Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-05-05

There have been so many false rumors Rs
to the facts proved thus far In the pending
trial Of BBSJANiS @. HARRIs, Congressman
from Maryland, that We have deemed Il
proper to present TO our readers the follow.
ing statement Of the testimony Of the two
witnesses examined on the FIRST day Of
the trial. II has been stated that there was
in proof that HAMS, on hearing Of the Rs.
sassination Of President LINCOLN, threw up
his hat and cried, Thank God This is the
hnppiest day Of my iire." Such proof was
not offered, though It Is said HARRrs did
make the remark attributed TO him, and It Is
not improbable that 1t will yet be given in
evidence by the Judge Advocate, as showing
the animus Of the accused.
II should FIRST he stated that tho two wit q.
nesses whose testimony is given below, are
paroled rebel prisoners, who had been or.
derod to report to Major Waite, in command
at Leonhrdtown, one mile and half from the
residence Of HARRis; that these rebel soldiers
had, while passing the aecpsed's residence In
the morning, stopped and had some conysr.
sation with the Inter, and then went Ia
LeonRrdtOwn, and obtaining pass to 70 "a
the residence Of q Mr.. CLARE, three miles
distant started for the latter place, the road
to which passed HARRls' residence that feel.
ing tired when they got to defendants place,
they nsked permission to stay all night
What followed will appear from the sub
Joined statement Of testimony:
Sergeant Chapman, lI sergeant In the sd Va.
! regiment, being duly sworn, says On the 2Btl
NJ April | left Ma or waitc at tho hotel at
fL"onarhtown weht to Harris aud asked leave
To stay he said be would rathoF give us money
that the Yankees had their eyes on him; that he
was member Of Congress that tho Yankee
had taken all he had he gave me money to 20
to hotel he gave US VI each; Read was with
| ME said4 was going home, aud was going TO
take the oath Of allegiance; he said l could 40
home without tAklRg It; that Paroled prisoners
ought TO 20 home any way, and II General urant
did not allow themto do 10 he was q damned
! rascal tho young man with me spoke of TIM
death Of Lincoln.
Harris said II lOds TOO late 10 kHI him noto. !
said wished JEFF. Davis was In the same case
| with him. Harris said no: Jsf Darts Il u Drsdt
man, and a 0sntlsMan ~ every respect, aud that
| he (lIarris) had always been In favor Of the
South that he thought the cause VI the south
was Just. lie told me not 10 take tho oath-to be
| M,
By "thom" Isuppose he meant the Federal Gov Z.
ernmenL did not ask for tho money Read ala
not ask for u; he gave Il to US Voluntarily. lie
spoke OF several pAroled rebels in LeUnardtown,
who he would bet high would nottake the oath ;
one was Lieut.. Wilson. Saw accused hrst In
the morning; he was In the field with his hands
Tho defendant, on eros. s.cxamination, asked the
witness what he (llarrisD said 10 him about the
I oath Of RllegiAnceY The witness replied! You
advised me not TO take the oath Of allegiance, but
to go back and aghr them again"
WIN. Read, private n S2d Va regiment, Con
federAte army, being duly sworn, says: He was
ut LeonRrdtown and nj the dofendAnt'a 3 residence
on the 26th Of April First saw the accused In
the morning on the lawn In front Of house No
one was present but Harris, Sergeant Chapman,
aud myself We came to Lconardtown And re-
ported 70 Major Waite. lie said we could take
the oath Of allegiance. ! told him | wanted to
take u. Stayed there all the afternoon waiting
for him. He gave me n pass to go to Mr.. CLARK =
On our way We estoppcd at defeudAht'S aud asked
to stay there all night Defendant said the YAM
KEGS had a hold on hi Pd were watching him
aud he didn 7 wantIJN.lS into any trouble, lie
said We could 90 back add stay al hotel or 20 on
u wo wanted To. We told him we belonged TO the
Confederate army, aud We were going TO take the
oath Of Allegiance, lie said they eOuldnr com,
poi ms TO take 1t told US to 20 home on our pa.
again
lie said he had been In favor Of the Southern
COniedcracy, and no believed it, cause was lust
In the morning he said he WAS a member Of Con
gress. Harris said u Grant dldn let us go home
ne was q damned rascal ! told him that had
seen In the papers that those who had left loyal
State could not 20 back therc again. No ono was
present but Sergeant Chapman. We stayed thai
night one and n half miles from there, aud paid
for our lodging With the money he gave us II
was Federal money. He said he was always In
favor Of the southern Confedcraey, aud believed
their cause was just. w@ paid nfty cents foI
our lodging, aud paid twenty-five cents each foI
breakfast We had stopped nj Clark : the night
HArris's house