The Washington critic., 1888-01-28
AN IMPORTANT CORRECTION.

Philadelphia From haety examination
Of its pages, and, fimiliurly acquainted
as / was for more than forty years with
our genial aud cycr.to-bc.lamcntcd friend,
Major Poore, who was suddenly called
away from us last May, ! feel almost
ready to pronounce the title The book
misnomer for know many of the so.
called "Reminiscences were not written
by him, nor am ! willing TO believe lie
ever laid eyes on some Of them, although
he may have carclcssly copied or had
them copied from newspapers without
always stopping to learn whether they
were true or false.
think the work was prepared hastily
under q contract with the publishers, and
while Major Poorcs name may have sc.
cured for Il q fair sale, am sure he never
regarded IL as adding to his fame rs an
author. | took occasion last summer,
when this book first came into my hands,
to correct ono of its ludicrous blunders+-
an error so palpablc that | AM confident
the article In which il occurred could
never have been seen by him--nnd that
was in saying that Mrs. Stephen 4.
Douglas was the daughter of her grand
father Cuts
am now brought to refer to this work
again for the purpose of further c0rrec-
tiou in respect to Il historical matter OF
vastly greater importance, and were Major
POore alive AM confident he would dis
claim all responsibility for the following
accusations
on page lsi of the % Volume speaking
of the assassins of President Lincoln
While on trial, hu is represented as saying:
"Mrs, suratt naturally attracted the most
attention as she entered the room where the
military commission was held cvory morning,
! ne bcaS Vbicb connected her oa6lss clddtiag as
| sEe aroiied."
Now, nothing ishazardcd in saying that
q more unIOuuded falsChoOd than this
| never dishonored the historic or Journal
| istic page. In September, 1873, n writer
| in the New York Tribune made the same
| charge, representing that Mrs. Surratt had
been tortured day after day before and
during trial with manaoles on her limbs" p"
| and adding that this had been done "in u
court room located in Il massive stone
prison, guarded by.a legion of soldiers on
foot and horseback, watched by numerous
keepers"
Immediately upon seeing this publcn-
tion Northumberland Holt, who
had conducted the trial and who felt that
the honor of all the officers connected
with IL was sought to be compromised by
the accusation, addressed letter of in
quiry on the subject to Maior-Gene
Hariraitt and received from him the fol-
lowing reply
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
UARRIsBURG, Pa, Sept 4, 1873.
GenetM Joseph Holt, Washington, d. c.
DEAR sR: My attention having been di
rected to u letter dated Washington, August
30, 1873, and signed "Truth," that appeared
in the New York Tribune IA few days since,
think 80 proper, IN justice to you, TO declar,
| publicly that its statements, so far as they re
late to occurrences within my own obserya
tion are absolute falsehoods.
As marshal of the court before whom tn,
conspirators were tried, had charge of Mrs
surratt before during and after the time of he
trial In all period of about two months durin
which she never had a manacle or manacle
on either hands or feet, and the thought q
manaoling her was not, to my knowledge
ever entertained by any one In authority
During the pendency Of the trial made aI
plication to the Secretary of War for permii
sion to remove her from the cell to con
fortably furnished room adjoining the oour
room and for her daughter Annie to oocup
the room with her that she might attend I
her wants This request was granted. Sh
was so removed her daughter occupied IN
room with her, and Mrs. Surratt was full
provided for according to her needs an
, | tastes.
, A few days after her death Miss A. ME su
ratt, by letter, thanked me for the kind trca
ment her mother aud herself had receive
from myself and officers.
You will, perhaps, recollect the name Of III
young priest who visited Mrs. Surratt so fr
quently. and which has escaped me. lie wi
certify TO her proper treatment AMI to Il
falsity of the statements of Truth" j hay
the honor to be Your obedient ser gant,
j. f, HARrRANEr,
When ! state that the author of thi
letter was q major general in our arm
during the late war, was afterward Coy
ernor of Pennsylvania, and was appointe
. marshal for the trial of the assassins of tn
l President because of his stainless recor
, for integrity, il cannot be necessary
urge that he should be believed, ,Chc
speaking Of egcnts strictly pithiH his person,
: kn0Uletige.
q Again. in September, 1873, Frederic
A. Aiken, Esq, one of Mrs. Surratt
counsel, and who made most able argr
, ment i'm her defense-addressed a letter I
f the Washington DaHy Chronicle, of whic
q the following is copy:
WASHINGTON, d. c.. iO7 + street,
! September II, 1873.
= 10 He Editor Of tie Chronicle.
have your notOsof this date, inclosing III
, letter of Jane G. Swisshelm, published in tl
( Tfibvhe IN. ", the 10th instant, and askin
+ me, SIS her statement true that Mrs. Surrdt
4 was mauacled during her trialr" Withol
2 reference to any other fact or to any of IL
$ details in the case Of that most unfortunat
r lady, have to say in reply that at no tin
3 during her unlawful trial was Mrs. Surra
manaced, either on her wrists or her ankle
while IN the presence Of the court. | not on
speak from my own absolute knowledge, b,
from recollection of Mrs Surratts oftr
peated statements 10 me that she was n'
c manacled. Yours, very truly,
G FREDERIoK A. AIKEN.
II These letters of General Hartranft an
c Mr.. Aiken were given the utmost pul
: licity long before the materials for AlaiC
4 Poore's "Reminiscences were prepared
!, and, as q most voracious nowspapC
reader, he must, il would seem, hay
y seen them at the time. Yet in the pr
q Sence of this overwhelming testimon,
. this atrocious calumny-hc certainl
n could not have sanctioned it's made
3 posture and imposture sensationally an
!. dramatically, just as though the brail
I had not been stamped ont Of il by hone
n feet long ago This book claims to l
n historic, so that this shameless lie
i speak as an Anglo-SaXon-has fairly 5,
i out on its journey to other ages, and
q hold it to be the duty of all honorable
q truth-loYing men to assist in placing a
: appropriate brand ON its front before
n gets beyond our reach,
/ HoRATro King,
y Washington, Jan. q.