The Irish standard., 1895-06-15
HISTORIC XECUT|0N|'. !
Mrs. surratt's Guilt Or Inn fiocencs
s Must Ever Remain 2 natter
Of Discussion.
Thirty Years Have Passed Away
Since She Was Laid to Rest
in a Felon's Grave.

Her Sad Fate is One OF anS 1'AoaA
Melancholy Episodes in
American History.
Gei .,i y s .---. -----. = III Z sS' s.#'
Two events have recently occurred
to revive popular interest in the tragic
fate of Mrs. Mary e. Surratt, whose guilt
or innocence in the assassination OF
President Lincoln is likely ever to re-.
main a, a,mooted question in American his
tory. says a writer in Donahue's Maga-
zine for June. The occurrences referred
to are the late destruction by fire of inn
pcrtant papers in the possession Of. her
counsel. COL John W. Clampitt, OF. Chi i
cago, tending to establish her complete
innocence, and the publication by Davld I
Miller De Witt, of a, volume entitled the I
Judicial Murder of Mary E. Surratt. the
trend of which is sufficiently indicated in !:
the books title. 213i,i 7z'Sa
Since Mrs. Surratt's execution with the
trio of male conspirators, 80 years ago,
Col. Clampitt had been asstduousiy
collecting data and evidence which he
believed to be SO convincing in the un-
fortunate woman's favor, that its pub
lication would satisfy everyone OF her In
nccence. He was about ready to give It
to the public, when his residence with
all it contained, including these precious
papers, was consumed by fire. The press
reports of the catastrophe would lndl-
cate that Col Clampitt's evidence was
largely based upon the disclosures OF
Father Walter, the priest who prepared
Mrs Surratt for death, and who, he says,
though firmly convinced Of her gulttless-
ness, prevented her from asserting 1t on s
the scaffold, in keeping with the promise
he had made to the war department, as
the price of his being permitted TO afford
her the last consultations Of her religion.
Whether or not the publication OF tS
.ayidence would have succeeded in ua!ts
ing Mrs. Surratt out a martyr to the
frenzy which prevailed in Washington
upon the murder of Lincoln, cannot now
be predicted; 1t is certain, however, thats
Col. Clampitt's projected publication.
appearing almost simultaneously with
Mr.. De Wits book, if it did not con-
vert those who have hitherto been sat
isfied of her guilt, would at least
strengthen the opinion of many WHO look
upon her as the innocent victim of an un- {
fortunate combination of circumstances
and martyr to the deltrium that DOM
mated the public mind. a
In the calm, clear light of the present.
the storms of passion and Of vengefulness
subsidized, 1t is hard to realize the state OF
the public mind as the immediate result
of Lincoln's assassination; the feverish,,
mental excitement produced by q long
and bitterly contested civil war; the gen
eral rejoicing over the triumph Of thas
JTnlen: and then, while the public jubi- i
.lation. was at it's height, the shot of tho
assassin, changing the cheers of eHulta.s
ton to mingled cries Of lament1tton and
execration. Little wonder then In the
panic precipitated by this NATIONAL ca-s
lan1ity mems minds should lose theirz
equilibrium, reason give place to q Wild
clamor for the retribution, and even the
scales Of justice be deprived for the tt ~ F
Of their perfect eQuipolse. a s.sas-.lsH
The pathetic interest surrounding
fate Of Mary E. Surratt loses little sof
force with the fight Of time Thirt.;
years have passed since she was laid 9
rest in felon's grave in the grounds 0f /
the old Arsenal at Washington; and thoSeF
years have witnessed the passing awAys
of the President who signed her. death
warrant the secreary whose heart va
adamant to every impulse Of mercy, en9sI
most Of the Judges who decreeds Il her,
DOOM The matter Of her guilt a0r irlnO-Ssss
cence SO far as 1T affects herself, ~ wall
as the justice or culp ility Of her Judges 4
and accusers, has passed for ad3udtca.s
tion before q tribunal, the ndgmente
which are unerring and eternal. hes.
80 years have also contd dbnted much st
at least call In uesti0n the worth ots f1laass
evidence through which her life. w. 5S4S.s
rificed. as we'll as to put IN the pillGrysS
the conduct of that mil itary tribunAi. ts
impugn its fitness for the exercise ef jl jSS
dicial power, y and to expose mefhpla
the part Of the proseclltio At N6rla .s
with every Idea Of Justice Or hum 5aa
It remained for the failure, IateF, of g.
government to convict John III. SutfA IN
to- convince many Of the weakness 6f kAy
testimony upon which hfg mol Her u
subjected to an igneminious deat
conviction was neeeSsary 10 put thes "a.
of. Justification on the acts Of TIL md ia
commission that had .epeornpa i
doom Of his mot her, and the govern
fication, but signalIy tailed.
had set in ID the popular 6,3ss u
John III. ssurTatt had the Gsod. nj gsI ll
be tried sby' q Jury, Inst ~
martial where the jndGes1 sss5 i
laurelss they had won on the =
man nifested little of Il til 3 q Z
necessary Tor the judicial benc j