The Washington herald., 1915-05-07
BY WINFIELD NJ. THOMPSON.

"nS. Un
From a PhotograT
or the eight persons tricc: oy mill
tary commission for completely with
Booth in the assassination of Lincoln. the
seven men did not arouse much inter-
est as the one woman, Mrs. Mary +.
Surratt.
Sh. Was represented as the arch con-
srirator with Booth. who mothered the
| brood of assassins who plotted 10 over
throw :he government by killing its head
and his ministers. Her house was de-
scribed by President Andrew johnson a,
the nest that Matched the egg" of as
sassinatiOn.
In Mrs Surratt's behalf it could he
shown that she was respectable. home
keeping. intelligent woman, a fond mother
and a devout Christian. Her undoing
may be traced TO circumstances connect
ed with the Mar. Her son was messen-
ger for the Confedvracy-a business that
at any time might have cost him IN,
life. She wept and worried over him or
his lfe-anddeath journeys between Rich
mond and Canada. but she shielded him.
and made his friends her own.
1t Was through him that Booth became
a caller at her house. He had sought
out John surratt when planning to kidnap
i-ih'oiii. "''d"N VI nv ""''~ man
khc"i'"-e o, 'o"hS 10 ."e "'o'ha, ne
his purpose II was q boarding house.
To il he twice sent Payne. and Atzerodt
spent several nights there. There was no
evidence that Mrs. Surratt knew why
lhey came. IN '"e case u, A'.ei out sne
objected as she did not like the man
appearance.
There was no evidence that any of the
tI,..t
others ever Went .nelt vi ln". an :,',,i.
ference WAS i!'i' '"eie ,"e
or the kidhaplhS p'ot OH -"a,'h H. 'o'',
Surratt lett home lot anaoa on APrE
;. ana boo'h "'u not 90 'ne'e 'i'e'' III
after .,,,
No evidence was introduced 10 sho"
'hd' vi > ~ ,a poo,t,
any conference OF her son an" BOOM
or the othefS' OF hHd ever 'o'l''i'" VIII"
Booth or knew his plans
Carried Package for Booth.
The specinC charge on "htch MrS.
Surratt was tired was In the loiio" ihs
80 t'onsnirocy Marv =. Surratt did
r.coiye entertain. harbor. con-
coal aid and assist Eooth and his as
sociates in crime.
rho testimony introduced to show
her compIicity with Booth was sup
r1ied b, two meu-Louis j. Wiech-
mann who had been a boarder at the
c,',',o,, house and a friend of John IL.
c,,',, nd IoI,n NJ Iloyd. who rent
od Nrs Surratt's tavern at Surratts-
,.irIa and IN her taking a package for
Ron,b or tho second tourney, the day
nr ~. crimc which she gave to Lloyd
rrh. nack,ne contained Booths field
cIassne
IJ,,.d syora that Mrs. Surratt re-
-, Lin, ON both visits 10 have
,,ri .e,,,,,, 10 c,lIed for. The shoot
i,,sr i,,,,s,' ,.er. Two carhines that John
,,,orod, and Herold had re-
o.,!I ..,,,, eth for use in the pro-
o'., ,tid,,anin,r of Lincoln. and which
i, > I.Ii t.,I ,o,coal.d for them at the
!1'oH ~ " ''''U
n,b.r WITNESSES testified to Mrs. Sur
,,i,I ~ knowinp PAYNE when
"a - - -, hor bouse at midnight. two
Javs after his attack on secretary Of
,,t
"' ,.
Two Interested
This was the sum of the most damaG-
in- testimony against Mrs. Surratt, and
in IN. circumstances it was damaging
enough II was given. however, b wit
ncsses who themselves were in the
shadow of the galIows Wiechmann had
hoon rognizant of the conferences be-
tween John Surratt and Booth and
marty TO some of them. He had known
enough of their plan to kidnap Lincoln
to have justified him in warning the
He was a government en-
pIovp but he had remained silent
After Mrs. Surratt's arrest Wiechmann
was detained by Secretary of War Stan
ton as an informer. was sent to Canada
to trace John Surratt, and unquestion-
ably was granted immunity Tor his tes-
timony against Mrs. Surratt. lie may
have felt. therefore. that II was situa-
ton of his own life or hers.
Wiechmanns testimony against Mrs
surratt was not impeacned before the