The times., 1898-02-06

given, her innocence could be eStab-
lished. The confession of Payne ex-
onerating Mrs. Surratt from all COM
plicity in the conspiracy, was shown
the President, but without effect.
Tive years afterward John III. Sur
ratt was tried before Judge Fisher on
an indictment for being concerned in
| the conspiracy to kill Lincoln. WEIGH
| man repeated his testimony before the
| military commission, but assigning diff
! ferent dates for the occurrences narrat-
/ ed. and adhering to all the statements
he had made duplicating Mrs. Surratt.
| Lloyd testified, as he had done before
! the military commission, but said that
he was very drunk on meeting Mrs
| Surratt the day of the assassination
| and was drinking on the morning of
| April IL, 1865. when he met her at
| Uniontown. He stated that when in
| liquor his memory was always con-
! fused; he had given the occurances as
he remembered them. leaving the in
ference that he may not have recol
| lected them correctly.
Lloyds testimony in regard to tie
| ing Mrs. Surratt's buggy with a rope
| was contradicted and Weichman's tes
timony was entirely discredited. Faith
| er Rocoffort testified that Weichman
had spoken to him in regard to mat
| terS connected with the conspiracy,
which Weichman had denied. He had
said that no one connected with the
military commission had attempted to
influence his testimony, but Mr.. Gift
ford said that an officer of the Gov
ernment told Weicbman in his (Gif-
ford's) presence that his statement was
not satisfactory and that if he could
not do better he (Weichman) would be
charged with being one of the conspi-
ratorS and hanged with the others.
Lewis j. Garland said that Welchman
had told him that he was very uneasy
In his conscience in regard to his tes-
timony before the commission. and he
would go to confession about ii. Car
land told him that it was not a con-
fessor he wanted to see but a magis-
trate who could administer an oath.
Weichman said he would go to mag
istrate, but he was afraid he would be
prosecuted for perjury. if he did so.
Among other statements he made to
Garland was that when he drove Mrs.
Surratt out to her place on the day of
the assassination, they had start
ed back to Washington, when her
brother. J. u. Jenkins, called to her.
and that they turned and went back.
As they turned back the buggy was
broken, and they did not get away un-
til Lloyd cana Had they not been
called back they would not have seen
IL NdS SIUNH THAT w
was much more intimate with the con-
spirators than Mrs. Surratt. She had
objected to- AtZerodt's presence in the |
house, and he visited there no more. |
Payne had not been in the house. for |
several weeks before the assassination. |
John II. Surratt was not in Washing !
ton that day; he had gone to Canada |
ten days before and had not returned |
The facts We're that Weichman, was |
was in the conspiracy to abduct Presi,
dent Lincoln, and it is only reasonable
to suppose that the prosecution held |
these facts over him and the Wretched
coward preferred to save himself at |
the expense of others. Unfortunately
for the Honor of human nature there
have been many such characters devel-
oped in times of civil commotion.
II was also brought out in the testi-
mony at John II. Surratt's trial, that
Booth had given to an actor named
Matthews sealed paper not to be |
opened until afterwards. When Mat
thews learned that Booth had shot the |
President he was filed with appre-
hension about the paper and he went
to his room and locked the door and
then opened the envelope. 1t contain
ed paper signed by the conspirators
to kill Lincoln, Seward and others, and
neither the names of Mrs. Surratt or
her son was upon it. He was horri-
fed. and believing if it was known such
a paper had been given him by Booth
he would lose his life, he destroyed it.
When the late Rev. J. A. Walter
learned that Mrs. Surratt was 10 be
he asked for a permit to visit
her and prepare her for death. When
one was brought he expressed the
opinion that she was innocent. This
opinion was carried to the War De-
Dartment and Colonel Hardie visited |
him. bringing another permit signed
,y the Secretary of War. On rendering
he permit, Colonel Hardie said: II |
want you to promise me that you will
lot say anything in regard to the in |
locence of Mrs. Surratt.' AS this
seemed to be a condition of his being
ible to visit Mrs. Surratt ne agreed to
Keep silent, but protested against such
condition. Before his death Father [
Walter made this statement, and said
hat up to the moment of his separat-
ng from Mrs. Surratt she asserted her
of any completely in the
,iiling of Lincoln
Mrs. Surratt was buried in Mt. Oil
.et cemetery. A plain headstone. up :
N which is carved in capital letters. |
Mrs. Surrdtt," marks her last resting
,lace. She lies in peace, beyond the
each of praise or cenSure, but if ii is
f any satisfaction to her that the
1orld no longer believes her guilty of
he charge upon which she was exc
uted. she no doubt is the happier for | t
I. But the people owe it to- their | c
ountry and themselves to make Known Ii
his belief, as the only reparation they
an make for her wrongful execution.
H. NJ. BEADLE. L
|