The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-09-29
Personal Appearance Of Wirz.

Honry WIZ IS Swiss by birth, and has an !
unmis,akably foreign air and manner. In |
the early part Of the war be did duty at
k'chmo ond, where he was amply known ss
Iow.bred and vulgar creature, who had no
association with the so.callcd gentloman of
society or Of tho army. Afterwards he won't
TO Europe on sccret service business for tho
Rebel State Department.
What the business was is not definitely
known; but some facts point to the conclu.
sion that it was in connection with ono of
Bebjamn's schemes for raising troops among
tho peasantry OF Poland, Germany and 9th.
or central States of Europe. Alter his re.
turn to this country, WIrz was. for a time.
on detached service in New Orleans. In
the oarly part of 1864, within four months
after the establishment Of the Anderson.
vile prison, he turned up as command an
Of that institulicn-a fit tool for tho hellish
spiri,j OF the Winders who were his imme.
diatoly superior officers.
Wiz ie man apparently about forty.two
in height, and weighing not far from one
hundred and thirty. five pounds. He ia
somewhat round shot ouldered, and mover walks
or stands in an erect posture. 80 that he up.
pears scarcely taller than mon who measure
I
elasticity or springiness in bis stop, but he
shuflies along as II to shun observation, and
he sometimes looks out from unde. the
brm of bis old silk hat as If be feared the
crowd through which he passes to and from
the place OF confinement.
1t gives one pride in his humanity to 500
that oven such wretch a. he can 20 back
and forth Without suffering any insult. He
- L. -. al - =
ways buttoped,a AN old dark vost, and reddish
brown pants Of some ribbed or barred stuff.
Hisshoes are such as arc called here office.
slippers. Siovenl:uess and general untidi.
ness soem natural 10 him, though he is not
specially ropuisivo on that score. His
hands are long, bony aud fcshless.
Hc wears a full whisker aud moustache,
cut to about half an inch in length, and so
trained as TO conceal the contour of his
mouth. Hls hair is Of dark brown color,
His head is long and narrow, high over the
car, wanting in tho upper forehead, notice
ably deficient behind, and full about the out
standing ears. He begins to be bald in
front. His face is thin, angular and flesh-
iess; high and narrow in the forehead, full
over the eyes and hollow in the cheeks, With
uplifted eyebrows, small and sharp nose, aud
koon, brown. foreign eyes. ......
The man attracts in spite Of hiInself.-
Mooting him caroIessIy on the street, one
would set him down as a tinker Of watches
paci.y but of mechanical sk Moreover
can take you into the roon1 of the Coast
Survey, and match you hie air and manner
and somo of bis pecuIiarities Of action
among the engravers employed thore. See.
ing bis peculiar eve stirred by somo feeling.
you would say ho worshppod the violin, aud
was in the orchestra o: theatre, wbero he
played with passionate self absorption.
doubt not he was ambitious of the good
will and fellowship Of tho Winders-father
SOD, and nepbew-who we're his superiori
at tho post. They are of the class called
"Southern gentlemen" Tirz wss poor
wretch who thought /: an honor to associate
with such fellows. They taught him tba
deviIishness would be bis best recommend
alton. He had no scrupies to overcome
he conld be crue! as he could be human
To be man would not pay-to be fiend
of hell would pay literally.
1t would pay in the cognomon good fel-
lows" from such as Windor, in promised
promotion, in tho Advancement in tho es.
teem of the upper classos,. In recognition
even ut Richmond So no chose to make
himself an incarnation Of cruelty, disdaip,
and murder. He had no special love for
the so-calIed Confederacy. There ia moth.
ing about him to show that no loved murder
as some men have. He was simply the
yoady, supple, coarse, consciencelcss tool ol
slavery.-Wdsh,ngton Cor. Chicago TrtL
une.
| 3D.. ~-~~---@