The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-04-03
Proofs Destroyed.

CHICAGO, March ga morning
paper prints the following Fire has
Just destroyed the last shred of doc
umentary evidence that, it is alleged,
would have removed the stain Of the
charge of conspiracy to assassinate
Abraham Lincoln from the name Of
Mary E. Surratt. This woman, who
suffered death on the charge preferred
against her, had for her counsel Colo
mel John ". CIampitt, of Highland
Park, in whose possession was evi-
dcnce that he thinks would have re.
stored her good name and shown that
in the passion of the time an innocent
person had been sacrificed.
For thirty years Colonel Clampitt
has been collecting data and evidence
and had it SO complete, he believed,
that none could doubt it. 1t was
ready for publication, and then came
the fire which destroyed his residence
and all the evidence accumulated since
that day, thirty years ago, when he
strove to save the woman from the
gallows.
cit was not until yesterday that
Colonel Clampitt spoke of this partic-
ular loss which he had suffered in the
burning of his home.
"'The world was beginning to be-
lieve that Mrs. Surratt was martyr,
he said, 'and [ had that which would
have incontestably proved it, but it is
gone in flames. Did you know that
only the other day Father Walter, the
priest who administered extreme
JUNCTION to Mrs. Surratt at the very
foot of the scaffold, died in Washing
ton ? I saw him before his death. In
order that you may know the value Of
the evidence that his declaration put
in my hands, must detail the scene
at the execution
'tMrs. Surratt was devout Roman
Catholic. [ am Protestant, but, in
common with other Protestants, I
know that truth falls from the lips Of
a person prepared for heaven, and who
is about to die. The woman on the
scafold shrived for eternity turned to
her spiritual adviser and said. Holy
father, can I not tell these people
before [ die that I am innocent Of the
crime for which I have been condemn
ed to death ?
sFather Walter replied: No, my
child; the world and all that is in it
has now receded forever. It would do
no good, and it might disturb your
last moment.
'Father Walter, before his death,
revealed to me the secret of his re-
fusal to let her speak. When I sought
him out in Washington to urge him
to give me that which I needed to help
clear her name, he told me, first of all,
that the woman was absolutely inno-
cent of the charge against her, and
then he told me this astounding story.
He said it had been evident to him
that the war department, while bent
on convicting, had doubts Of the guilt
of Mrs. Surratt. From evidence
given me by Father Walter [ learned
that he had been sent for by the de-
partment the day before the execution
and had been told that he would not
be allowed to see Mrs. Surratt on the
day of her death unless he would
pledge his faith and honor, as priest
Of God, that after he had absolved her
and she had received the sacrament he
would prevent her from making any
protestation of her innocence. In
other words, as the price of being
allowed to minister to dying woman,
Father Walter was forced by the war
department to consent to allow her to
die without one word from her lips to
the world as to her innocence. The
fact that she did not declare her inno-
cence, when in the state of grace fol-
lowing absolution, has been used as
argument in favor Of her guilt. The
truth is now known. Father Walters
story is gone in the fire, but | have it
in my memory. and now [ let it 60 to
the world, :"