Mary Surratt and John Lloyd

[KLarson]

I agree, Ed, except I don't think that Mary was hanged because of her son. I think initially the feds certainly hoped her incarceration would lure John Jr. out, but the evidence against her was great, and in all fairness (ahem!) it could not be ignored. They could have charged Anna, too, but they did not. I think it could be argued that Mary was more involved than Mudd - certainly in the weeks leading up to the Assassination. As for the fellows who recommended sparing her life, they did vote for hanging first, then asked for clemency or commutation to life. I think that was all tied up notions of gender at that time. I believe the request had something to do with her "sex and age" - not because they doubted her guilt or the seriousness of their initial judgment to hang her.

Folks may blame Weichmann, but LLoyd and others played significant roles in condemning Mary. She shouldn't have done what she did, and she hanged for doing so.

I am surprised, though, that Mudd squeaked through.