Telegram-herald., 1890-05-06
OBEYED HIS ORDERS
Interview With the Mar Who
Hanged the Lincoln ConspirAtors-
REIlslSCkstE
or the L.st faTting Between afs -''
aad her Daughter AHBle-e@PA
Chris. kaEhs OF Jae ks0R, Iaik' "'A
AkePsrtsT on = Paiafal saelSet'

are aware that the man Who per- oiihea
the Office Of hanging the Lincoln con
spirators S often IA their midst Sueh
L the case, however, and the man E
name Is Captain Chris. Rath. he ls
mail agent on the Michigan Central,
between this city and Jackson. As :
tue case with all United states railway
mail agents, ne workseyeTy alternate t@o
weeks and lays OF every alternate mo
weeks. Captain Rath resides al JACK
son and when he is IN this city, taxes
his meals az the Morton, where ne
signs MS name on the register u
Rath"; very short and unnotlceaole
name. Ie is below medium height and
rather well built, though not chunky or
tat. His countenance Is ruddy and ms
dark hair grizzled with gray. He wears
full beard, which Is the same color As
his hair. His eyebrows are rather
shaggy and ms eyes are black, bright,
and piercing. Walking about the hotel
otA4NSB - hC OANCii ApCo H4AAO "N-NA.'S IA
this city, he cuts no conspicuous figure.
His clothes are always blue, and his
head IS usually covered with either a
little silk cap or soft hat.
The other day ne was accOsted by
the writer and asked to relate some of
MS personal experience. At first, he
refused to talk on the subject at all,
saying that it was not subject which
il was pleasant for him to converse
about, Instead of forgetting the cir
cumstances of the hanging" said be,
II think about them more and more as
grow older"
Finally, however, Mr.. Rath was in
duced to relate an incident connected
with the affair, and MS story was as fol-
lows:
81 was a captain in the Seventeenth
Michigan Infantry Volunteers, under
Col. W. II. Wilmington, of Jackson.
| was provost marshal under Gen.
John Hartranft, at Washington, d. c.,
and or duty al a military prison. This
prison was formerly the penitentiary
of the District of Columbia and was
located adjacent to the arsenal. Dur
ing the war It was used for storing am
munition, but after the assassination of
President Lincoln and the capture of
the cOnspiratoIs, it was again used as a
prison and the upper story was fitted up
for a court room. In IL were confined
Mrs. Maria L. Surratt, Payne, Harold,
Spangler, O'Laughiln, Arnold, Azerott,
Doc Mud and Burton Harrison, private
secretary TO jeff DAVIS.
Miss Annie Surratt, daughter of
Mrs. Surratt. was confined at the Old
Capital prison on no particular charge,
only 1t was deemed best, by the powers
that were, TO have her there. During
the trial OF her mother, Annie was
brought over to the arsenal as witness.
A detective brought her there. He
told me who she was and why ne
brought her. | took a good look at the
girl. She was about 10 years Old, of
slight figure. She was nervous and
eager to get into the court room. !
concluded that if she ever saw her
mother no testimony would be got
from her; so ! placed an officer right
IN front Of her mother, who sat about
twenty feet from the witness stand, and
went below. Soon the girl was called
tor, but | did not hear her testimony.
"Attcr about halt an hour she came
down where | was and SAID 10 me,
Captain. where IS my mOther?' | must
confess that / felt bitter against every
one connected with the murder Of
Lincoln, and my words were hard when
/ SAID in reply, did you not see your
mother? Why, she was not more than
twenty feet from where you were
sitting when you gave your testimony
started % walk away. but happening
10 turn around, saw her laying IN a
heap on the floor. Before that had
seen, without tear, a comrade laying
dead VINO had shared my blanket with
me IN happy sleep the night before.
But there Was a signi for an Old soldier.
mad never seen the ike IN all my days.
A feeling OF remorse took me on the
instant, for | thought my cruel words
had killed her.
81 Lifted her onto a lounge, ran into
I the washroom, took q sponge out OF the
water and wrUng II over her face.
To my great joy saw her face relax
and cOn-clOuslcss return. : e was in
a daze for a l0rg time, bat huallyassed
what had happened. I talked very
kindly 10 Der after that, and she again
inquired for her mother. I then told
her ! would manage It n some wav SD
I that she could see ber mother. ! a'Sed
Der 90 keep quiet and rest while, ana
went over t0 the ar-enal 90 get doc
/ tor who was on duty there. but found
on my r.turD, % MY great relei, That
she hat left.
"Atc0t 10 O'Clock n the morning ~
the fol ing sunday. the sentry a. the
I door informed me 81 lady n waiting.
I vent 20 the door. and there stood p
/ fraIl little figure. whom. AZ sne - eel
nor vel. / recognized a. Mss ANNIE
SurFatt. though her face ioosed iuAy
ten years older than when ! naq isst
seeu ner. She handed nle letter from
+ General Holt. Judge advocate oi TIE
. c0lrt marital. allowing her 81 inter-
vew win Der mother n tIe pfeseiee
+ ot an ofheer. gave tre order tn 'rfn-
+ ers 1arfranft, ard - srlf roe 1
Ter 20 ner mother Nrs ~rTraH Fas
sttrE u a. arm ar. and 20 ~Do1 a'
Anne cav no~, she gave one great
f bound ard landed fn ler n1ot0er .ap
ia1 ner nes1 0r rer
a. Tept for y never klf fa.
toeF sa d 20 each other frr ora W
sraF rou.1 n-t sfsv e
ffa Rl never lrare my
F tarne1 rF hacs ara rs zea aFsy
- nrt know l1st how 0E feF sN1
0i- Fss over four hours Hfore
ASKED tceu o. part
Tte mother ----eF ha5 r0r srr