The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-09-08

the present stage OF the development Of these
devices and Of smokeless powders. That a
superiority has been conceded to it under these
circumstances is testimonial to its excellence.
HISTORIC WASHINGTON HOUSES.
Places of Interest the Veterans VIII Want
to See While at the Encampmsnt.
When the old soldiers reach Washington to
attend the approaching EucampmeBt, and shall
have brushed the dust of travel from their per-
sons, they will naturally begin to look around
for historic points Of interest about the city.
They will want to visit places made famous by
events Of the war, and among the very first
will be Fords old theater, where tho assassin
John Wilkes Booth fred the shot which took
the life of the immortal Abraham Lincoln.
They will want to look upon the house just
across Tenth street. opposite the theater, within
the walls of which on April ID, 1865, the great
war President breathed his last.
These two places al ways pointed out 70
strangers visiting the Capital. But there is in
the city another house the history of which, in
connection with the assassination Of the martyr
President, is far more interesting than all
others. This is the house occupied at the time
of the tragedy by Mrs Mary E. Surratt and is
situated on the south side of II street, near the
corner of Sixth, and is numbered COZ though
at the time of the murder it bore the number
541. The house is three-Story brick, with
basement and attic A Eight of IL steps leads
from the sidewalk TO the front door. There
has been little change in the house since 1860
The same old leaden color OF the front presents
its solemn appearance. 1t was in this house
that the damnabe conspiracy to murder Hr
Lincoln was concocted. 1t was here that John
Wilkes Booth, John Surratt. Louis Payne
David E. Herold, and George Atzerott met
talked, schemed and planned; it was from
this house Mrs Surratt was taken never to re-
,k nnr tL,t ., as Do
Cured, and with it an incident which furnished
the strongest link in the chain of evidence
showing Mrs. Surratts guilty knowledge of the
conspiracy, il not her actual participation in it.
The circumstances of Payne's arrest are
given in the testimony OF Col. Smith, who
arrested the inmates of Mrs. Surratt's house on
the night of April 10, 1865. On the trial of
John Surratt he said Before ringing the bell
l leaned over and looked through the blinds
into the parlor, and discovered four females
sitting close together, evidently in close con-
yersation. From what occurred, should Judge
they were anxiousiy expecting some one. They
were turning and listening from time TO time
as il waiting for somebody to come. l then
rang the bell. Somebody came TO the window
and whispered, as that you, Kirby?" l said
mo, it is not Kirby, but it 10 all right; let me
in" She said, "All right, and opened the door.
stepped in and said, Is this Mira. Surratt's
house?" She said YES" / said, Are you
Mrs. Surratt?" She said, 81 am the widow of
John H. Surratt" / said, "And the mother Of
John Fl. Surratt, jr?" She said, Yes" then
said, Madame have come TO arrest you, and
all in your house, and take you down to Gen.
Augur's headquarters for examination. Be
kind enough 70 step in" She stepped into the
parlor There were three parties there; one
was lying on the sofa. Said ], Who are these
ladies?" She said, This is Anna Surratt, that
is Olivia Jenkins, and that Hanora Fitzpat-
,i,ly r and aII will hat-a to rat
ready as soon as possible and go with me down
to Gen. Augur for examination" Whereup0n
Miss Surratt commenced wringing her hands
and said, "Oh, Mother think of being taken
down there for such crime"
Mrs. Surratt stepped to her, put her arms
around her neck and whispered something in
her ear, and she became quiet.
went upstairs with Mrs. Surratt. She obtained
clothing for the ladies to go TO headquarters.
In the meantime two other detectives had re-
ported, one by the name OF Morgan, and the
other by tho name of Sampson. Mrs.
Surratt said to me: by your leave, sir, /
would like to kneel down and say my prayers,
TO ask the blessing of God upon me, as | do
upon all my actions" told her certainly; |
never interfered with any such purpose. She
knelt down in the parlor and prayed. In the
meantime l heard steps coming up the front
steps. | told Morgan and another detective to
go behind the door, and that when they rung or
knocked to open the door and let them step
in, whoever it was and l would meet them in
the hall, thinking at the time that it was
Kirby that was going to trap. | stepped into
the parlor aud the doorbell rang. The door
opened. / stepped out into the hall and found
myself face to face with Payne. Payne was
standing on tho threshold of the door with
pickax over his shoulder. | stepped out and
met him. He said: II guess have mistaken
the house" / said You have not" He
10 Su r
Yes" He seemed to hesitate l drew my
revolver and cooked it and said: Step in"
He stepped in Immediately. / said: Lay
down that pickax." He laid it down or put
it in the corner. / asked him where he had
BEEN He said he had been working on the
railroad and canal; that he had been working
in different parts of the city, and had
been here 10 days. He said he was .
laboring man. / asked where he lived. He
said he could not tell. / asked him what
he came to Mrs. Surratts for at that hour of
the night 1t was then Terging toward IL
o'clock. He said he came to get instructions
about digging ditch in the back yard. /
asked him what he came at that hour for. He |
said he didn't know; he was passing along. I |
asked him when he met Mrs. Surratt. He said |
he met her this morning, and agreed to dig |
ditch for her, and that he wanted instructions |
to 90 to work the next morning then step |
ped to the parlor door, and said: Mrs. Sur
ratt, Will you pieaSe Do hIHu euOuSh 10 sbep |
here minuts?" Said /, DO you know this |
man9 Did you hire him to dig ditch for
your" She raised both her hands and said
"Before God do not know this man; have
never seen him; did not hire him to dig
ditch"
1t will be remembered that Payne the
assassin who attempted to take the life of SEQ
rotary Seward in the house on Lafayette
Square, now occupied by Hon. James g. Blaine
aud family, and that he had frequently been at
Mrs Surratts house Immediately preceding
The assassination, passing himself off az a
preacher named Wood. The old house is now
occupied by gentleman connected with the
G. R, and portion of the rooms will doubt
less be occupied by veterans Within those old
walls what memories may return, what
dreams may comet"
THE EIGHT-HOUR LAW.
During the absence of Attorney General
Miller on vacation, an opinion on the construc-
ton to be placed on the eight-hour law was
requested by the War Department of the AS
sistant Attorney General who declined to give
such opinion purely OIL technical grounds.
Immediately after his return Gen. Miller rem
dered the following opinion on the elSht-hOur
w ma ssad nv the LAST CouoraSS.