Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-04-20

the proper military channels.
1t has been said that we secreted the
body of Booth in the cellar OF the peni-
tertiary.
Secretary Stanton ordered that all
conspirators should Wear hoods for bet
ter security against conversation. A
portion OF the order read: and they
siail have II canvas bag put on head
OF each. and tied around the neck, with
Il hole for proper breathing and eating.
but Tor seeing" This order NOT only
applied to eight conspirators imme-
Giately connected with the plot to as
asSinate Lincoln. but To about 10 other
suspects who were arrested and . n
fined in the penitentiary. Among the
latter was Burton N. Harrison, priNatn
secretary 10 jefferson Davis and father
OF Congressman Francis Burton ftar-
rison. of New York.
This hood Was padded with an inch
thickness of cotton. and soon had thc
We're deprived of light and air. | was
afraid that they would become mentally
affected before their trial and SO re-
ported TO the secretary of War.
Dr. Gray. head of The Utica, n. y.
i~niirmary, one of the most noted in
sanity experts OF the country. was sent
for TO examine the prisoners and to
consult With me. Or. Gray unhesitat-
ingly agreed With me-. that q continm-
ance OF the use of the hoods would be
liable to cause insanity. on our joint
representation. Secretary Stanton or
deled the hoods to be removed and at
my suggestion that the prisoners be
furnished With books, the secretary of
war agreed. STIMULATING that none of the
reading matter furnished should have
been printed later than 1889. On my
representation that the prisoners need
ed exercise and fresh air, they were
taken daily into the prison yard, where
they We're exercised under Il heavy
guard.
was the only person permitted to
converse with the conspirators without
witnesses. To prevent all possible
chance of communication. aside from
being ironed as l have described, each
of the prisoners virtually occupied
three cells: that is. there was a
vacant cell on each side of the one oc-
cupied by Il prisoner. This was the
method taken to prevent amy attempt at
communication by means of knocking
or rapping, which is in vogue i'm so
many of our prisons. An armed guard
was stationed i'm front of each cell door,
where he could watch every move of
the occupant. A company of infantry,
of the invalid corps, all veterans. was
constantly on guard in the penitentiary
room, he members of which could see
the guards standing ON the different
galleries i'm front of the prisoners cells.
Once freed from the hoods, the con-
Il ~ WV ,etIA iiRiH W pea
ly when permitted to exercise and read.
Years after he was given his freedom,
Burton n. Harrison made the state
ment that if l had not made such a
firm stand against such rigorous con-
finement he would have gone insane
from wearing the hood alone, to say
nothing of solitary confinement.
Mrs. Surratt was a striking woman,
and Il handsome one despite the un-
avoidable imprint of prison life. She
kept herself in hand. despite the seri-
business of her position. and gave me
ceration she evinced a desire to starve
herself, with the possible idea of end
ing her life in this manner. l had a
quiet, earnest talk with her. pointing
out that abstinence from food WOULD
make her i'll; that she was under my
medical care and l hould be forced to
adopt means of insuring that She re-
ceived the proper amount of nourishine
food at regular intervals. There was
no more trouble after that, Mrs. Sur
raft virtually selecting her own menu
the men We're furnished the regular
army rations.
Genera Hartranft and his staff. Col
onel l.. A. Dodd, Lieutenant Colonel G
w. Frederick, Captain a. R. Watts
Captain G. Rath, Lieutenant G. w
Geissinser and the writer We're il
charge of the execution of the prison.
ers. Captain Christian Rath, the exc
cutioner, after the war WAS employed
IN the railway mail service, running
between Grand Rapids and Detroit
Mich, and mad his home at Jackson
up 10 the time of his death a few year.
ago. Telling of his part in %preparin.
for the hanging, Captain Itath said:
Il received orders from General JOIN
+. Ilartranft TO execute Mrs. Surratt
Payne. Herold and Atzerodt. The on
ders were that the execution shoul'
take place at O'Clock, JUL