The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-24
SILENCE OF MRS. SURRATT.
HER LIPS SEALED BY THE ADVICE
OF HER PRIEST.


She wanted 10 Protest Her Innocence
Prom the Gibbet. but Her Confess
scr Was Under "a Pledge to the War
Department Not TO Allow Her 10
DO so-The War Department Evil
IDENTIFY Doubtful OF Her Guilt. Bat
Nevertheless Bent on Hanging Her.
Chicago. March IA morning paper
prints the following: "Fire has just de-
stroyed the last shred Of documentary evil
dence that 1t is alleged would have re-
moved the stain OF the charge Of con-
spiracy 70 assassinate Abraham Lincoln
from the name Of Mary Z. surratt. This
woman. who suffered death on the charge
preferred against her. had for her counsel
Col John ". Clampitt OF Highland Park.
In whose possession was evidence that
he thinks would have restored her good
name and shown that in the passion OF
the times an innocent person had been
sacrificed. For thirty years Col Clampitt
has been collecting data and evidence and
had 10 so complete, he believed, that none
could doubt It, IL was ready for publica-
ton and then came the fire which de-
stroyed his residence and all the evidence
accumulated since that day, thirty years
ago. when ne strove to save the woman
from the gallows.
1T was not until yesterday that Col.
Clampitt spoke Of this particular loss
which he had suffered IN the burning OF
mis- home. The world was beginning 10
believe that Mrs. Surratt was a martyr,
he said. and i had that which would have
sncontestibly proved it, but 1t has gone
5n the flames. Did you know that only
abe other day Father Walter, the priest
who administered the extreme JUNCTION to
Mrs Surratt at the very foot of the scat
fold, died in Washington? / saw him before
9lis death. In order that you may know
the value Of the evidence that his decla-
ration put in my hands I must detail the
scene at the execution. Mrs. Surratt was
a devout Roman Catholic. l am a Prot
Testant, but in common with other
Protestants I know that the truth falls
from the lips Of a person prepared for
heaven and who is about to
die. This woman on the scaffold,
shrived for eternity, turned to her spir-
itual adviser and said Holy father, can
not tell these people before I die that
] am innocent Of the crime for which l
have been condemned to deathg Father
Walter replied: No, my child. the world
and what IS in II has now receded forever.
il would do no good and it might disturb
the serenity Of your last moments
Father Wafter, before his death, re-
vealed to me the secret Of his refusal to
let her speak. When ] sought him out in
Washington to urge him to give that
which I needed to help clear her name he
told me first of all that the woman was
absolutely innocent Of the charge against
her, and then he told me this aston
ishing story. He said II had been evident
to him that the war department while
bent on conviction. had doubts Of the guilt
of Mrs. Surratt. From the evidence given
me by Father Walter. 1 learned that he
had been sent for by the department the
day before the execution, and had been
told that he would not be allowed TO see
Mrs. Surratt 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 administer to the dying
woman, Father Walter was forced by the
war department to consent to allow her
10 die without one word from her lips to
the world as to her innocence. The fact
that she did not declare her innocence
when in a state OF grace following abso-
luton, has been used as an argument in
favor of her guilt. The truth is now
known. Father Walters story has gone in
the fire, but / have it in my memory.
and now let II go to the world"