The Elk Mountain pilot., 1899-04-25


When Gen. Hancock told me to get
ready for the execution of Mrs Surratt
he said that could get ready to exc
cute four Of them. but l might not
have to execute more than three. OF
course l knew that meant that an ef-
fort was being made to save Mrs. Sur
ratt. And so sure was l that this
would be done that the very morning
of the execution, when Mrs. Surratts
little daughter came to the door of the
room where l was lying down and
looked frightened at the sight of the
nooses lying on the floor | longed to
say to her: Annie, your mother will
be saved; don't be afraid But OF
course l couldn't do SO, for / might be
doing wrong. Payne had said to me,
after having sent for me, that he had
had something on his mind for long
time. If l had two lives, he said, 4
would give one of them to save Mrs.
Surratt.' He then told me that she
was not guilty and that it. was only
because he had been captured in her
house that she was arrested. l told
Assistant Secretary of War Maj. Eek
ert of Payne's conversation, and l was
requested to Immediately write 1t out
and send 1t up to the department. This
/ did. But all efforts were in vain.
Mrs. Surratt's counsel, not knowing of
the inclination to have his client, made
a foolish move on the day of the exc
cution. He swore out a warrant for
the arrest of Gen. Hancock on the
charge of having possession of Mrs.
Surratt's body, and the secretary of
war was detained by the justice before
whom the warrant was brought. OF
course, as martial law prevailed, all
that had to be done was to send down
to the war department and detach-
ment of soldiers was sent up. The sec
retary was released. but this was the
cause of his delay in coming to the eX-
ecution.
Payne was the pluckiest of all the
prisoners. He was great big fellow,
and l liked him first rate. He was
man of wonderful fortitude. Right
after his arrest he made an attempt
to dash his brains out against the side
of his cell After that we put hoods
on them all, great thick, quilt-like ar
rangements which covered their heads
and came down over their faces below
the shoulders. 1t was hot weather and
the prisoners suffered a good deal, but
Payne never uttered a complaint. He
had been a confederate soldier, and
it was found that his name was not
Payne at all. This was ascertained
when he was confronted with his old
negro nurse who had brought him up.
She threw her arms around him and
called him by his name. but he never
fiinched and pretended not to know
her. He probably did not want to
bring his family name into disrepute.
When all was ready for the execution
and the nooses were around the pris-
oners' necks / stepped up to Payne and
frightened the knot on his little, tell
ing him that 1t would be over the more
speedily.
You know best, captain. said he.
These were the last words of a man
who was worthy of better cause.
1T was two years later that Mrs.
Surratt's SON who had made good his
escape, was heard from in Italy. He
had gone to Quebec and from there to
Italy, where he enlisted in the pope's
army. Thinking that all had blown
over. he one day told his chum what
part he had taken in the plot to kill
Lincoln. The pope at once had him
imprisoned and he was brought to this
country. But he was tried by civil
authority and was acquitted"
A few days ago, when the Grand Ar
my of the Republic had its meeting in
Washington. some of the old soldiers
from, Cant Rotbrc cftv noticed that all
the buildings were decorated with flags
except the one across from their hotel.
On inquiry they found that this was
cigar store kept by Mrs. Surratt's sis
ter, who had said time and again that
one of these Michigan fellows had
hanged her sister.