Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-07-09
BOOTH AND LINCOLN.
A Review of the Mrs Surratt Ex
ecution, and Some Extracts
From Booths Diary.

From Booths Diary.
A recent reference, appropos o
the contest over the alleged for 6
gerry of the will of Judge Holt,
Of Washington. has further in
teresting light thrown upon it by
copy of the Metropolitan Rec
ord and New York Vindicator.
bearing date of June 1. 1867.
which was accidently happened
across. 1t was Copperhead
publication of tine most virulent
type, and was still breathing Sc
cessionist sentiments two years
after the civil war had ended. IT
contains many things worth
reading. bat the most instructive
is copy Of the diary found on
the body OF J. Wilkes Booth
after the assassin of Abraham
Lincoln had been killed by Bos-
ton Corbett's bullet. Connected
with its first newspaper publica
ton is story worth the telling.
Johr A. Bingham, a member
OF Congress, and afterwards
United States Minister to Japan,
was a member of the military
tribunal that tried Mrs. Surratt
and the Lincoln assassination
conspirators. AS you all know,
a great doubt has always existed
as TO the guilt of Mrs. Surratt.
In subsequent debates in Con
gress General Benjamin +. But
Ter frequently held this fact over
the head of MIR. Bingham, and
in d certain memorable debate
he holdly proclaimed that if the
contents OF diary which had
been found On the dead body of
J. Wilkes Booth were ever made
public it would disclose the fact
/ that it contained the proof of Mrs
Surratt's innocence, which proof
had Deen UNANIMOUSLY suppressed
| by the government When Biug>
ham made a movement AS though
to Iepel such an accusation Gen.
Butler dramatically drew a mem
Orandum book from the breast
pocket Of his overcoat and held
it aloft: but did not utter a word.
Bingham instantly sank back in
his seat. He naturally supposed
tnat Butler had obtained copy
of a diary such as he had spoken
Of. AS a matter of fact the mem
orandum book contained nothing
but blank leaves. Willy Ben was
playing what a poker player
would call bluff hand"
| Andrew johnson was annoyed
by the circulation given to Gen
eral Buffers declaration. Tt was
generally known that a diary
had been found on Booths body.
Secretary of War Stanton had il
in his possession, but with
his customary mangnant secre>
tiveness he refused to let any~
one see it. President Johnston
finally asserted his perogative
and demanded possession of The
book. 1t was very interesting,
but it did not throw any light on
the question of Mrs. Surratt's
guilt or innocence. The presi-
Ident's private secretary was w
Nv. Warden. He was the Wash
lington correspondent of the Bal.
ltimore Sun, and besides, he was
in the pay of the New York Tri
!, bupe bureau to supply it with al
} the Information he consistently
lcould. To him Andrew johnson
lintimated that he would be averst
} to the publication of Booth.
diary. and permitted him to make
a copy of it after midnight tt
, James Rankin Young, afterward
) Executive Clerk of the Unites
: States Senate, but then Wash
ington correspondent of the I'ri
bune. Il becamed rumored alons
Newspaper Row that the dair,
was out, but no one could get tn
track of it. The next mornin.
1.-THE Tribune and the, Baltimor
. tSun had big ''beat." The cor
!, respondent OF the Springfield
Republican, when taken to tasl
flor his failure to procure tn
; diary, answered his edltor>in
: lchief, famous old Sam Boweles
r in these words: I'm not like Jir
.lYoung, for I've got a home to g
to and I don't have TO prov
around until daybreak. /"
1l Edwin M. Stanton. in submit
lting the diary to Andrew John
= lson's inspection, wrote, in tn
lcourse of his official commuuica
ltion: Immediately preceedin
$ 1.-THE entries some pages. appeare
s Ito have been cut out. and ther
Twas nothing indicating what ha