The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-24
DEFENDS MARY SURRATT
COL. CLhMPITT had GOOD PROOF Of
HER INNOCENCE,
Which Was Reduced 20 Ashes-fsthe' ""'
ter's Revelation, whieh Heels "'"''
Upon the Was Department

CHICAGO. March IA mofhn's P''''
prints the following:
F,rc has lust destroyed the last shreu
of documentary evidence that u Is a.
legged would have removed the sta,ii ~
ibe charge of conspiracy 10 asSaSs,,' ,.''.
Abraham Lincoln from the haihe =, caraS
T. Surratt This woman "no s.-.
a.,th on the charge preferred asabiat
- IA Cor her counsel Colonel Johh
NJ clsmpitt. Of Highland PARK. IN whose
r,nsscssion was evidence that ne 'hi"nS
would have restored her good name anu
sbown that In the passion OF the uihe
on lpnocent person had been sacrihced.
For thirty years Colonel Clampitt hdu
been collecting data and evidence ana
had n so complete ne believed, that none
could doubt H. II was ready Tor puohca-
ton. and then came the fre whlch ~
sfroyed his residence. and ali evidence
accumulated since that day, thirty years
aeo when he strove to save the woman
froro the gallows. II was not until yes
terdav that Colonel Clampitt spoke OF
this particular loss which he had suffered
I'm the burning OF his home.
COLONEL cLAMPITT's STORY.
"Tbe world was beginning to believe
that Mrs. Surratt was Il martyr" he
said. land / had that which would have
incortesiibly proved it. but it is gone In
flames Did you know that only the other
dav Father Walter. the priest who ad-
ministered extreme unction 20 Mrs. sur
raft at the very foot Of the scaifo.d, dled
In Washington? | saw him before mis-
death. and in order that you may know
the value of the evidence that his declara-
tion put In my hands. ! must detail the
scene at the execution. Mrs. Surfatt
l..Ns m
Protestant, but, In common with other
Protestants. know that truth falls from
the lips of a person prepared for Heaven
and who is about to die. This woman
on the scaffOld, shrouded for eternity,
turned 10 her spiritual adviser and said
Holy Father. can ] not tell these
people before / die that | am innocent OF
The crime for which j have been con-
demned to DEATH
Father Walter replied: NO, my child,
the world and all that is in IL has now
reoeded forever. 1t would do no good, and
1t might disturb the serenity of your last
moments
STARTLING REVELATION.
Father Walter, before his death, re-
yealed 30 me the secret Of his refusal to
let her speak. When l sought him out in
Washington TO urge him 90 give me that
he told me. first OF all, that the woman
was absolutely innocent of the charge
against her, and then he told me this as
toUnding story: lie said il had been evil
dent 10 him that the War Department,
while bent on cCnvicting. had doubts OF
the guilt of Mrs. Surratt From evidence
given me by Father Walter ] learned
that he had been sent for by the depart
ment the day before the execution and
had been told that he would not be al
lowed to see Mrs. Surratt on the day OF
her death. unless ne would pledge his
faith and honor as a priest of God that
after he had ahsolyed her and she he'd
received the sacrament, nc would prevent
her from making any protestation of her
innocence. IN other words, as the price
of being allowed 10 administer TO dying
woman Father Walter was forced by
the War Department to consent to allow
her to die without cne word from her
lips TO the world as 90 her innocence. The
fact that she did not declare her inno-
Cence, when in state of grace following
abEoluton, has been used as an argument
of her guilt. The truth is now known.
Father Walters story is gone in fire. but
] have IL in my memory, and now let 1t
20 TO the world"