spent several hours with Gillette, whom he had seen preach in Baltimore in February 1865. Powell told Gillette about his background, how he came to be involved in the conspiracy, and how much he regretted his actions, which he still justified as those of a soldier. Powell wept profusely during portions of their interview, and blamed Confederate leaders for his predicament. Powell strenuously attempted to exonerate Mary Surratt. According to one source, Powell asked Gillette to bring Captain Christian Rath to him. Rath came, and Powell declared that Surratt knew nothing of the conspiracy and was innocent. Rath conferred with Eckert, and within an hour had taken down Powell's statement for consideration by President Johnson. Another source, however, says that it was the two Roman Catholic priests who were consoling Mary Surratt, Father Jacob Walter and Father B.F. Wiget, and Surratt's daughter, Anna, who visited Powell that evening and elicited the statement declaring Mrs. Surratt innocent. Whichever version is true (perhaps both), Powell's statement had no effect on anyone with authority to prevent Surratt's execution. Powell was the only one of the conspirators to make a statement exonerating Surratt. Gillette spent the night with Powell. The condemned man alternately wept and prayed, and fell asleep for three hours near dawn. Reverend Stryker was on his way to Washington, but would not receive permission to see Powell until noon the following day. Execution A gallows was constructed in the Arsenal courtyard high and large enough for all four condemned to be hanged at once. Powell asked to see General Hartranft and impressed upon him once more Mary Surratt's innocence. Hartranft wrote a memorandum to President Johnson outlining Powell's statement, adding that he believed Powell to be telling the truth. Powell then made a statement exonerating Atzerodt and declared that Atzerodt refused to kill Vice President Johnson even though Booth had ordered him to do so. At 1:15 p.m., July 7, 1865, the prisoners were taken through the courtyard and up the steps of the gallows. Each prisoner's ankles and wrists were manacled. More than 1,000 people, including government officials, members of the US armed forces, friends and family of the condemned, official witnesses, and reporters, watched from the Arsenal courtyard and the tops of its walls. Alexander Gardner, who had photographed Powell and the others two months before, photographed the execution for the government. Hartranft read the execution order as the