Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-03
THE CONSPIRACY TRIAL.
On Tuesday, the following testimony was


wears have been engaged as Superinten'
dent of the Southern Express Company fol
the State of North Csrolina. .. State
whether or not you saw Jefferson Davis re.
Gently at Charlotte, North Carolina, and IN.
der what circumstances A. he stopped al
nv house on the 18th of April last he made
an address to the people on that occasion or
the Steps OF my house. 2. State whether oil
not in the course Of that address, or toward
The close Of it, a telegram was received by
b m announcing the assassination Of the Pr
ident ofthe United StatesY A. 1t was
from JohR C.. BreckinIid ge. 9. Did he oil
did be not read that telegram to the crowd
A. he did. Q. Look at thAt-exhibiting tC
witness a telegram-and see whether il is tbs
same despatch A. should say that it was
The despatch was then read as follows:
GREENSBORO, April 10.
His ErcellsRcy, President DariS:
President Lincoln was assassinated in the
theatre in Washington on the night of the
l4th instant. Stewards house was entered
on the same night, and he was repeatedly
stabbed, aud is probably mOrtally wounded
tSignedl JOHN c. BRECHNRIDGE.
o. State what j. tfersOn Davis said after
reading this despatch to the crowd; en-
deavor to recollect his precise language. A
Upon the conclusion OF his speech TO the
people he read this despatch aloud, and made
this remark: alt II were to be done il were
better that il were well DONE" 2. You are
sure these are the words A. These are the
words. .. State whether or not in day OF
two afterwards Jefferson Davis, John G.
Breckenridge and others were present in
your house at Charlotte. A. They were;
and the assassination of the President was
the subject of their conversation. Q. Can
YOU remember what John G. Breckenridge
said A. In speaking of the assassination
OF Presiden, Lincoln he remarked TO Davis
that he regretted il very much; that it was
unfortunate for the people of the South al
that timc;" Davis replied "WeH, General,
/ don't knOic; If 10 loere TO be done at all, Il
,cers better Il icers cell done, md If the same
,Sere done 10 Andy Johnson, the Beast aud Sec
rstary Stanton, the JOB loOul then be complete"
O, You feel confident that you recoliect his
Wordsl A. Those are the words used. Q.
State whether or not the regret which John
G. Breckenridge expressed at the assassina.
tion was because OF its crimlnality, or simp Y
because it was unfortunate for the people OF
the South at that timer A. drew that con-
clusion. Was there any remark made
as 10 the criminallty of the actg A. No,
sir be simply remarked that he regretted il
as being unfortunate for the South. Q. Oi
what State are you native! A. Of Aassa-
chusetts.
EXAMINATION OF }. c. COURTNEY.
Resides at Charlotte, N. c.; engaged in
the telegraph business in connection with the
Southern Express Company. 2. Look at tue
telegraph despatch, of which Mr.. Bates has
lust spoken, and state whether or not il
passed over the wires at the date indicated
A. Yes, sir; that is true copy Of the mes
sage telegraphed on the 10th of April last to
Jefferson Davis. 2. From what point A.
From Greensboro, signed by John G. Brock
inridge. 2. This despatch was sent from
the office TO Jefferson Davis at Charlotte p
A, When this message was received he was
en- route to Charlotte it was delivered to
him az Mr.. Bates house in Charlotte
An employee of Ford's theatre, named
Jacob Ritterspack, testified to Spangler hay
ing assisted the escape OF Booth Immediately
AFTER the assassination, and in the midst OF
the excitement exclaimed, "For Gods sake
don't say which way he went" This witness
also stated that Harold was of an amiable
but light and trihing character, and easily
influenced. Other witnesses testified TO the
same effect in regard to Harold. Harold's
sister was one of the witnesses.
On the proposition Of the counsel for the
defence to produce General Edward johnson
for the purpose OF invalidating the state
meuts of the witness Won Steinaker regard
ing a meeting of rebel officers, at which
plans for the assassination Ct Mr.. Lincoln
were discussed, aud at which Booth was
said TO be present, considerable discus
sion took place. Some members OF the court
considered the production Us witness Of
johnson as an insult 10 the court, he having
been educated by the people of the United
States at the Military Academy, and then
made use Of the requirements and accom-
plishments which they had freely bestowed
upon him in the traitorous effort to over
throw their government. Finally, however,
the objections were withdrawn, and Johnston
was allowed to testify. The substance of his
evidence was that he knew nothing of such
a meeting as that alluded TO by Won Steina-
ker, and never saw Booth IN the rebel
camps.
Major IL. IL. Douglass and Captain Oscar
Heinrichs, two other Confederate officers,
testified to the same effect as General
J ohnston.
A large number of witnesses were pro.
duced by the defence, with the design OF en-
deavoring TO impair the testimony of the
against DR.. MHdd and Mrs.
Surratt.