The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-26
RAILROAD CATASTROPHE.
Ten or Twelve Persons KIlIeC
GOLD LAST NIGHT f4S IS.
Associated Press Report.
FROM wAsHINeTON.

q sumed before the W1rz Military Oommis
0 sion this morning. 1t was with rafersnc
to the condition Of prisoners at Anderson
vile. According to his narrative th
scurvy vss next to rottenness, with whicl
3 many men suffered. Many starved t
. death because OF the scarcity and unwhole
, someness Of rations, and in consequence O
gangrene there were frequent amputstion
: and re-amputations of limbs.
! The Commission then took recess till {
Pm.
DIR. A. W. Brown testified to having
been sent as prisoner 70 Andersonville
detailed as surgeon in prison there, but
after being there about six months ESCAPED
De gave an interesting account of how
Union prisoners VINO had attempted
to make their escape were punished, with
stocks. He testified as to the insnhiciency
and unwholesome character of rstions, sb
sence Of medical supplies, and gave q sick
ening account of cruelties to prisoners.
Blood hounds were actually employed to
capture escaping prisoners. Among other
things he said that men were vaccinsted
with impure matter, from the effects of
which great many died. When prisoners
were being removed from Andersonville
one Of the Union prisoners fell back, when
WirE knocked him Gown and jumped on
him.
The Court room was crowded with spec.
tators this morning, including many
women. Capt Wirz was brought st few
minutes to IL o'clock, and the record of
! yesterday having been read st length, the
examination of DR.. John A. Bates was re-
sumed. Speaking of the AndersonviIle
Prison be said, the scurvy the re was ne 1t
to rottennesf, some of the patients could
not eat because there was no mRstication.
Their teeth were loose, and they frequent
ly asked him 10 give them something to
| eat which would not Cause pain. W hfI5
DR.. Stevenson was medical director, be did
not manifest much interest in the relief of
the necessitous, Rstions were less than
tuan&g nnnaA4 IN -kVaPts-f~-1 -s''.sss ES
did not know but what 8 man would starve
to death on it, especially if the food was Oh
the meat was good and sometimes bad, and
in consequence of the scarcity and un-
wholesomeness of rations some of the
men were starved to death. Amputstions
and re-amputstions, owing to gsngrene
wounds, were numerous. There was plen-
ty wood in the neighborhood, which might
have been cut to answer all demands
There was, on one occasion, an alteration
between Dr. james and Captain Wirz. On
going into the hospital DIR. james learned
that his chief clerk had been arrested and
ordered to undergo buck and gag. The
clerk wss bucked and was set outside of
the gate. On enquiring Dr. James found
that the clerk had neglected to report q
man who was missing. DR.. james wrote
letter speaking Of Wirz' tyranny, and the
clerks still continued to be punished.
Assetch in pencil was drawn by one of
the inmates of the prison. This was ex-
hibited to the witness, who said GThere
il DR.. Bates, No. l, examining the quality
OF beef Here is DR.. Bates, No. 2, giving
meat sndsbones to cripples- It was his pre-
rogsIive as officer Of the Day to superinteld
the issuing Of rations. When rations were
to be issued he would sometimes 90 to Il g
place and from twenty to one hundred
would surround him. He was repre-
sented as distributing bones. That was
Of frequent OCCUR ence. The sketch wss
accurate as far IS it went but it was not
filed in. There ought to be 20 or 40 fig
ures in the space where only one appeared.
Men, IS sketched, hobbled along on crutch-
et, others crswled on the ground with tin
cups in their mouths, because they could
carry them in 10 other way. They want
ed to mash up bones to procure their con-
tents for food"
Mr.. Baker remarked that DR.. Bates look
ed much better on the witness stand than
he did in the sketch.
Witness thanked the gentleman for the
compliment.
The Judge Advocate proposed to offer
in evidence q wrong report Of the Surgeon
acting IS officer of the day and asked for
witnesses to be examined.
Mr.. Baker objected, saying that prison.
ers were charged with conspiracy and mur-
der. If defendant had conspired with
other parties, these must be before the
Court. No court could put in evidence in
the absence Of parties and must bear on
persons before the Court. He asked wheth-
er the Court could try persons not before
it. The evidence sought to be introduced
wss not strictly applicable to defendant
There was nothing 70 connect Capt. Wirz
with this wrong report and with the Sur
geon IN charge.
The Judge Advocate supposed thst the
gentleman was perfectly aware that the
parties TO conspiracy coulI be tried
singly; TO save time he would recommend
70 the counsel Russell on crime and dStsrkey
on evidence.
Mr.. Baker replied These authorities
showed thst where coHspirators were to be
tried the court might, on application of
the counsel, elect 10 separate and try the
parties severslly, but in this casethe alleged
cOnspirators have never been before
court to ssk for separation; they we're
not even in custody-Jhey were at large
It was not known that they ever would be
tried in civil court. He conld ask that the
charges be quashed.
The Court decided TO admit the paper,
which was read IS follows:
FIRST DIV. G. s. n. HOSPITAL,
Sept 9Th, 1864.
Sir: As officer of the day for the past
tWenty-four hours, have inspected the
hospital, and find it in IS good condition
ss the nature Of circumstances will allow.
A msjority of hunks are still unsuppied
with bedoIng, while q portion of the divis-
ion tents are entirely destitute of either
bunks or bedding OF straw, the patients
being compelled to lie upon the bare
ground would earnestly call your at
tention to the article OF diet the corn
bread received from the bakery being
made up without sitting, and is wholly
unfit for tha use of the sick, and
often, IS in the last twenty-four
hours upon examination the inner portion
Is found TO be raw-meat, beef, received
by patients, does not amount to over two
ounces per day; and for past three or four
days no -four had been issued. Corn