Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-17
CHAPTER II.
SwEETHEARTS.

| SwEETHEARTs.
When the first shock of horror al
her husbands peril passed, 1t left q
| strange new light in Mrs. Cameron's
eyes.
The heritage Of centuries Of heroic
blood from the martyrs Of old Scotland
began to flash its inspiration from the
past. Her heart beat with the uncon-
scious life Of men and women who had
| stood In the stocks, and walked In
| chains to the stake with songs on their
| lips.
The threat against the life Of Doctor
Cameron had not only stirred her
martyr blood: 1t had reused the latent
heroism Of beautiful girlhood. To
her he had ever been the lover and
the undimmed hero of her girlish
dreams. She spent whole hours locked
In her room alone. Margaret knew
that she was on her knees. She al
ways came forth with shining face
and with soft words on her lips.
She struggled for two months in vain
efforts to obtain a single interview
charges. Doctor Cameron had been
placed in the old Capitol Prison, al
ready crowded to the utmost. He was
In delicate health, and so Ill when she
had left home he could not accompany
her to Richmond.
Not a written or spoken word was
allowed to pass those prison doors.
She could communicate with him only
through the officers In charge. Every
message from him was the same. Il
love you always. Do not worry. Go
home the moment you can leave Ben.
fear the worst at Piedmont"
hn hol ,tp hn
would sit down and write the truth In
little dairy he kept:
Another day Of anguish. How
long, o Lord? Just one touch Of her
hand, one last pressure of her lips,
and I am content. I have no desire
% live-I am tired"
The officers repeated the verbal mes
sages, but they made no impression on
Mrs. Cameron. By a mental telepathy
which had always linked her life with
his her soul had passed those prison
bars. If he had written the pitiful
record with a daggers point on her
heart, she could not have felt 1t more
keenly.
At times overwhelmed, she lay pros
trate and sobbed In half-articulate
cries. And then from the silence and
mystery of the spirit world in which
:al Love would come again the strange
peace that passeth understanding. She
would rise and go forth to her task
with smile.
In July she saw Mrs. Surratt taken
from this old Capitol Prison to be hung
with Payne, Herold, and Atzerodt for
completely In the assassination. The
military commission before whom this
farce Of justice was enacted, suspic-
ious of the testimony of the perjured
wre:ches who had sworn her life away
had filed a memorandum with their
verdict asking the President for mer-
cy.
President Johnson never saw this
memorandum. 1t was secretly remov-
ed In the war department, and only
replaced after he had signed the death
warrant.
In vain Annie Surratt, the weeping
daughter, flung herself on the steps of
the White House on the fatal day, beg
ging and praying to see the president.
She could not believe they would al
low her mother to be murdered in the
face of recommendation Of mercy.
The fatal hour struck at last, and the
girl iyft the White House with set
eyes and blanched face, muttering In
coherent curses.
The chief magistrate sat within, un-
conscious of the hideous tragedy that
was being enacted in his name. When
he discovered the infamy by which he
had been made the executioner Of an
innocent woman, he made his first de-
mand that Edwin M. Stanton resign
from his cabinet as secretary Of war.
And, for the first time in the history OF
America, a cabinet officer waived the
question Of honor and refused to re-
sign.
With a shudder and blush of shame,
strong men saw that day the execution
er gather the ropes tightly three times
around the dress of an innocent Amer
lean mother and bind her ankles with
cords. She tainted and sank backward
upon the attendants, the poor limbs
yielding at last to the mortal terror OF
death. But they proped her up and
sprung the fatal trap.
A feeling of uncertainty and horror
crept over the city and the Nation, as
rumors of the strange doings OF the
Bureau Of Military Justice" with Its
secret factory of testimony and powers
of tampering with verdicts, began to
find their way in whispered stories
among the people.
Public opinion however, had as yet
no power of adjustment. 1t was an
hour Of lapse to tribal insanity. Things
had gone wrong. The demand for
scapegoat. blind, savage and unrea-
soning, had not spent itself. The gov
ernment could do anything as yet, and
the people would applaud.
Mrs. Cameron had tried In vain to
gain a hearing before the president
Each time she was directed to apply
to Mr. Stanton. She refused to at
tempt to see him. and again turned to
Elsie for help. She had learned that
the same witnesses who had testified
against Mrs. Surratt were being used
to convict Doctor Cameron, and her
heart was sick with fear.
ASK your father" she pleaded, to
write president Johnson a letter In
my behalf Whatever his politics. he
can't be your father and not be good
at heart"
Elsie paled for a moment. 1t was
the one request she had dreaded. She
thought Of her father and Stanton with
dread. How far he was supporting the
secretary of war she could only vague
ly guess. He rarely spoke Of politics
to her. much as he loved her.
'Tll try, Mrs. Cameron" she falter-
ed. MY father Is in town today and
takes dinner with us before he leaves
for Pennsylvania tonight. I'll go at
once"
With fear, and yet boldly, she went
straight home to present her request
She knew he was a man who never
cherished small resentments, however
cruel and implacable might be his pub
lie policies. And yet she dreaded to
put 1t to the test.
Father I've a very important re-
quest to make of you," she said, grave
ly.
VERY well. my child, you need not
be so solemn. What Is it?"
I've some friends in great distress
Mrs Cameron, Of South Carolina, and
her daughter Margaret"
Friends of yours?" he asked with
an incredulous smile. Where on earth
did you find them?"
I'm the hospital, Of course. Mrs
Cameron Is not allowed to see her hus-
band, who has been here In jail for
over two months. He can not write
to her. nor can he receive letter from
her. He is on trial for his life, Is Ill
and helpless, and Is not allowed TO
know the charges against him, while
hired witnesses and detectives nave
broken open his house, searched his
papers, and are ransacking heaven and
earth to convict him Of a crime oil
which he never dreamed. It's shame
You don't approve of such things,
know?"
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