The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-11-08


theirs life. Paine thought he had kill.
ed the old man. lie was never unde.
ceived until brought into court at the
first trial. There he saw Seward and
realized that he had failed. lie did
not exhibit either pleasure or regret.
'Paine lay for two days concealed
at last nature gave out. lie returned
to the city, took refuge in Mrs. Sur.
rats boarding house, and was con.
cealed i'll the cellar when ~ searching
party entered the house and found
him. He was carried before Mrs. Sur
raft who declared that she had never
seen him before. 1t was shown that
he had been one OF her boarders, and
these two facts formed the strongest
bariier to her pardon. Paine was
drendfully cut up about it. lie held
himself responsible for her position,
and when the chances OF reprieve grew
slight, cursed his weakness in return.
ing to her house over and over again.
".If ! had two lives he said, 4
would let them both go to save her.
] mentioned that to Major Eckert,
who told Secretary Stanton. Paine
was sent for at a meeting OF the col,n.
Gil and Intercepted. with view, l
| think, OF bringing out fucts which
might Justify Mrs. Surratt's pardon,
| or at least q Communication of her
| sentence.
Speaking OF Paine, l might rs well
say that his name was not Paine ut
all. We were never able to learn for
u long time what it really was. At
last an old cclorcd woman was
brought in. She was taken to one OF
the rooms and Paine was brought in
facing her.
oh, Mass'r Powell she said, and
then she stopped because Paine look
ed straight at her i'll that stoical way
OF his and absolutely refused to rec
o.nize her. He was taken away and
the old woman burst into tears. She
couldn't be got to say anything for q
long time, but at last they learned
from her that his name was Powell,
and that he was son OF n Baptist
minister in Florida, whose slave the
old negress had been.
"Alrs. Surratt was, think, always
actuated by the purest motives. She
was shown some favor as bein. O
woman. The rest OF the conspirators
were fed on army rations, but she was
| allowed to choose what she wished
from the general table. Mrs. Surratt
was IL small, plump, pretty brunette.
with flashing dark eyes and u will like
steel. remember one incident OF her
Imprisonment which will slveyou some
idea OF her strength OF mind. You
will remember that IL part OF the old
District Penitentinry had been rugged
1 u "A \, 1rri1a t1,., all
part was used us q military prison.
We'll, after Mrs. s,,rratt and her
daughter u charmin. girl OF sixteen
years. had been separated for three
months, they We're allowed an inter.
view, which was to last two hours.
Miss Surratt came to the prison i'll the
| afternoon, and conducted her to
room adjoining the courtroom. where
! Mrs. Surratt WAS writing. The girl
| just went over anu sat down on
her mothers lap and began to
cry. went away; | didn't want
to stay, and did not 90
near them again until some time after
the two hours was up. When | took
the girl away she was still crying. and
noticed that Mrs. Surratt had not
shed tear. I wondered ut that.
The girl cried all the way home to the
Catholic institution where she lived,
and you can believe it made me feel
bad.
"When returned spoke to Gen.
Hartranft and NEE toned what seem.
ell to me the almost heartlessness of
Mrs. Surratt. Then the General told
me that the little girl had scarcely left
the prison when Mrs. Surratt threw
herselit down in commissions OF such
grief us he had never dreamed OF be-
fore. 1t seems hard to imagine the
struggle that woman must have under
gone to control herself through that
long interview. Aiterward the inter
course between mother and daughter
was almost entirely unrestrainetl.
Their freedom was so great that
think now that the administration
would have been neither sorry nor
surprised if the little girl had carried
in enough morphine to have saved
them the trouble OF executing her
mother.
"rhereare few people'who know how
nearly Mrs. Surratt came to areprieve
followed by u communication OF sen.
| tence. There was strong sentiment
in her favor and think some doubt
as to the degree OF her guilt. will
never believe that she was prlvy to
Lincoln's murder. She approved, l
think, OF his proposed abduction, but
never OF his assassination. We all
thought she would be reprieved. Two
days before the execution Gen. Han.
cock came to me and said: Prepare
ut once to hang four. But, he add.
ed, Il think you'll only have to hang
three
II went to work at once to prepare
the nooses. You know IL hansmi,n's
knot has only seven turns in it. Well,
l left Mrs. Surratts moose to the last,
and when came to the fifth turn in
ners threw it aside saying, 'pshaw,
what's the use OF this9 | won't have
to use it, | felt SO certain that she
would get of.
"Ihe night before the execution was
when they had Paine up before the
council. Next morning Mrs. Surratt's
counsel had Gen. Hancock arrested in
u civil process, charging him with hav-
ing illegal possession OF Mrs. Surratt's
body. The county was under martial
law Mt tue time. and the proceeding
was absurd. Nevertheless, tlink it |
turned the scale against Mrs. Surratt. |
The execution WAS fixed for ! p. m.,
put before Hancock wus released,
which was done without ceremony by
n scrseant and u squad OF men, it
had rung 3 o'clock. Hancock canu
llurryiny in and said to me:
Go ahead, captain Iran up to
him, What. General, l said, :ller
too?'
"'Yes,' said Gen. Hancock, she
can't he saved
''And so believe through her coun-
sells foolishness Mrs. Surrutt was
hanged.
II never knew Booth, but always
thought he was actuated rather by u
desire for fame than for the good OF
the Confederacy. He was M emotion.
al kind OF a. fellow, you understand,
and think wanted to be hero.