New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-09-05
JUDICIAL CELEBRITY.

We have read somewhere Of a tragedy vb,..
required six nights for its complete perorm.,..
For five evenings, "To be Continual 49,
inscribed upon the drop-curtain-unon ~.
sixth, " Concluded was emblazoned mo, -.
drapery. This drama was but feeble tv,. :,
the long-drawn criminal trials in Amerir. =,
which we have lately had several notah.
specimens at Washington. Courts. Martial ana
Military Commissions, which were once sb.,,
and short tribunals, now rival in their re.o,,
blance to wounded snake the English Com.
Of Chancery during the most deliberate dav, =,
Lord Eldon. We fear that it can hardly h.
otherwise while Judges and Government asvo
Gates are paid by the day. We are sure tbma
the Wirz Trial had been undertaken bv CON
tract by one clever, honest Justice, and on.
smart prosecuting officer, that it would lon,
ago have been concluded. Not that the Official,
at present employed are dishonest; but there !,
not sufficient temptation to be otherwise TIA,
dilatory, or to avoid the great national fault o.
over-talking every point which may be raised
1t is fearful thing to consider if takes n
much time to try the Andersonville beast, hon
long will it take to try Jefferson Davis. and
how much money it will cost TO convict thu
most guilty man in the United States Of beiu,
guilty at all.
Boston, city tolerably given to palaver, hu
just set to the country praiseworthy example.
Van Weimar, Northedge, Shaw and Dolu
were soldiers charged with brutally violating
the person Of Elizabeth Bates The offenss
was committed on the 18th Of August. Ihs
offenders were arrested on the same night. 4
special session of the Grand Jury was ordered
and an indictment found. The respondents
were brought to trial on the 23d Of August.
The trial was commenced at 9 O'Clock q. n
On account of the absence of witnesses for The
defense, q recess was taken, and proceedings
resumed at 1925 a. m. The Government
rested its case at 3 o'clock p. M, and the Csuh
took another recess of one hour. The defeuH
was then opened, and fifteen witnesses were e.
amined and cross-examined. The prisoner
counsel then occupied forty-fye minutes u
closing to the jury. The District. Attorney fol-
lowed. At S:45 p. N. Judge Russell began b
charge the jury, and at the close allowed then
a reasonable time for supper. At losSopu
the jury came in with q verdict of guilty.
Judge RUSSELL without adjournment at onN
sentenced all the respondents to Imprisonment
at hard labor for life. The whole case appears
TO have occupied about twelve hours. There
was no indecent hurry, no unfair ruling on the
part of the Government, no unmercful severity
for the prisoners to complain Of; but the lawyn
for the State and the lawyers for the cupru
were kept well to their work, no time wa
wasted, the examinations went on rapidly, The
Judge did not go home to bed after the ia'lgas
of his summing up, but waited for the IuVn
come in; and when these violators OF wonu
went back to their cells, there was no IN
certainty in regard to their fate to keep then
awake. Tried as Wirz is being tried in Wash
ington, this Boston case would have occupied
at least week and perhaps fortnight.
We would not .or one moment advocate rI
style of judicial procedure calculated to bss
hardly upon prisoners at the bar. But it IS csc
that these protracted trials do act very Adversely
to the interests Of justice. The WEAKNESS wha
they provoke gives the culprit an unfair advant
age. The case becomes like tale that 4 too.
The fresh indignation which atrocity exclteda
FILTERED away. The iniquity of the oitens
hidden in the dusty cloud of debates upon minor
points of law and practice which are ralsed n0'
because it is for moment wildly supposed ID"
they can be sustained, but merely for the pQ''
poses of procrastnation. The verdict comes
but tho verdict is Of no consequence. A ll''a
attack is made upon the law. There Is no 'DU'
to the ingenuity of the legal mind in the il''D
ton Of exceptions, and no bride for tne He'
tongue in arguing them over and over asA-
But we need not expatiate upon all the Oe'A"
and the dangers of delay. is value " ="
prisoner is sufficiently well known to DIS '''
yer, who, if he has volubility and shreSuH'-
enough, never fails to profit by it. lhefs ."
reason why law-worh should not be 0OD'
promptly and dccisively as any other "o'A'
the time may come when even suits III eH'H'''
will be decided in less than twenty years
s-----.--
PoIIrIc,L.-The Hon. John b. HasAin