The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-05-19
STORIES FROM The
AMERICAN HISTORY
TRIAL OF THE sLAYERS OF ABB
RAHAM LINCOLN THE GREAT
EST EVER HELD HERE.

4
ried out the assassination of Abrah-
am Lincoln. Booth, the chief actor
in his horrible drama, evaded the
passing of judgement by declining to
in Virginia, and when he refused to
come out of the barn after II had been
fired, he was shot by Sergeant Boston
Corbett, dying about four hours later.
/ The co-partners in the crime,
Atzerodt, DR.. Mudd, Payne, Harold,
Mrs. Suratt, O'Laughlin, Arnold and
Spangler, were all apprehended be-
fore the martyred President had been
placed in his tomb. 1t was Payne
who, at the same time that Booths
bullet sped its fatal course, enacted
his part in the tragedy on the night
Of the same eventful April IA, 1866,
ny entering the s'ck chamber of Se'.
rotary Seward, stabbing him in the
throat and then escaping.
It was at Mrs. "uiratt's house that
Z
their plans. AS alleged, Atzerodt was
to have taken the life of Vice Presi-
dent Johnson. O'Laughlin was as
signed to murder General Grant or
Secretary Stanton. Harold was the
body companion of Booth and was
in the barn with him, just shortly
q hut nd
surrendered himself after he found
escape was impossible.
Spangler assisted in Booths es-
cape from the theater. DR.. Mudd
had held interviews with Booth and
others in the Surratt home, and had
also attended to Booths leg, crippled
by getting entangled with the flag as
he sprang from the box at Ford's
theater after shooting the President
Arnold was originally in the plot,
but quarreled and left it.
The solemn trial of the accomplices
of Booth soon took place in the city
of Washington before military COM
mission. The charges upon which
Payne was arrested and tried were
that he was a confederate of Booth
in the general conspiracy. with the
specific charge that he had presented
himself at Stewards residence, with
the pretense that he represented the
family physician. He was only pre-
vented from killing Seward through
the interference of the Secretary's
eldest son.
Spangler. who was employed at the
theater, was tried for aiding and
assisting Booth to obtain an entrance
to the box in which President Lin
coin sat in the theater, and for barr
ing or obstructing the door of the
passageway so as to hinder pursuit.
Atzerodt was charged with lying IN
wait to murder Vive President John
son at the Kirkwood House, but he
failed to execute the part particular
~ delegated to him. In the further
program of the great conspiracy,
OLaughlin was to take the life of
General Grant, and on this charge he
was indicted and tried.
Mrs. Surratt was charged with hav-
ing, ION or before the 9Th day OF
March, and on divers other days and
times between that day and the 29th
l,of April, received, entertained, har-
bored. concealed, ETC., the conspira-
tors in the execution of their plans"
She was charged with being cogni-
cant of the intended crime almost
from it's conception. With DR.. Mudd,
il is charged, she planned the means
and assistance for the escape of the
assassins. and visited Mudd at 8
o'clock on the day of the assassina-
ton to see that certain weapons were
i'm readiness. Booth had been with
her on the afternoon of the day OF
the murder.
The part taken by DR.. Mudd in the
tragedy was described in the indict-
ment as an accomplice. In January
he had an interview with BOOM ana
several other conspirators at the
National Hotel When the assassins
fed to his house after the shooting
he dressed Booths wound and assist
ed in the escape of both Booth and
Harold.
When the officers called at the
house soon after the assassination,
he denied that he knew either of the
criminals, but subsequently, after his
arrest, he admitted he was acquaint-
ed with Booth, Arnold was tried for
being one of the original conspira-
tors, but his guilt consisted in being
an accomplish before the act.
Harold's completely admitted, OF
course, of no doubt. On the night OF
the assassination he was seen at the
livery stable with Booth, and on va
rious occasions he was known to have
held secret meetings with the con-