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

u ~. <iAiN. 81 / IN III q III
as she looked at the dangling rope be.
fore her.
Payne. the strongest criminal in our
history, was alone digllitied and self
possessed. He wore a close fitting knit
shirt. Il sailors hat tied with a ribbon
and dark trousers, but no shoes. His
low cut collar showed the tremendous
Inuscularity of his neck, and the
breadth of his breast was more con
spicuous by the manner In which the
pinioned arms thrust it forward. He
was the strong central figure o. the
tablcau. lie looked at death rs for one
long expected. not II termor of a shock
stirred his long stately limbs: and he
died without taking the hand of any
living fricnd.
lierold. although whimpering. showed
more grit than wa anticipated, look
ing at the moose Haunting before him
and at the people gathered below
Atzerodt wore II grayish coat, black
vest and light colorcd trousers, his fees
We're encased in slippers. Ec was tbs
picture of despair and died ridiculously.
Each OF those about to die, save Mrs
Surratt. thanked. through their spirit
ual advisers. all those who had in any
manner had to do with them during
their confinement and trial. The stage
was still filled with people: the crisis
of the occasion had come; the chairs
We're withdrawn. the condemned stood
upon their feet. and the process OF ty-
ing the limbs began.
Mrs. Surratt half tainted and sank
back upon her attendants as an officer
gathered the ropes tightly around hey
robes and bound her ankles. Payne stood
as straight as one of the scatfold beams.
and braccd himself SO stoutly that this
i'm part prevented the breaking of his
neck. Herold stood w~himpering at the
lips, and Atzerodt. in his groveling at
titude. began To talk while being tied.
The two drops fell with Il slam, the fout
bodies dropped like Il single thing.
After hanging about 20 minutes, Sur
geon Otis. u. $. ", Assistant Surgeon
Woodward, U. S. A., and / examined
them and them dead.
In about 10 minutes more the bodies
were cut down, placed in pine boxes
by "A squad of soldiers and lowered in
the graves prepared for them. 1t has
been said and very generally believed
that the conspirators were all, or very
case. OF the 10, four We're of that faith
Mrs. Surratt. her son, John HI. Sur
raft, DIR. Mudd and Michael O'Laugh-
lin. Payne was a Baptist; Booth and
Herold We're Episcopalians, as was Mrs.
Surratt before her conversion; Atzerodt
claimed to be a Lutheran and Arnold
was also a protestant.
OF the surviving ~conspirators still
prisoners in the penitentiary. none OF
them knew of the tragedy which had
been enacted on the afternoon of July
eth. They We're deprived of their exer-
else for a few days.
ON the afternoon of July II, Mudd,
Arnold. OLaughlin and Spangler We're
= brought before General Hartranft in the
outer prison yard and told of the find
ing of the court in their cases. The first
three We're to be imprisoned for life at
hard labor in the penitentiary at AL
bany; Spangler was sentenced to six
years in the same place of imprison-
ment. But two days before they were
informed of their fate. President
johnson had changed the sentence to
confinement at Fort Jefferson, Dry Tor
tugaS: but the cOnSpiratOrS We're not
: told of this.
4 On the same day the secretary of the
navy issued the following order to
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS William Budd.
commanding ". S. S. Florida.
: "By request of the secretary of war
5 you will receive General Dodd. one Of
ficcr, one sergeant, three corporals. %
men, Assistant Surgeon Porter, Colonel
Jones, Judge Advocate, and four pris-
oners and convey them to Tortugas.
AS soon as you have landed them re-
port to New York. Issue rations to mel
and prisoners"
AT midnight the prisoners were
aroused and marched from their cells
: to q steamer moored AT the wharf, un-
der a guard commanded by Captain
u / v iltdiiI i l(htloiI, WIN lIitl iiIciiI III
G charge until turned over at Fort JEFF
ferson. 1t Will be noticed that every
n thing in connection with the moving OF
s the conspirators and the hiding OF
e Booths body WAS always done at the
same hour, midnight.
n The steamer arrived at Old Poini
Comfort IN the the afternoon of july
Is, the prisoners We're transferred t
d a tug which put them on board the gun
y boat Florida. Commander Budd was
sailing under sealed orders, which re
d quired min To sail four hours straign
out TO sea, before opening them. FL
had an idea that we We're bound 70,
Concord, where there We're many gov.
eminent prisoners confined. Aftea
q steaning according to orders. we head,
Il ed due south. stopping the next day a
Port Royal For coal. to land stores ant
two passengers. The prisoners wer,
permitted to exercise on deck, and one,
aware that the course was due scout
realized that they We're being taken 1
Tortllgas, which Arnold characterize,
as he'll We arrived ~ Fort JeSfersoi
on July "a. 1865, and turned the con
spinators over TO the eofnmaadant. Col
onei Charles Hamilton, Tenth Nes
York volunteers.
r. rot Jefferson was surrounded by
"a deep and wide maat which was nlle
by TIE sea. 1t contained about 10 mar
Ia eiltins sharks, which swan about To
fort, making eseare Impossible. ANA til
/, attempt SIRE death. The Officers use
70 throw cats into the laoat To test til
felocfty SIS the SHARKS, which rarely per
I llitt@0 the aniaal to touch Inc water.
IL 1853 yeliow fever broke out In ia
f garrison and sop cached the prisoner
4e Arler INC death - the army surgeon. ID