Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-05-30
Third EDITION.
O'CLOCK p. n
THE CONSPIRACY TRIALS.
Proceedings This Evening.
A REBEL GENERAL IN COURT.
6 O'CLOCK p. n.

At TWO o'clock the Commission rsassemb lsd,
the court room damned In every portion. some
OF the spectators even taking position inside Of
the court railing.
TESTIMONY OF JACOB RITTRRsPAUaH.
Cor the Government.)
Witness was employed in Ford's Theater
when the President was shot When witness
heard the pistol shot he heard some one say
the stage. Witness was standing in the center
OF the stage, behind the scenes; saw q man
with hat of run back, and made for him, when
the man struck at him with knife, and he 1.-THE
mani opened the door and ran out. Witness
went to the door; found it hard to get 1t open,
and after he got it open went out, and the man
was on his horse. When witness returned
Spangier struck him and said to witness, "For
Gods sake don't say which way he went"
Witness is scene shitter.
BY Mr.. Ewing .-Spangler was with witness
witness being the nearest one to the door; and
when he came in witness found Spangler In
the same place. Witness told this to q detec.
tive, as also to MIR. Clifford, but DOS not re.
member to have told il to any other parry,
although he may have said something about it
at the table. Witness was the first to reach
the door after he saw Booth open the door,
make his exit and smut it after him. Witness
saw large, heavy man on the stage, who said,
(Which way :" when witness showed him the
door. When witness returned Spangler ap-
peared to be scared. Witness heard people
singing out to " hang and shoot him." Spang.
Ter, W hen the shot was Aired, was in his proper
place. Witness was the next person who got
to the door after Booth went out, and witness
is certain he left the door open.
TESTIMONY OF DR.. r. s. WALSH
(For the FUSED
Witness resides on 9Th street east, and has
known the prisoner (Heroldl since he was 3
child has known him since October, 1868; Her.
old was in the employ Of witness from Octo.
Der, 1863 was temperate in his habits and regu.
lar In his hours; witness thought him more Of
boy than man, easilv pers ueded by any one.
He was more than usually with young men OF
his age, boyish in every respect.
by Judge Holi:-Witness thinks Herold is
about ~ years OF age.
TESTIMONY OF JAMES NeKEs
(For the accused.j
Witness has known Herold from his birth,
and has seen great deal OF him; he is the
ways looked upon him rs light and trifiing
boy; easily influenced, more 50 than young
men OF his age usually are.
TESTIMONY OF MIR. KEIuOLTz.
(For the Accused1
Witness has lived next door to Mrs. Herold
ter nearly 10 years, and knows the prisoner
well. Witness saw him frequently in Feb.
ruary last; did not miss seeing him more than
three, four or Ave days Witness thinks Her.
old is q boy in character, trivial, easily in.
tiuenced and more Of boy than man.
TESTIMONY or MISS EMMA HRRoLo.
(Eor the Accused.)
Witness is the sister OF Herold, and recollects
that he was At home on the 18th of February,
because she sent him valentine, which he re
was at home on the 18th and also between
those two days.
tHerold exhibited some feeling while his sis
ter was on the witness stand, and his eyes
were observed to fill with tears.
The rebel General Edward johnson was
here called to the stand by the defennse
was we'll known that the person introduced
On the stand edward Johnson) was educated
at the United States Military Academy. 1t
was a we'll known condition precedent to an
4
take the oath OF allegiance. In 1861 it was his
duty to fire on the party OF which this man
was member. This party struck down and
killed loyal men in the service of the Govern
ment. 1t was notorious that he had openly
borne arms against this Government. He I'M
cerstood that he was brought here as wit
ness and he comes with his hands red with the
blood OF his loyal countrymen. He would sub.
nit II, this man did not stand as an incempe.
tent witness, as he was man who had Sio-
lated his oath. To offer him as 8 witness was
an insult to the Court and he moved that he
be elected.
Gen. Ekln said he was glad this motion had
been made. He regarded the introduction OF
snch man here as witness as the height Of
mpertinence.
Mr.. Aiken said that the defense had not un-
ders TODD tina. the fact that q person had borne
arms in the Confederate service rendered him
incompetent as @ witness. Onesuch witness
the Confederate officer Jett-had already ap-
peared here as witness for Government. No
disrespect, therefore, to the Court could be in
tended by them in introducing this witness.
Judge Holt said that the rule OF law was
this: that before witness is rendered so Infa-
nous as to be absolutely incompetent to testify
he must have been convicted before court OF
justice. But short OF conviction, all they
could do, however unworthy such an one
might be, was to discredit him as a witness.
General Wallace said that he hoped, for the
sake of the character OF the investigation, and
not for the sake of the witness. that General
Howe would withdraw his motion.
General Howe SAID that, after hearing the
opinion Of the Judge Advocate General, he
would withdraw his motion.
TESTIMONY OF REBEL GENERAL EDWARD
JOHNSON.
For the Accused.)
Witness is a prisoner OF war, captured at
Nashville on the 18th of December, and was
BrIgadier General in the Confederate States
quaih ted with q man who represented himself
as Henry Ven Stlneke. He was not an officer
but was private in the Stonewall Brigade,
and as witness supposes, in the Second
Virginia infantry. About May, 1863, a
man accos.ed him as Major johnson by
which name witness had been known in the
ton in the engineer corps, stating that he was
an educated engineer. Witness declined to
give him position. About week after witness
arrived at fredericksburs the man referred to
gestion he enlisted in the I'd Virginia Infantry,
and was detailed as private to assist Captain
Oscar Herricks OF witnesses staff.
Mr.. Aiken asked s'was he the subject OF court
martial at any time!"
Judge Advocate Bingham objected and the
objection was sustained.
Court House soon after the battle Of 0ettys-
burg: never heard Of a secret meeting, or any
thing said about assassinating the President.
Never heard such thing spoken OF as to be
desired Witness never saw j. Wilkes Booth
Or heard OF him until the assassination; never
saw Booth In his camp.
BY Mr.. Aiken Have you ever heard OF
Lieut.. Cockerilt losing horse
Assistant Judge Advocate Bingham object.