day to prepare to meet her
God.
Not knowing whether a Judge could be
found who would dare do such thing, yet
Mrs. Surratt's counsel having a strong case
and new evidence, drew up paper and
presented the facts, and determined to pray
for writ of ha6eas corpus. The crisis was
desperate one. The counsel called at the
residence of Judge Wylie at 2 o'clock in the
morning set for Mrs. Surratt's execution.
They rang the bell. Some one came to the
front window of the second story and gruffly
demanded "Whatis wanted" Judge Wy
lie, partly dressed, came down stairs and
admitted the two lawyers, who stood trem-
bling in his presence. He, the Judge, turn
ed on the light in the hall and looked at the
document they presented. Standing there
under the gas burner, Judge Wylie read the
document through without word, and then
retired to a rear room for minute. The
counsel were in dread suspense. They could
hear their hearts beat. Prejudice ran high
in Washington, and it was not thought a
Judge could be found who would issue a
writ of ha6eas corpus for Mrs. Surratt. The
Secretary of War, Mr.. Stanton; the Judge
Advocate General, an excited army and
navy, and an excited populace, demanded
the hanging of Mrs. Surratt. Judge Wylie
had not long been on the bench and had
everything to lose and nothing to gain by
issuing the writ. He returned to the coun-
sci and said quietly, but firmly: 'Gentle-
men, your points arc we'll taken." He sign
ed a writ to bring Mrs. Surratt before him
that morning.
After the writ was served President John
son suspended the writ of ha6eas corpus.
'This act of Judge Wylie was one that
places him in the character of one of the
boldest and most upright Judges of modern
times" said Washington lawyer in re-
lating the incident.
A NOVEL TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.-On
the night of December 3lst, 1883, three young
men sat around a tavern fire in Georgetown,
a little village in Connecticut. They were
intoxicated, and were watching the old year
out. AS the clock struck twelve, one of the
young men said: "Boys, the new year is
here now let's swear off and form tenn
perance society,"" The others in spirit of
fun agreed. The articles of the association
were then and there drawn up. They were
similar to the rules of other temperance
organizations, with one exception. The
clause containing the pledge had the follow
ing penalty attached: "And any one of us
who shall drink any intoxicating liquor for
any purpose whatsoever, between now and
midnight of December 3lst, 1884, shall be
tarred and feathered."
This clause becoming known, gained the
club the name of "The Tar and Feather
Temperance Society,"" Meetings OF the So
ciety of three were frequently held: Grad
ually applications for membership began to
pour in, and before six months had passed
the society numbered thirty members: The
year of abstinence expired on New Years
eve, and grand ball was given by the
society, to which large number of the best
people in the place were invited. The hall
was filled. At midnight the president an
nounced that the pledge had expired. BY
unanimous vote it was renewed for anoth-
er year, and some twenty names were added
to the roll. The peculiar penalty attracts
much notice, and the matter is the talk OF
the whole neighborhood. Nearly every
resident wears the society's badge, which is
blue ribbon with lump of tar filled with
chickens feathers attached to it.-Heorth
and Hail..
PLAYED IT ON THE DoCToR.-"B the
thing that puzzles me-" says a prominent
physician, is to correctly diagnose the all
lnent of boy. l was called up the other
night by frantic father, who hurried me
from my blankets half dressed to see his
dying boy.
'"When arrived at the suffering patient
the whole community was about him. l
saw that his was violent attack of diph-