Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-10-05
THE TRIAL OF h. n. DODD.
Ninth Days Proceeding s.


TUEsDAI, October 4, 1864.
The Commission met pursuant to adjourn
ment. at II O'Clock a NJ.
The Judge Advocate. Msior Burnett, read
communication from Col. Stevens. stating his
inability to be present on account of sickness
The Judge Advocate also read telegram just
received from Col SpOonsr, stating his inability
to be present for like cause.
By consent Of defendant the proceedings of
the court continued in the absence Of these Off
GERS
The defendant. by his counsel, asked the pri
yilege Of calling attention 10 several errors ia
the report Of testimony hitherto rendered aud
published as " official . in the Indianapolis
Journal.
The reports put forth in that paper were repre-
scented 70 the public TO be not only verbatim and
truthful, but "a defendants counsel repeated
Official" IL therefore would not be supposed
that the publishers, editors and printers of that
sheet would, for the purpose of prejudicing de-
PENDANTS cause, garble and misrepresent the
thoritative reports, furnished by the accomplished
and authorized reporters Of this court. But such
had been the fact. Either the editor or the pub
Usher or the printer had perverted the testimony,
in the important instances indicated. for purposes
best known 20 the individual or individuals who
did it. The defendant therefore asked, before
the testimony in question passed under review,
ti1t Tue utcts-trl COfTeCtlOus De
The Judge Advocate replied, stating that.
where reports purpOrting to be truthful were fur
nshed the newspapers. they should. without
alteration, he given The defendants counsel
bad not brought any charge against the gentle
men who keep the record Of testimony in this
court The fact of changing the report of the
testimony belonged entirely. as he supposed, 10
the newspaper men Of the Journal. if it had been
done. This court was open. The public were
invited. The trial should be fair. impartial. and
before the world Reporters, "a we'll as others,
were entitled TO come in But nothing designa-
ted as official, and published in newspapers as
coming from the record of the court, should toe
mutilated. The defendant, as to his rights
should not be prejudiced in this court. or By any
seeming publication, as Official by this court
or anyone connected herewith The Judge Ad-
vOcate concluded by ordering the word ''official"
tab ell from the caption of the reports Of the trial
in the Indianapolis Journal, aud by submitting
the question to the court for further action.
Gen. Colgrove. the presiding officer. expressed
his surprise that the testimony had been allowed
TO be published at all In military matters, as
he VI derstood IT, such things were unusual. He
knew that in Ftz John POrter's case and in two
or three other cases of national moment, publ
cation had been permitted. He thought it was
inudcious, but since il had been done, and We
bad precedent for il. we must insist thaS that
publication be made impartialiy. AS it appeared
that the gentlemen who had furnished the re
port TO the newspaper in question were in no way
responsible for the garbling thereof. il did not
seem bat any action required by the court
in the premises. This court. when it became
necessary in It's judgment for the ends Of justice
had the power TO clear the room, not only of re
pOrters, but of citizens This power it had not
yet become requisite to exercise and he hoped
the trial would proceed without the exertion
of IT,
The business of the court was then taken up,
which was the reading of the record, chiefly for
the purpose Of enabling the principal prosecuting
witness. Felix G Stiger, TO verify by any neces
sary correction in his testimony
Before concluding the record the court ad-
journed at half past until half past p. NJ.
AFTERNOON
The court met. The reading of the record
was concluded-all the finished testimony hav-
ing been gone over; whereupon adjourn
ment took place until to morrow at 10 O'Clock
A NJ