Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-04
Superior Court-CrIminaI Term.

JUDGE ROCKWELL PRESIDING.
TUESDAY, Feb. 3.-The case OF Henry C
Gray, editor and proprietor of the South
bridge journal, indicted for libel on Truman
Charles of Sturbridge, came up. Distric
Attorney Aldrich opened the case for the gov
eminent, explaining the Indictment, and de
filming the law of treason. The article upon
which the indictment is founded, was read
1t is contained in the Southbridge Journal OF
Jan. 9, and represents that Mr.. Charles is ga
dislOyal nuisance" who 'obtrudes his disloyal
sentiments" in the face of loyal people, and
states that he represented wounded soldier
as zone of the damned cripples." In word
1t describes Mr.. Charles as a tough case of
northern ''secesh.''
Elias NJ. Turner, formerly keeper of the
| Southbridge Hotel, was the first witness for
the prosecution. He testified that he had
known defendant two years went with Tru-
man Charles and Dwight p. Johnson to the
printing office of the journal, where Charles
was introduced by Turner to Mr. Gray;
Charles asked Gray by what authority he pub
llshed the article complained Of Gray said
he was himself responsible for it; it was pub
lished by his own authority.
Dwight z. johnson, clerk in Mr.. Charles
store in Fiskdale, made substantially the same
statement as to the interview with GRAY On
being cross-eXamined by Mr.. Hoar, for the
defence, Johnson said he had heard that
Charles voted for $50 bounty to volunteers.
He had heard Charles say the war was a bad
war, ruinous war, but he had not paid much
attention to conversation there.
Ore Parker, keeper of the hotel at Fisk
dale, was a subscriber to the Southbridge
journal; received it through the mail, and
kept it in his public room. Showed to Charles
the copy Of it containing the article referred
to. His memory, as well as that of the last
witness, appeared to be rather uncertain as to
what he had heard; but he testified to being
in Charless store on one occasion after pota-
toes, and when he hadtaken them up to carry
away, Charles commenced talking with him
about the war, calling the soldiers a mean,
scaly set OF fellows, horse jockies, &c; Par
ker told him if he wanted to discuss the mat
ter he would put down his load and talk with
him.
District attorney Aldrich then made some
explanatory statements to the Jury, reading
again the article in the Southbridge journal
OF Jan. 3, and also another article from the
issue of Jan. %, describing the interview in
Mr.. Gray's office.
1Iulllii CldIlGs himself, was the next wit
ness. He said he was the person spoken of
| in the article referred to. Did not know
Gray personally till introduced to him by Tur-
ner; did not remember distinctly what he had
said In various conversations and discussions
alleged to have taken place with others on the
subject OF the war, the soldiers, &c. He could
not recollect any thing in particular; he
might have said something, but could not
not recollect what, but at any rate nothing
like what was attributed to him. On being
cross examined by Mr.. Hoar witness stated
| in answer to the question as to what he had
done to aid the government, that he had paid
his tax, he supposed, but that he could not
tell what else he had done could not recollect
any thing he had said about the government;
never said in speaking of the soldiers, that he
she hoped every damned one of them would
be shot" Don't recollect ever using the ex.
preston, "damned Niger" or any thing like
it, 1t was no customary phrase Of his; don't
recollect ever saying it was an abolitionist
war; never used the words ''none but rob-
bers, thieves, murderers, &C., had gone to the
war said no such word to Avery (the wound
e eq soldier), or anybody else, as "damned."
MANY other expressions of Il like nature,
ABOUT winch witness was questioned, he de-
MED ever having used.
mere the testimony for the government was