The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-05-08

y. Surraft.
She was represented a. the arch con-
spirator with Booth. who moshersd the
brood or nssassins who plotted 70
overthrow the government by killing
'lts head and his ministers Her house
was described By President Andrew
Johnson as the nest that Matched tbs
egg" OF assassination
In Mrs. Surratt's behalf Il could be
shown that she was q respectable,
home keeping. Intelligent woman. a
fond mother and a devout Christian
Her undoing nay be traced to circum-
stances connected with the war. Her
son was a messenger for the Confed.
racy-a business that at any time
might have cost him his life. She wepi
and worried over him on his life and
death journeys between Richmond and
Canada. but she shielded him and
made his friends her own.
IL was through him that Booth be-
came n caller at her house He had
sought out John Surratt when plan
ming 70 kidnap Lincoln. because OF the
young mans knowledge OF roads TO
ne Potomac. He had found Mrs. Sur
rats house suited to his purpose. IL
was a boarding house. To II he twice
sent Payne. and Atzerodt spent several
nights there. There was no evidence
that MIS-. Surratt knew why they came
In the case OF Atzerodt she objected.
ance.
There was no evidence that any OF
the others ever went there or that any
conference was held there after the
failure OF the kidnapping plot on March
IL. John Surratt left home for Canada
often thereafter.
No evidence was introduced to show
that Mrs. Surratt was ever present at
any conference OF her son and Booth
or the others. or had ever conferred
with Booth or knew his plans
Carried Package for Booth.
The specific charge on which Mrs.
Surratt was tried was in the following
language: I'm further prosecution OF
said conspiracy. Mary f. Surratt did
receive, entertain. harbor.
conceal. aid and assist" Booth and his
The testimony introduced to show
her completely with Booth was sup.
piled by two men-Louis ]. Wiech-
mann, who had been a boarder at the
Surratt house and friend OF John II.
Surratt, and John NJ. Lloyd. who rent
ed Mrs. Surratt's tavern at Surratts-
Vile, - miles from Washington.
Wiechmann swore TO seeing Booth
at various times at Mrs. Surratt's
house, TO conferences there between
Booth and John surratt. to driving
Mrs. Surratt twice 10 Surrattsville,
and TO her taking a package for
Booth on the second Journey. the day
OF the crime which she gave TO Lloyd.
The package contained Booths Held
glasses.
Lloyd swore that Mrs. Surratt re-
quested him. on both visits. to have
the shooting irons ready" as they
would soon be called for. The shoot
ing irons" were two carbines that
John Surratt. Atzerodt and Herold
had received from Booth for use in
ha LfAnar.fnu Of inc
and which Lloyd had concealed for
them at the tavern.
Other witnesses testified TO Mrs
Surratts denial of knowing Payne
when he came to her house at mid
night, two DAYS after his attack on
Secretary OF War Seward.
Two interested Witnesses.
This was the sum OF the most dam
aging testimony againft Mrs. Surratt.
and In the circumstances IL was dam
aging enough. II was given, however.
by witnesses who themselves were in
the shadow OF the gallows. Wiech-
mann had been cognizant OF the con
ferences between John Surratt and
Booth. and a party to some of them.
He had known enough OF their plan
10 kidnap Lincoln TO have justified
him in warning the government. lie
was a government employe. but he
had remained silent.
After Mrs. Surratt's arrest Wiech-
mann was detained by Secretary OF
War stanton as an informer. was sent
TO Canada TO trace John Surratt. and
unquestionably was granted immunity
for his testimony against Mrs. Sur
RAFT He may have felt. therefore.
that " was situation of his own life
or hers.
Wiechmann's testimony against
Mrs. Surratt was not impeached be-
fore the court: but he remembered so
much that iR q time OF general suspi-
Cion he might well have been accused
of knowing more than an innocent
man should
The other witness against Mrs Sur
intt. Iloyd was drunken sot who
ACKNOWLEDGED on the stand that he
was deep I'm liquor AZ the time OF his
alleged conversations with Mrs. Suit
raft He had been implicated by
hiding the arms. and by producing
them when Booth. fleeing from the
scene of his crime. called for them.
He had been arrested. and had de-
MED knowledge OF the arms OF OF
Booth. 4 few days In prison had re-
freshed his memory. and immunity
from punishment was his reward for
his testimony.
on the testimony 81 these two men
Mrs. Surratt was sent 10 the scaffold
" was shown that she had served
Booth by carrying his field glasses 10
Surrattsville on tho day of the crime.
age 20 LLOYD I'm her defense 10 was
shown that business In connection
with a lawsuit over land had taken
her 20 Surrattsville on both occasions.
The prosecution claimed that the sec
ond visit was unnecessary. that she
went as a messenger for Booth The
point that she planned the second
trip ~ an earlier hour than that Of
Booths call AZ her home. when be
gave her the slasscs. had no weight
with the court
Evidence was introduced that Mrs.
Surratt received a call az ? on the
evening Of the assassination from n
man who did not enter the house. No
witness was produced who saw him,
but after Mrs. Surratt was IN her
grave. Wicchmann Fwore that the
caller was Booth. The man. in fact
was not Booth. but a caller for Anna
Surratt
cismsnoy Denied
There Yves little question that Mrs.
furrntt had known something of Booths
earlier plan Tor the kidnapping Of lin
coin. With the usual bitterness Of
houthcrn women IN the war she doubt
less believed tho kidnapinn of the PreHf-
dent was legitimate war enterprise. That
she knew ~ Booths darker design.
adopted when hia first had failed WIS
In.