The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-11

did Booth get them? One was found at
Lloyds tavern, ana the other it's mate,
was taken from the body of the dying as
sassn in Barrett's barn" More than thirty
years have elapsed since Lloyd gave this
testimony about the carbines, and yet it
stands to-day practically unimpeached.
Mrs. Surratt met her awful fate without
making any explanation whatsoever as to
what she meant by having these murderous
weapons delivered that night to Booth and
Herold.
A DETECTIVES STORY.
An interesting story is void in the May
number of McClure's Magazine with ref
erence to these carbines by Mr.. Ray Stan
nard Baker, nephew of General Baker,
the great detective. Says Mr.. Baker:
"Conger had brought the news of the
capture to Washington many hours be-
fore, and every town in the country was
ringing with the tidings. The moment the
evidences of Booths death-the diary the
Two two renolvers the ear6lne the e, belt ana ana
er's hands, he carried them to the office
of the secretary of war. | rushed into the
room and said: We have got Booth
Secretary Stanton distinguished during
the whole war for his GOODNESS, but l never
saw such an exhibition of it in my life as
at that time. He put his hands over his
eyes and lay for nearly a minute without
saying a word Then he got up, put on his
coat, and inquired how the capture mad
como about"
Immediately on his return Lieutenant
Baker was called to the office of Secretary
Stanton, where he related the story of the
capture. Mr.. Stanton had Booths carbine,
and when the narrative was finished he
handed it to Baker with the question: Are
you accustomed to using a carbine?~If so,
what is the matter with this one? 1t can
OF Ia ic,1,o cd T0o1yn amin a6 fhso
weapon and found that cartridge had
slipped out of position so that when the
lever was worked it could not be thrown
under the hammer. Perhaps it was for this
reason that Booth cast it aside in the barn.
1t was a part of the i'll luck that followed
the assassin, and every one with whom he
came in contact from the moment he fired
the fatal shot at President Lincoln.
Besides Mrs. Surratt, Payne, Herold and
Atzerodt suffered capital punishment.
Arnold, O'Laughlin and DR.. Mudd were sent
to the Dry Tortugas for life; sSpangler, for
six years. In 1867 OLaughlin died on the
island of yellow fever Mudd, Spangler and
Arnold were pardoned in 1869 by President
Johnson and returned to their homes. DR..
Mudd earned his pardon, as he had rem
dered distinguished service to the garrison
and the prisoners by his attendance on
them during an outbreak of yellow fever.
BY his skill he saved the lives of many DR..
Mudd had formed great attachment for
Spangler, and when liberated he took that
poor creature home with him and gave him
work on his farm, and there he remained
for the rest of his life. He died in 1877 or
1878. In 1888 Dr. Mudd himself passed away
from the scene of his earthly troubles.
OF all the parties identified with the con-
spracy John H. Surratt is probably, the
only one now living. He was tried by a
civil jury in Washington in 1867 and the
result was a disagreement, as his presence
in Washington on the night of the 14th of
April 1865, had not been proved to their
satisfaction.
BASELESS STORIES.
Immediately after the punishment of the
conspirators a great hue and cry was
raised in the case of Mrs. Surratt. 1t was
asserted that the government had punished
an innocent woman, and every one con-
nected with the case was denounced in I'M
measured terms for many years aftcrward.
Secretary Stanton died in the winter of
1870, after brief illness, and almost i'm
mediately the story gained circulation that
he had committed suicide because of re-
morse. So persistently was the falsehood
had attended him in his last illness, was
compelled to appear in public print in 1873
and deny the allegation over his own sigma
tme. He stated that it was inconceivable
to him how such rumor could have ever
been started.
Before the military commission had final
ly adjourned it's sittings five of it's members
had signed a recommendation to the Presi-
dent of the United States asking him to
commute Mrs. Surratt's sentence to I'M
prisonmcnt for life on account of her age
and sex. This Mr. Johnson declined to do,
and not only that, but on the day of her
execution he suspended the writ of habeas
corpus which had been served on General
Hancock in her behalf.
One of the stories that grew out of this
was that Secretary Stanton and Judge Holt
had suppressed this recommendation to
mercy, and that the President had never
seen it. viler or more infamous asser-
ton was never placed before the public
Judge Holt, in his lifetime, denied it again
and again, and brought irrefutable proof
in support of his position. This SANDER
too, has been put to rest, and Judge Holt
in August, 1894, with the dear old flag of
his country wrapped around him, at the
advanced age of eighty-seven years. was
laid away forever, beyond the reach of
calumny, in his old home in Kentucky
which he had loved so we'll
Another falsehood was that all the men,
bers of the commission had come to sudden
or ignoble ends because of their verdict
AS matter of fact, four of the members
of the commission are alive to-day-Cen-
erals Wallace, Foster, Harris and Colonel
Tompkins-all in possession of good health
Wallace has won renoWn for himself sec
ond to none in the nation, and his fame
because of his "Ben-Hur' will last as long
as the English language, the noble lam
Suage of Milton and Burke, shall be
spoken. He was for many years the hon
ored minister of his country at the Turkish
court. General Foster, at present a resi-
dent of Indianapolis, was for a long time
United States Marshal of Indiana, and has
the respect of all his fellow-men who know
him well. General Harris at the age of
eighty-two, is spending the evening of his
life in peace at his home in Harrisville,
w. Va. Colonel c. H. Tompkins, now on
the retired list of the army, is living in
Washington.
OF those who have passed away General
Hunter died at the age of eighty-two; Cen
eral Eikin, at seventy-fve; Colonel Glen
DENIM, at siXty-five; General A V. Kautz.
at seventy; and General A. B. Howe at sew
enty-nine
General Hancock upon whom the writ in
Mrs. Surratts case was served, became the
candidate of his party for the presidency