The Washington times., 1911-06-03
CONTINUED from First Page.)


should mention the surratt case in his
presence.
The day set for the execution of the
sentence approached. Gen. Winfield
Scott Hancock was in charge Of the
proceedings. The Presidents military
secretary ard General Hancock hoped
Mr.. Johnson would relent, but they did
not dare approach him on the subject.
The day before the hanging General
Hancock wrote a pass admitting the
Presidents military secretary Iat any
moment TO the Enclosure containing
the gallows.
The night before the hanging the sec
retary kept his horse and buggy stand
ing under the White House Portico
ready to carry him to the old arsenal
at the point in case President john
son issued a reprieve at the last mo-
Hancock stayed up all night. waiting
expectantly for the call that never
came. The President remained firm.
Mrs. Surratt was hanged. The vigil
Of General Hancock and the military
secretary was in vain. The secretary's s
House, stables.
The pass written by General Hancock
Is today in the possession Of Mrs. FL
len Spencer Mussey. President John
sOH IllllldIy SSCTeldIy WAS ueF nus
band. His name was r. d. Mussey,
and he was breveted a brigadier gen.
eral. and practiced law in Washington
after the war. 1t was his fatal Ill
ness in the 70s that sent his wife into
the legal profession to support herself
and family and eventually made her
one Of the leading women lawyers OF
the country.
Opposed to Death Penalty.
Il am violently opposed to capital
punishment" said Mrs. Mussey to a
representative Of The Times today
when asked for a statement concern
ing the Lomax case, ''and I am. there
fore, opposed to the infiiction of the
death penalty on Matte LomaX. ! am
doubly opposed to capital punishment
when 1t Is proposed to take the life of
woman. Such a spectacle in the
District of Columbia would be infinitely
worse than in any State, because the
District is the nations Capital and is
supposed to present the national
thought.
II do not believe that the masses of
the people of the United States favor
capital punishment and. and l am sure
they would deplOre the execution of
the death sentence against a woman
in Washington. do not see how Pres
ident Taft, in whose hands the law
places both judicial and Executive dis
tISllOH III lIlS case, CdH ldll DlOuIlN
the Lomax penalty Furthermore.
believe he will modify 1t. l don't be-
lieve he will countenance the carrying
out of this sentence, which would es-
tablish firmly the precedent Of hang
ing women in the United States.
Of Far-Reaching Import
by cutting down the sentence OF Mat
tie Lomax. President Taft would per-
form an act of far reaching Importance
and effect. He would undoubtedly give
remarkable stimulus to the movement
for the abolishment of capital punish
ment in the States, and probably would
hasten the day when the death penalty
would be wiped off the statute books OF
the District of Columbia.
The fact that the victim In this case
is a woman and that the sentence Of
death is to be executed in the Federal
District makes 1t. especially essential
that the President interfere. He has
every right to do so, legally, for he Is
clothed with specific authority to mod
ify the sentence; morally, l feel he Is
bound to do so.
There's another thing about the fact
that the victim is a woman. although
this applies with greater force against
capital punishment for women In the
States than in the District. Woman has
no voice in the making of the capital
punishment laws. Maybe If women
voted we wouldn't have such laws, yet
1t is proposed that a man-made law be
used to snuff out the life of woman.
1t Is not right"
Many Years a Leader.
For many years Mrs. Mussey has
taken an active part in the civic. social
and political life of the District. She
has been a member of the Board of Ed
ucation for five years, and has been the
dean of the Washington College of Law,
which was founded by her to give
women an opportunity to enter the le-
gal profession, since 1t was established.
She has practiced law in Washington
since 1876, and has been identified with
many movements for the common good.
Il am glad The Times has taken up
the Lomax case" she resumed, land I
wish II success. Whether or not 1t saves
Matte Lomax, it will have performed
a valuable service by calling attention
to capital punishment in the District,
and elsewhere, and it will have added
materially to the eventual establishment
OF more humane. more righteous, and,
/ belive, more effective method of deal
ing with criminals