Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-06
MR. McCULLOCH,s RECOLLECTION


4
His Forthcoming Book-Mr.. surrass
and President JOhmsOs-The Old Sch.
enttfic Club.
From advance sheets Of "Men and Measures Of
Hah Century," the volume by Hon. Hugh
McCulloch, ex-Secretary Of the Treasury, soon to
De be issued by Charles Scribner's sons the follow
ing extracts are taken: ain the evening OF the 18th
Oh April, 1856. had Just gone to my sleepng-ro
when was startled by q knocking at the door,
and the cry, "Mr. Seward has been murdered|
Almost at the same instant there was more vfo-
lent knocking, and as opened the door, met Mr..
walker, the photographer OF the Treasury Depart
ment, so breathless from running that he could
hardly utter the words: "The President has been
shot at the theater" MY lodgings were in one
OF the Cass houses now part OF the Arlington
notel not more than stones throw from
rme nouSe occupied by Mr.. Seward, to which I'm;
saw no one as went up the stairs and through
the hall TO Mr.. Stewards sleeping room, except
another room to attend, as / heard afterwards
upon her husband, whose skull had been fractured
oy blow from her father-in-law's assailant, whom
ne had met at the head OF the stairs and tried to
arrest As entered MIR. Stewards room Miss Sew
ara left II, and was for minute or two alone
moor, upon which he had thrown himself in his
s s 70 escape the murderous blows that had
@ wl aimed ID him and he lay On his
hand ne opened his eyes and seemed to recognize
me, out he Immediately closed them again, and
CHASTITY, but they did not seem 10 be fatal. His
breathing was regular and his pulse was full and
from his days sssss ne had law
been fractured. To keep the bones In place
an elastic wire bandage had been placed upon one
This bandage prevented at least one Of the blows
OF MS powerful aSSailant from being death blow.
although Welded BY a strong hand, was diverted
when II struck the bandage. and failed to infiict
deadly wound. The life Of AIR. Seward was, how
ever, saved by his army nurse, Geo. +. Robinson,
who was In attendance upon him. As the assassin
entered the room. and, knife In hand was rushing
10 une PED upon which his intended VIC i'm was
strength, seized hold Of his arm and prevented him
from using his right arm with its full force. AS
bed to the floor the assassin turned upon Robinson,
gave min staggering blow, dashed through The
nan and down The stairs. and In moment he was
on the horse, which he had LEFT standing by the
sidewalk, and was away"
PRESIDENT JOHNSON AND MRS. sURRATT.
After giving an account Of the scenes attending
President Lincoln's death and the trial and pun
ishment OF the conspirators Mr.. McCulloch, re-
ferring to Mrs. Surratt's case, says: "After her
execution there was general feeling OF regret
that her punishment had not been committed from
death to imprisonment. The evidence on which
she was convicted would not have satisfied an im.
partial jury. Her completely in the sassination
was not clearly proven and the sternest Justice
her case would have been satisfied with lesser
0eheid was the PROSTATE form OF Miss Surratt
Swno was said 10 De an amiable and accomplished
young iauy) upon the main staircase or the Execu-
tue Mansion in the morning OF tho day OF her
mothers execution. She had come to plead for
ner mothers life and having failed to obtain ad-
mission 10 the President She hal tainted In descend
ing the stairs. There Was, am sure, no founda-
ton for the report, which many believed, that Mr..
Stant0n's life Was shortened by remOrse for his
agency In the prosecution and execution OF Mrs.
Surratt, but know that President johnson deeply
regretted that he did not favorably consider the
m a ftpx.
punishment, and that he especially regretted that
ne ordered the writ or haoeas corpus, issued by
Sulge whey, on the morning OF her execution, to
De ulSregarded. Tue facts That the trial was be-
lore MILITARY commission, months after the war
was ended; that the male criminals were mana
cled during the trial; that from those (with the
exception Of Mrs. Surratt, upon whom sentence of
death was pronounced the shackleS We're not re-
moved when they were executed, indicated how
Justice could be strained and humanity deadened
wneh puonc vengeance Was thoroughly aroused"
THE WASHINGTON SCIENTIFIC CLUB.
When Mr. McCulloch came TO Washington In
1868, as Controller OF the Currency he happened
TO take lodgings at the house Of Dr. f. A. P. Bar
nard, now president of Columbia College New
York. then clerk In the Coast survey OfIies' .My
acquaintance with DIR. Barnard" he writes, "was
a great advantage TO me. 1t was pleasant and
Introduction TO men of a different and in MANY
respects, higher stamp than had known before
he SAID 10 me one Saturday that the Scientific
Cup would meet in the evening at the house OF
one OF It's members, and that he wOula be glad IL
would join MIN In attending 1t, whlcn did There
were present ten or twelve gentlemen, some OF
whom knew by reputation but 10 all OF whom /
was personally stranger was greatly inter-
ested by the manner IN which the subject under
discussions was handled-so interested that ac-
cepted a second invitation, and before the next
meeting received, to my surprise a note from the
secretary informing me that had been elected a
member OF the club. / was surprised, because /
understood that the membership was confined to
persons or scientific attachments Happening few
days arler, 10 meet Prof Henry, to Whom l
had been Introduced at the CLUB, said to him that
had no knowledge OF the sciences and that
So" he replied. FINANCE Is a subject In which
the country Is Just now deeply interested and the
club wants a member who knows something about
it, My admission 10 this club was or very great
service 10 me, Intellectually and socially The
most delightful hours which spent in Washing
ton were spent at It's meetings. II was a club
without being corporation. 1t had neither a
constitution nor bylaws, and no oficer out sec
during the Summer) at the house OF some OF its
members. The subjects discussed were chiefly
SCIENTIFIC, ana usually such as the public was in
tereSted In at tue Time. The discussions were al
ways able, ana when, as was often the case the
views OF the members were not in accord
they were warm and Keen. No one spoke who had
not something 10 say, and he Jared badly who ad-
Vanced theories he Was unable 10 maintain. The
meetings closed with supper, the appeIites for
which had been snarpened by mental exercises.
The members at the time were JOS Henry, A D.
Bacne, Peter Parker. simon Newcomb. j. Z. i'll
gard, Geo. c. Schaeffer, A. A. Humphreys Jona-
Than Ii. Lane, VIM. b. Taylor, Titan ii. PeaIe,
Benz. " Craig, j. N. Gilliss, j. N. McComb, o. NJ
Poe, NJ Z. Melgs and DR.. F. A. p. Barnard, OF
ing men-an well known TO each other anu some
or them TO the pubic by their scientific and liter
airy attatnments; there was not one vino would
not have been distinguished in any literary ana
scienuinc CLUB In this country, or In any other;
there was not money wOrshiper or time-server
among them ALL"