Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1885-03-12
NO. 239

conuetlneu lOllOWed ON July "
1865.
The bodies of Mrs. Surratt, Alze-
rodt, Payne and Harold were bu-
ried inside of the wall in the rear
Of the penitentiary building. The
body of j. Wilkes Booth was
brought to Washington, the neck
was dissected, and that portion of
the spine through which the bull
let passed which caused his death
was taken from the neck, and is
now in the Medical Museum, ON
Tenth street, in this city.
The body Of Booth was thea taken
to the arsenal grounds. The stones
of floor in one of the buildings were
removed, grave was dug, and the
body Of the assassin remained where
it was placed until several years af-
ter, when it was delivered to his fam
lily, who removed the remains to Bal
timore and buried them in his family
vault.
The remains of Mrs. Surratt, Payne,
Harold and Atzerodt have long since
been removed from the place where
they were first buried.
DIR. Mudd, Arnold and O'Laughin
were sentenced to Dry Tortugas for
life; Edward Spangler was sentenced
to six years imprisonment and hard
labor at the same place.
About the close of President John-
sons administration a yellow fever
epidemic ragged at the Dry Tortugas,
at which place O'Laughlin died.
DIR. Mudd, Spangler and Arnold
were pardoned. The petition for ex-
ecutive clemency was signed by the
officers and men stationed at Dry
Tortugas, number of whom were
stricken down with yellow fever, and
who were attended by DR.. Mudd and
nursed by his fellow prisoners.
Arnold and Spangler returned to
Baltimore, where they resided, and
DR.. Mudd returned to his family and
home, near BryantowD, ST. Mary's
county, Md
Edward Spangler was stout-built
man, born in Psnnsylyahia. He To-
Gated in Baltimore, and learned the
carpenters trade with Mr.. James Gift
ford, who was a master builder in that
city. Mr.. Clifford came to Wash
ington to take the position Of stage
carpenter at Ford's Theatre, and EN-
ployed Spangler as one of his assis-
tants. II was alleged that after Booth
rode to the rear Of the. Theatre, on
the night Of the assassination, he
placed ,spangler in charge of the horse
on which the assassin escaped. As a
matter Of fact the horse was put in
charge of peanut John" who in turn
delivered the animal into the hands
of an "intelligent contraband," while
Spangler was attending strictly to his
duties in the theatre. But the mill
tary Inquisition, who were determined
to invent plausible theories of conspi-
racy, concluded that Booth had ar
ranged with SpangIer to keep way
open for the successful escape Of the
assassin.
/ do not believe that spangler had
the slightest intimation Of the inten-
ton or purpose Of Booth. On the
contrary, he had as little to do with
the assassination Of President Lincoln
as peanut John" or the Intelligent
contraband,' who assisted Booth to
mount Humphrey 3 mare when he rode
away from the rear of the theatre.
Spangler, few years after his par
don, removed to the home Of DR..
Mudd,# in st. Mary's county, Mary
land, where he died some four or FIVE
years since receiving the kind atten-
tions Of DR.. Mudd, his fellow prisoner
at the Dry Tortugas.
DR.. Mudd has since died, honored
and respected by his neiPhbors and
acquaintance. But few of the par
Elephants of that great drama Of as
sassinatfon and trial by military COM
mission are now living. Those who
were loudest for vengeance were never
afterwards inclined to boast OF their
connection with the proceedings.
They had failed to distinguish the
innocent from the guilty, and never
secured any reliable evidence of pre-
arranged plan Of assassination.
Booth was thoroughly familiar with
the architecture of Fords Theatre,
and no one better than himself UNDER
stood the details Of the play than on
the boards.
The plot Of assassination, as far as
Booth was concerned, did not require
great ability 10 be carried out. With
out any care for the fate OF his associ-
ates be took hurried precautions for
his own escape, The spur on his boot
catching in the drapery when no
jumped from the box TO the stage re-
suited in breaking his leg; the splin-
tered bone cutting in the flesh COM
PEELED him to slowly drag bis way TO
the rear Of the theatre, and this occu-
pied his time till the police put in an
appearance on the stage. Not until
after they had appeared did the negro
who was in charge Of the horse succeed
in placing Booth in the saddle. But
until tho sound Of the bay mares
hoofs on the cobblestones the police
did not realize that the assassin Of
President Lincoln had escaped.
The reckless audacity displayed by
Payne In his attack on Secretary Sc
ward characterized Payne as a bold
and desperate man. He had received
favors from Booth when he was friend
less, and in his devotion and sdmira-