The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-11-21
a,ll-. sunI,Arrt cAaIl.

"a H. ~ man y AtIfs
Her Connection With l.iucoin's N'sassi.
natiou-GHu.rOi Harris, Who wa, II
Member ~ the Commission That Tried
the Consp ratnrS, Corrcet> Mrs. tvanS.
7ohs ~ lor Of me- hteiig'Hc5r.
SIR: In your Issue nj the 10th in
slant, under the head !iaes, "lateress-
ing Story Of the Assassination oi Presi.
den. Abraham Lincoln; Told by Lady
WHO Saw the Deed" lind an inter,
view with Alr,. Cnharinc NJ. Eyans by
your reporter
The only thing given in this utter.
view which desire to notice IS the
following expression OF opinion by
Mrs. Evans, VIZ: II have always held
the opinion that Mrs. jrratt was I'M
justly hung Her only act was allow
ing Booth 10 stay at her house while
his broken leg WAS bound. | don't be.
!ieve she was in the conspiracy" 10
people vino are acquainted with the
evidence upon when Mrs. surratt was
found, guilty the opiuion OF n woman
who is 50 ignorant on this subject
, would be Il matter OF no account what.
ever
But as not one in ten thonsaud ot the
present generation knows anything
about this evidence, and rs there has
been systematic and persistent effort
made By portion Of the American
press and bv certain class OF politi.
| cians to suppress tho truth and TO palm
oil iUIsc statements upon the public, |
H0u I,I tn 10 hn
to give the matter some notice. The
Ignorance OF Mrs. Evans will be s9en in
this, that the thing which she claims
was the only thing that was proven
against Mrs. SuTratt never occurred AZ
all and 20 was never proven. All the
evidence in the case shows clearly that
Booth never saw Mrs. Surratt after the
commission OF his crime. Her conncc-
ton with Booth and with the conspir-
acy was before and in preparation for
the assassination.
The evidence given before the COM
mission is a,mattcr OF record. Thesfnd-
ings OF the commission and the evidence
on which they were based were careful
! " considered by the President and 4
full cabinet made up OF such men rs
Speed, Chase. Stanton, Seward and
Wells, all eminent iurists, accustomed
to scrutinize aud weigh evidence, and
the result was that the findings aud sen
fences OF the commission we're approved
without dissenting voice.
Have not the American people just
ground to rest on the judgment OF such
mon in n case where the good name and
honor OF their country is so deeply in
volved? Why should any loyal, pa
triotic American citizen allow the crude
opinions OF the ignorant, Influenced in
most instances by want OF sympathy
with the government in its struggle Tor
its very life, TO weigh against the judg'
| nent oil such men acting under the
solemn weight OF official responsibility?
Surely no lover OF his country and its
government would be willing TO &C.
| QuiesCe in All effort to affiX upon that
government tho stain OF innocent blood
| and that the blood OF helpless woman?
Public opinion has no doubt been, tn
a great extent, perverted by these bold
and persistent efforts. The recorded
evidence in the case has not been &C
cessible to the general public, and these
interested persons have made tue most
| oil tue opportunity which the absence
OF this presented. 10 vindicate the
government, and also the truth OF his
tory, have given succinct synopsis
of the testimony found in the official
record OF the trial in my book recently
published, entitled Assassination OF
Lincoln; History of the Great Con-
spiracy, etc" This evidence will be
found, think, TO fully sustain the
charge and specific tiops Of the govern-
mont in regard 10 the fac: OF great po-
litical conspiracy, as also in regard TO
the narts taken in it by each OF the ac-
cused, from JEFFERSON Davis down to the
lowest OF the assasqins.
A true history of this great state trial
| is now within tue reach al all, There
can no loneer be any excuse Tor isnor-
unce on the subject and when my book
shall nave boon generally read there
will be little room found in the patriotic
press of this country for paragraphs in
eliminating the government in this
matter. Z. NJ. HARRIS.
Harisrilc, W. Ia, Nyr. is,