Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-22
THE CONSPIRATORS.
The Dark and Deep Conspiracy
of 1905.
WOULD-BE ASSASSINS' personnel.
Pen-Pictures eff the Principals Directly
Concerned as They Appeared at
the Trial.

On the left, in the line OF prisoners,
sat Mrs. Surratt, deeply yelled, with
her face turned to the wall, slowly and
instantly tanning herself. and never
raising her head except when ordered
to show her countenance for the pur-
pose of identification by witnesses.
She was dark-looking, fleshy, placid,
and matronly woman, apparently about
forty five years of age. She was ac-
cused of being privy to the plot, assist
ing both before and after the assassina-
ton, and secreting in her house the
arms and other implements to be used
in carrying out the conspiracy.
Next the guard who sat by Mrs. Sur
rats side was Herold, small, dark
fellow, about twenty-five years old,
with low, receding forehead, scanty
black hair and whiskers, STOPPING
figure, protrudiDg teeth, and vulgar
face. This man was Booths intimate
companion, and left him only when he
was burned out in the Maryland barn.
Next was Payne, the assassin de-
tailed for the murder of Seward. He
sat bolt upright against the wall, LOOM
ing up like young giant above all the
others. Payne's face would defy the
ordinary physiognomist. 1t certainly
appeared to be good face. His coarse.
black hair was brushed well off his
low broad forehead; his eyes were dark
gray, unusually large and liquid. His
brawpy muscular chest. which was COW
cred only by dark, close-fitting
"sweater, was that of an athlete. He
was apparently not much over twenty
four years old, and his face, figure. and
bearing bespoke him the powerful,
resolute creature that he proved to be.
1t was curious to see the quick flash
of intelligence that involuntarily shot
from his eyes when the knife with
which he had done the bloody work at
Stewards house was identified by the
man who found it in the street near
the house in the gray dawn of the
morning after that dreadful night
The knife was heavy. horn-handled
implement, with double edge at the
point, and blade about ten inches
long, thick at the back, but evidently
ground carefully to fine point This
knife was subsequently given to Robin
son, the faithful nurse who saved the
life Of Seward. and who was afterward
made paymaster in the army of the
United States.
Next in order sat Atzerot, who bad
been assigned, it was believed, to the
murder of Vice-Persident johnson, but
whose heart failed him when the time
came to strike the blow. This fellow
might safely challenge the rest of the
party as the completest personification
of low and cunning scoundrel He
was small and sinewy, with long, dark
brown hair. dark-blue and unsteady
eyes, receding narrow chin and fore
head, and a generally villainous coun-
tenance. 1t was observed that when
any ludicrous incident disturbed the
gravity of the court, as sometimes hap
pened, Atzerot as the only man who
never smiled. although the others,
Payne especially, would often grin in
sympathy with the auditors.
O'Laughlin, who was supposed to
have been set apart for the murder of
Stanton or Grant. had the appearance
of the traditional stage villain. He
had high, broad forehead, mass of
tangled black hair, heavy black
mustache and chin whiskers, and his
face was blackened by a rough. I'M
shaver beard. His large eyes, black
and wild, were never still, but ap-
peared to take in everything within the
room. scanning each new arrival at
the door, watching the witnesses, but
occasionally resting on the green trees
and sunny sky seen through the grated
window on his left He often moved
his feet, and the clanking of his man
acles would attract his attention, and
he would look down, then back and
forth at the scene within the court
room. A California vigilance COM
mittee in lS49 probably would have
hanged him ''on general principles,
He was accused of being in league with
both Surratt and Herold, and was seen
at Stanton's house ON the night of the
murder, asking for g. Grant.
Spangler, the stage.carpenter of
Fords Theatre. was about forty. heavily
built, sandy in competition, slovenly in
appearance. He held Booth horse at
odd times, kept clear the way to the
rear of the theatre. and was suspected
OF being his lackey. The poor crea-
ture, more than any other. appeared to
be under the influence of imminent
bodily fear. His hands were incessant-
ly moving along his legs from knee to
thigh. his bony fingers travelling back
and forth like spiders. as he sat with
his eyes fixed ON each witness.
DIR. Mudd. the companion and asso-
oiate of Booth, who received the flying
assassin into his house ON the night of
tine murder. and set his fractured limb,
In appearance was about thirty-fi
years of age, and had mild blue eyes,
good, broad forehead, rudy face, hair
scanty and thin. high head, and
sanguine temperament. He sat in his
shirt Slpavos with a xrb,to Lo,llro..