Could John Have Spared Mary

[Jim Page]

Hey, Roger—

Here’s a summary of General Harris’ comments about Mrs. Surratt in his book:

ASSASSINATION OF LINCOLN
A HISTORY OF THE GREAT CONSPIRACY
TRIAL OF THE CONSPIRATORS BY A MILITARY COMMISSION
AND A REVIEW OF THE TRIAL OF JOHN H. SURRATT
By T. M. HARRIS

Late Brigadier-General U. S. V. and Major-General by Brevet
A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION
1892
419 pages
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Excerpts:
Page 193:
On one occasion, whilst waiting for the mail there, he heard Mrs. Surratt say that she would give one thousand dollars to any one that would kill Lincoln. He also testified that when there was a Union victory he heard her son say in her presence that, "The damned Northern army and leader thereof ought to be sent to hell."

Page 198:
Can any one doubt now that Mrs. Surratt was fully posted in every particular of the assassination plot, that she was fully trusted by Booth and her son, and was in sympathy with their purpose and willing to do all she could in aiding its accomplishment, — that she was, in fact, a co-conspirator?

Page 208:
In vindication of the Commission, and also of the court of review, the President and his cabinet,
—we submit that the evidence shows her to have been guilty, no matter what she might have said in her final confession.
Perhaps she had been led to believe that President Lincoln was an execrable tyrant, and that his death was no more than that of the "meanest n***er in the army." Her remarks to her daughter the night her house was searched indicate the views she took of the subject. "Anna, come what will, I am resigned. I think that Booth was only an instrument in the hands of the Almighty to punish this wicked and licentious people." 'To one who could have taken this view of the case, Booth's act could not have been regarded as a crime; and she who rendered him all the aid she could would feel no guilt. They were only co-operating with the Almighty in the execution of his vengeance.

Pages 209-210:
It is a very strange circumstance, too, that whilst Payne, Arnold, O'Laughlin, Atzerodt, and even John H. Surratt admitted their connection with one or the other of the conspiracy plots, Mrs. Surratt has not left one word or line after her to explain away the incriminating evidence brought against her. The reason is plain; she could not have explained anything without involving herself and her son, and giving away the whole case.

Page 389:
It is almost imposing upon the patience of the court to consume time in demonstrating the fact which none conversant with the testimony of this case can for a moment doubt, that John H. Surratt and Mary E. Surratt were as surely in the conspiracy to murder the President as was John Wilkes Booth himself. You have the frequent inter- views between John H. Surratt and Booth, his intimate relations with Payne, his visits from Atzerodt and Herold, his deposit of the arms to cover their flight after the conspiracy should have been executed; his own declared visit to Richmond to do what Booth himself said to Chester must be done, to wit, that he or some of the party must go to Richmond in order to get funds to carry out the conspiracy; that he brought back with him gold, the price of blood, confessing himself that he was there; that he immediately went to Canada, delivered despatches in cipher to Jacob Thompson from Jefferson Davis, which were interpreted and read by Thompson in the presence of the witness Conover, and in which the conspiracy was approved, and, in the language of Thompson, the proposed assassination was "made all right."

Page 390:
That Mary E. Surratt is as guilty as her son of having thus conspired, combined, and confederated to do this murder, in aid of this rebellion, is clear.

Page 392:
But there is, one other fact in this case that puts forever at rest the question of the guilty participation of the prisoner, Mrs. Surratt, in this conspiracy and murder; and that is that Payne, who had lodged four days in her house —who during all that time had sat at her table, and who had often conversed with her — when the guilt of his great crime was upon him, and he knew not where else he could so safely go to find a co-conspirator, and he could trust none that was not like himself, guilty, with even the knowledge of his presence — under cover of darkness, after wandering for three days and nights, skulking before the pursuing officers of justice, at the hour of midnight found his way to the door of Mrs. Surratt, rang the bell, was admitted, and upon being asked, " Whom do you want to see? " replied, "Mrs. Surratt."

and

If not one word had been said, the mere act of Payne in flying to her house for shelter would have borne witness against her, strong as proofs from Holy Writ. But when she denies, after hearing his declarations, that she had sent for him, or that she had gone to him and hired him, and calls her God to witness that she had never seen him, and knew nothing of him, when, in point of fact, she had seen him for four successive days in her own house, in the same clothing which he then wore, who can resist for a moment the conclusion that these parties were alike guilty?

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As Laurie said, Harris’ feelings about the Catholic Church’s involvement, if that's the right word, are plain. Harris spends much time refuting Father Walter, and Harris wrote, five years after publishing this book, a 96-page book entitled ROME'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Hope this helps!

--Jim