John Surratt's real parents?

[LincolnToddFan]

(02-28-2015 04:02 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(02-28-2015 03:48 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I have debated this for over fifty years, and I personally believe that Mrs. Surratt would have still been executed because she (like the three men who hanged) were still involved with Booth up to within mere hours of the assassination. On the other hand, her son would fall in the category of Arnold, O'Laughlen, and Mudd who had no dealings with Booth (supposedly) once the kidnap was aborted. Following that "selection criteria," young Surratt would have been eligible for prison.

Laurie, I agree. But I wonder how this might have effected Andrew Johnson's "knowledge" of the clemency petition. I wonder if he would have approved hanging for the mother when the son was getting life. IMO he might have commuted her sentence so both mother and son would get life. Does this make sense?

Roger to the rescue again! That makes perfect sense, and I wonder the same thing. A mother and child reunion on the gallows might have been too much for even Stanton and Johnson to stomach. Would one death sentence have cancelled the other out?

Or would John have received the same sentence as Spangler and Laughlin as Laurie theorized? Because if so, that might have made it more tricky to hang his mother.