The Washington times., 1920-07-12
GUARD Of LINCOLN
CONSP|RATORS DIES
Judge Richard A. Watts, Civil
War Veteran, Passes Away
In Michigan.

Il
death recently claimed Judge Richard
A. Watts, lawyer. banker, jurist ana
civil war veteran OF this city, one or
the few remaining links which bind
the present generation TO the events OF
the civil war with living ties was
broken. For Judge Watts was the COL
onel Watts OF the Union army whose
memories OF the trial. conviction ana
Execution OF the conspirators who as
sassinated President Lincoln have
furnished most interesting additions
to the history OF that period
| As a raw, unsophisticated student
at Adrian College In Michigan, he
dropped his books and Joined the
Union army as a buck private In 1901
Thrice wounded on the ield OF battle
and as many times brevetted for con
| spicuous bravery. he came out OF his
! last eng az ement as a major and was
assigned to the staff or General
Hartranft at the time the latter was
made a special provost marshal gem
eral in charge OF the imprisoned Lin,
coin conspirators then awaiting trial
In the old District OF Columbta prison.
SAW LONG LEGAL BATTLE.
In this capacity Colonel Watts was
an eye witness OF the long legal bat
tie which followed; was permitted in
i
Washington during these thrilling
days. and at last. with his general.
witnessed the executions OF the con-
spirators upon the scaffold OF which
they were in charge.
The AdriaE officer with his own
hand placed in the rough cofnns, Tor
permanent Identification OF the re-
mains. bottles containing slips OF pa
per on which he had written the
names-David T.. Herold. G. A. Al
zerodt, Lewis Payne and Mary e.
Surratt.
In his memoirs, which first appear
ed in the Adrian Daily Telegram in
1914, Judge Watts gave the follow
ing interesting account OF a last min
ute attempt to save the lives Of the
| conspirators by legal process.
On the morning OF the 7th Messrs.
Clampit and Aiken, counsel for Mrs.
Surratt. applied to Judge Vile of the
District of Columbia for a writ OF
habeas corpus for their client The
Judge issued the writ and caused IL
to be issued upon General Hancock
(then in command OF the Middle Mil
itary Division) ordering him to pro-
duce. the body of said Mary e. Sur
ratt before him at 10 a. m. of that
day at the Criminal Court room in
the City OF Washington.
CAUTIONED GUARDS.
General Hancock Immediately sent
a staff officer, notifying General
Hartranft of the situation, and eau
toned the general to instruct the
guards not to admit the United
States Marshal to the grounds under
any circumstances. as he understood
a like writ had been issued directed
to General Hartranft. II such a writ
was issued 1t was never served and
indeed could not have been, for the
reason that the marshal could not
have gained admittance to the prison
grounds.
Another vivid glimpse is given OF
the hangings witnessed by General
Hartranft and his stan in full dress
uniform
Between / and o'clock Of that
day, July Z. Mrs. Surratt, Herold, At
zerodt and Payne were removed from
their cells and escorted, with a SOL
dier on each side. to the gallows
standing in the open area inside of
the high brick wall. Mrs. Surratt
was accompanied by two Catholic
priests, each carrying a crucifx and
breviary and uttering a prayer which
Mrs. Surratt seemed to be repeating.
ALL HANGED AT ONCE.
Ine ropes, fastened 10 cfossDeam
| above, dangled in front OF each. The
moose was quickly adjusted upon each
| by a Secret Service officer and they
were required to rise and step for
| ward upon the traps, Mrs. Surratt
| and Payne upon one, Herold and Atxe-
| rodt upon the other. The traps were
held in position by heavy braces be-
| meath. Captain Rath, Jackson
| (Mich.) officer whom Colonel Watts
| has appointed as his assistant, gave
| the signal at which the two braces
were knocked from underneath by a
| heavy beam swung by two soldiers,
| and the four simultaneously dropped
to death and eternity"
Judge Watts was in his eighty
third year when he died, but his mem
ory almost to the hour of his passing
| was as clear as II was when he
penned his pictures of his war ex-