Travels, Arrest and Trial of John Surratt by Alfred Isacsson

[Susan Higginbotham]

I got a paperback reprint of this in the mail today. Haven't read it yet, but there's something very cool about it--it has a thank-you note in it from the author, addressed to Art Loux!

[Pamela]

I have read/skimmed the report online in the Maryland Historical Magazine "John Surratt the the Lincoln Assassination Story" by Alfred Isacsson, who was a Catholic priest and a Mary Surratt apologist. I wonder if your book expands on this report?http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/spe..._1_208.pdf

I came across a couple of interesting bits of information. The first one reveals Father Isacsson's prejudice and John's denial of the facts of the case and still rebellious mindset:

"John Surratt knew very well the injustice dealt to his mother.
His feelings on the affair are best expressed by an incident which
occurred later in his life. When he filled out an application for a
life insurance policy, he stated the cause of his mother's death as
"" murdered by the United States Government."

The second interesting information, that was new to me, anyway was this:

"Sometime between 1870 and 1872, Surratt left Rockville and
secured an appointment as a teacher in Saint Joseph's School,
Emmitsburg, Maryland. At that time the school was held in what
was known as Firemen's Hall, located directly opposite Saint
Joseph's Catholic Church. He rattled his classes and would resort
to physical punishment to maintain discipline. On older boys,
some of them twenty or twenty-one, he used his fists. The younger
boys John would beat with a paddle after he had stretched them
over a special punishment desk which he had designed. " The
Old Bear," as the boys nicknamed him, swore at them in French
when they overstepped the limits of his discipline."

The source for this story was footnoted as,
""Frederic Welty to T. E. Bussey, Philadelphia, November 23, 1938; Thomas E.
Bussey, Memorandum, Baltimore, November 14, 1938. Both in the possession of
Helen J. Campbell, Yorktown, Virginia".

I knew he taught for a while, but hadn't heard about his techniques for discipline. His use of corporal punishment sounds excessive even for those days. John had come a long way from the time at St. Charles when he was a member of the Society of Angels, which, BTW, sounds like the name for the ultimate goody-goody students' club.

[L Verge]

Frederick Hatch has a new book now available on John Surratt, Jr: Rebel, Lincoln Conspirator, Fugitive. We just put it in our gift shop at $30 + $3 p/h. V/MC orders by phone at 301-868-1121 or checks and money orders to Surratt House Museum, 9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, MD 20735.

BTW: The museum has just completed its annual inventory of the gift shop and will soon be reducing the price on a number of titles in order to make room for new offerings. Hopefully, the September issue of the Surratt Courier will have a listing of these good deals.

[Gene C]

Does our membership in the forum get us advance notice?
Do we get a senior citizens discount?
How about an "Abraham Lincoln Groupie Lives Matter" discount?

An "I didn't bring Thomas Kearney with me" discount?
The Mary Lincoln Consignment Shoppe referred me discount?

[L Verge]

My god, Gene, you sound like some of the newer generation who want everything for free because they are "entitled."

Actually, I often post about books on the forum before they are listed in the Courier. I also will hold phone orders for ten days to allow a check or money order to arrive. Come volunteer at the museum or become a Life Member and you receive a 15% discount on regular items. Most of our sale items are priced at wholesale cost.

[Gene C]

Thank you, I'm trying to connect with my inner liberal. It's got to be here somewhere.
Unless I accidently left it in the backseat of my niece, Moonbeam's Yugo, following the stand up for sit-ins rally.

Peace.

[L Verge]

I'm beginning to consider asking you to do a stand-up comedy routine at the banquet during the 2018 Surratt Conference! You have a great sense of humor.