The evidence that sealed Mrs. Surratt's fate

[BettyO]

The conspirators, I had always heard, were tried under the penalty of participating in a plot to overthrow the government; i.e. treason.

Under our Constitution, treason is punishable by death - no matter age or gender.

It had already been stated on the handbills (wanted posters) that anyone aiding or abetting Booth would suffer the death penalty. Herold was guilty of this as was Powell and quite possibly, Mrs. Surratt. Atzerodt, although he had a window in which he could have notified authorities as to what was going to happen, failed to carry out his plans and most importantly, failed to contact authorities. So he was also charged as an accessory.

Doster himself stated that Powell could only be charged with "Assault and Battery with Attempt to Kill - a penitentiary offense - not a death sentence." However, the Commission refused to listen to Doster and handed Powell the death sentence. Atzerodt got the same, more or less because as I previously stated - he knew of the plot, yet failed to reveal the particulars to the authorities.

Do you all think that if Atzerodt had "sung" earlier in the game that his sentence would have been lighter - perhaps as another one sent to Fort Jefferson with Spangler, Mudd, O'Laughlen and Arnold?