The sun., 1901-07-07
PLEADED FOR MRS. SURRATT
A DRAMATIC RPfs0Ds o. fHB IRA 0sDY
or LINCOLy'S DEATH.

W LANtVLNo AoAAhs
John ?. BrsphyS Story q New He became
Convinced q ths wsmanS innocence an1
Tried 70 Get Her Q Rsprtsvs-nU. DoasiasS
Part In the EHers-asae After Events.
John p Brophy. clerk OF Part II. OF the
Court OF General Sessions. had Q dramatic
experience In connection with the assas-
sination OF President Lincoln. At the time
he was an Instructor In st Aloysiuss College
In Washington
After the conviction Of Mary Z. Surr att
for completely In the murder. Weiohman
who boarded In her house and was the CHIEF
witness against her came TO him and said
that In spite Of all he had sworn to. he thor
oughly believed Mrs Surratt was innocent
Of all knowledge Of the plot against the Presi-
dent until after its actual contamination.
Mr. Brophy deemed weichmsn's statement
so important that he reduced II TO writing
and sent II to President johnson as at least
worthy OF investigation.
To his communication he got M reply. but
on the night before the execution he receive
from the War Department permit n visit
Mrs Surratt In the arsenal. where with the
three other condemned prisoners. she was
confined Mr. Brophy had not asked for
any such permit. and he has always supposed
that Mrs surratt heard Of his action In her
behalf and herself made the request that he
be allowed TO see her.
Mr. Brophy went 70 the arsenal Mrs
surratt asked him 10 undertake at some
future time, when the passions Of the war
Of tho crime Tor which she then stood con-
demned and Of which shs earnestly pro-
tested bsr innocenoe THIS Mr. Brophy
SV@'fT % Tss Il "a Psyns s! aS'
out the conspiracy as Lewis Payne Powell.
who was the son OF Florida clergyman. was.
Ss. h:,y bSfS Sf tSs Ss srSSSs ne ne:
70 the last the stoical cynloisp which he had
shown from the first In this mo Cd Mr
Brophy found him few hours before he was
: TO hi. own impen ding fate be told Hr,
Brophy he was utterly Indifferent. He had
70 1n take I the Con Consequences 81 an sot which he
in no way regretted.
But when he spoke Of Mrs., surrstt all trace
pra:ss sNS Sy siitn;h all held ma, %S.. c.%sdd .Gasd
was as Innocent Of the plot Asainst Mr.. LIN
coin as the child unborn. Powell's manner
made s 80 'rpnsI pTsIcuad ad' %pf..son io upon
II was now about 0 clock In the morning
hS sns vi e safs sopphy phsGf roS Scs
els cell. hurried straight TO 0en; Hartranft,
afterward Governor Of Pennsylv ania. and
hsn the prOyO,, Marshal GeneIs In hav1g
besoqsht Gen Harrspft to go e Powell
snd hear What be had to S,t Ssayt This Cen
J will furnish you an army conveyance
and swift horses. he satd Take y and
drive like mad g the White H0pse @ ,s snd siSs Ss
execution until the last momen, or until !
hear from you definitely and positively what
the Presidents answer is.
for Mrs surratt With II in his pocket Mr.
Brophy drove on gallop TO the White House
Here about the first person he saw whs Miss
woman. Who Tor bours had been at the X.
President 70 plead for her mothers iife,
to get get at at President johnson. These were
dent Johnson was suspected Of having q
s a.. nisS' hsd saa the U
tion OF the conspirators did not want an
appeal to the weak sid. OF the Presidents
character 70 succeed.
eu, " tried PY'ti IL vain vain. he tried TO get Gen
Horu,nfts note sent In 10 the President.
In hs, also he f.ilSd After 5snL 5sfi n. 4.
eTrsnd Of iife and denth than when he mrs,
| arrived. His own half-distracted frame OF
mind was intensified by The frantic snt est,e, e.
with sries Vas oln 9ins 70 him and begging
hin 70 do something: y, ~ .r.,r.
But what could 10 doy n every avenue
that led toward the ircsldent mere was
a cleaning oayonst % nna oeh'nu o1S, Shd o'0Wr' NJ
Rrophy, was at The verge ~ DESPAIR when
,pdiS9iE E Mi tine oarr,nsr Csno o pssn'n an, R 70
| ried richly dressed and strikl lnsly handsome
woman, The beautiful Mrs stephen A. Donslns'
| wife OF lincoln,s old-time rival out IN I'LL
ho's thS lhule "ant' L., ~.
surratts case Mr., Brophy was by her side
In an instant telling her his errand and en-
treating her 20 get him access 70 the presi-
n,dr G%n, nJ M tr,bnrnoss tDoHaa ds9,nslV wan beau.
bayqnss, %pd they lowered almost IN hom.
ge before her.
tried to stop her. but she swept them scorn.
fully aside with an impsrions Sessnrr oons Mnas|
on. H.s n al tsf. Grac
did, she got 10 the President,
But there her triumph ceased she en-.
tered the room with her face nusheh ,h with
energy ana hope Sne oame 9d, Z, .nrn wrn
feature and every movement Sns lookSn
At N" convulSed. tear,Nained lace q me
yonns girl whoae mothSSrs S LII nie or1s w zen.
her head. ,,,..s s,.,
oh dont give up SC; soooe1 MISS Surrat'
Don Donu oh. 90 go 70 MN asa',, "a n
liz In %Sn SSn,n re'"'' you nv '"" D' - ~
"show him Gen. HartranNs note again,
| Cried Mr pr.lhv. AK Nun y he 20 sno
stateineht sem MN oi m'a,,,al nr,tnel, .. NJ.
Mrs. Douglas , AN.
u Will said the spirited, woman. WI
Of llttle use though ieei tha' u Is 0'
A'Ps Ps~t 9'f the. bayonos,. pas, the guards. 81.
once more forced her way 70 the PRESIDENT