The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-07-20
EXECUTION OF MRS. suRRArr
Dramatic Episode OF the Tragedy of
linc0ln'S Death.


of General Sessions. had dramatic
experience in connection with the as
saSsinatiOn of President Lincoln. At
the time he was an instructor in st.
-Aloysiuss College in Washington, says
the New York Sun.
After the conviction of Mary T..
Surrat for completely in THE murder.
Weiclman. who boarded in her house
and was the chief witness against ,llrr.
came to him and said that in spite of
all he had sworn to. he thoroughly be-
heved Mrs. Surr;ltt WAS innocent of all
knowledge of THE plot against the
president until after its actual con-
summation. Mn. Brophy deemed
Weichman's statement so important
that he reduced it to writing and sent
it to President Johnson as at least
worthy of investigation.
TO his communication he got no rep
ly, but on the night before the execu-
ton he received from the War Depart
ment permit to visit Mrs. Surratt in
the arsenal, where. with the three
other condemned prisoners, she was
confined. Mr.. Brophy had not asked
for amy such permit. and he mas al
ways supposed that Mrs. Surratt
heard of the action in her behalf and
herself made the request that he he
allowed to see her.
Mr.. Brolilly went to the arsenal.
Mrs. Surratt asked him to undertake
Mt some future time, when tile passions
of tllle war We're cooled. the task Of
clearing her name of the crime for
which she then stood condemned and
Of which she earnestly protested her
innocence. IllMs Mr.. Brophy promised
to do. After leaving her he went to
see Lewis Payne Powell. known
throughout the conspiracy as Lewis
Payne. Powell. who was the son of
Florida Clergyman, was, after Booth,
the tiercest and most bloodthirsty of
the last the stoical cymicism which he
had shown from the first In this
mood Mr.. BrolIhy found him few
hours before he was hanged
To lMs own impending fate he told
Mr.. BrolMy he WAS utterly Indifferent.
He had played This part in the tragedy
and was ready to tnke THE conse-
Quences of an act which he in no WHY
regretted.
But when he spoke of Mrs. Surmtt
all trace Of affectation disappeared.
That woman, he protested by nll that
he held most sacred, was us innocent
Of the plot against Mr.. Lincoln as THE
child unborn. Powplrs manner was SO
earnest and so convincing that 1t made
n profound impression upon Mr.. Bro
laly.
1t was now about o O'clock in the
morning. The execution was to t.,ke
place between IL A. M. and 1 T.. Nj.
Mr.. B1O1rhy from Powanl's cell, lnlr-
ried Stnnight ITO Gen. Hnrtranft, after
ward Governor of Pennsylvania, and
then the Provost Marshal General in
having full charge of the execution.
He earnestly besougllt Gen. Hrtrant,t
to go to Powell and hear what he had
to say. I,lds Gen. Hartls,nft did, and
came back impressed quite as Mr.. Bro
PLY had been:
IL will furnish you an army con-
veyance and swift horses" he said.
''IAke 1t and drive like mad to the
White House and give the President
this note. / will delay the execution
until THE last moment or until l near
from you definitely and positively what
the Presidents answer isl
The note was a strong plea for n
reprlcve for Mrs. Surratt. With 1t IN
his pocket Mr.. B1Op1y drove on n gal
lop to the White House. Here, about
the first person lie saw was Miss Anna
SurraItt, daughter OF the condemned
woman, who for hours had been at
the Executive Mansion trying to get
access Ito the President to plead for
her mothers life.
Two nrNn barred the way to all who
wished to get Mt President johnson.
These were Preston King and Gen.
James Lane President johnson was
suspected of having vacillating ma
t,lrc and those who believed that JUS
tice had been done in the conviction
of the consplrators did not want an
appeal to the weak side of THE Prcsi-
dents character to succeed.
Mn Brophy tried to get past the
guards, hut tried in vain. He tried
to get Gen. Hartranft's note sent lin
to the President.
In THAT also lie failed. After
nearly an hours delay hc was no
nearer doing dis c1rand Of life and
death than when he first arrived. His
own half distracted frame of mind
was intensied by tlle frantic cntreaties
Of Miss Surlttt, who, sobbing and
choking with grief, was clngLng to
him and begging llim to DO something.
But what could 1le do? In every
avenue that led toward hnle President
there was a cleaning bayonet and be-
hind the bayonet the stern bronzed
face Of a soldier. Mr. Brophy was at