The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-08-29
The wirz Trlal-Fif1h Day.

Mr. Thos. G. Allcock, who was q prisoner
at Andersonville, testified as to Wirz search.
ing and taking away from him $50 in gold
and $3.50 in greenbacks, and breastpin and
ring, which he never returned. He saw Wirz
kill man by shooting him with revolver.
merely because he asked to take little fresh
air.
The witness, for demonstrating against the
act of cruelty, was fastened with ball and
chain, but got loose and made his escape.
Sergt. Corbett gave his account of the An
dersonville prison, representing it to be de-
pository of filth. The men were lying around
the swamp there in the most horrible condi-
ton, and one man died, he believed, from
the effects OF lice, maggots and Heas, gather
ed in his sores. The food was insufficient
even when the prisoners had double rations.
| The witness tested as TO his own experience
of being chased by blood hounds.
Two brothers. named Brown, having been
examined testified to instances of cruely by
Capt. Wirz.
| The counsel for the prisoner taking some
offense at some remark made BY the court,
abandoned the case and retired
| The cross examination of Robt B. kel.
| logg was resumed by Mr.. Baker The wit
| ness stated he entered the United States ser
| vice on the 11th day Of March, 1862, and was
| discharged on the lst Of June, 1865
Q-here You at any other prison than An
| dersonville?
Al was at Charleston and Florence.
Q-Was the treatment at these places ma
| terially different from that at Andersonville ?
Judge Advocate Chipman objected
Mr.. Baker thought my question little
out of the waJ, but that no objection would
be made.
Judge Advocate-This/ /masaer Of cross
| examining viii not tie TOLERATED. * the coun-
eel persists, ] ask for the enforcement of the
rule that he reduee-his Questions to writing.
Mr.. Baker-Ihe iniention of nv question
was to show that the treatment OF prisoners
was equally good as that al other prisons.
Judge Adsocatc-That is part Of your de-
fense. but not proper in cross examination
Mr. Baker-Ihe Indictment charges Capt
WIZ with acting contrary To the laws and
usages of war; ibis is the gist of the whole
thing. No matter how destitute the prisoners
were or how they suffered. if We show nothing
was done contrary to the laws and usages Of
war, then this man cannot be punished, as
We think
Judge Addocate-Thc question is improp-
er- There Is no evidence as 10 treatment in
other prisons.
The court sustained the objection.
The cross-eAamiLation was continued dn-
ring which witness said unless men sent out
TO cut wood were strictly guarded they would
escape and would have been fools If they had
not attempted to make their escape. prop
or guard Tor a squad of ~ men. would be an
armed corporal and six men He did not
not know of bis osh knowledge that Captain
Wirz prevented men from gong out to cut
wood. He knew that men dug one well with
whatever they could get, such as half can
teens, tan plates and spoons. He never saw
Capt. Wirz order take away. from the
prisoners ANYTHING which contributed TO their
health and comfort. He thought police reg
uiatious might have been better. Tn one oe-
caSion Capt. Wirz did him kindness. He
had beer III the woods and had iefi his knife
there and Capt. Wirz was the means of his
recovering it. He did himself know from his
own observation of any inhuInan order or
wiillu act by Wirz
Tomas {. Allcock testified to numerous
small robbenes By Wirz, and continued as
follows:
On one occasion weak man asked Captain
Wlrz 10 let him go ou, for some fresh air
Wirz asked him what he meant, and turned
round, pulled n revolver out OF his pocket and
shot him down the man died in two or three
hours afterwards Witness spoke in sondem-
nation of tins act to Wirz, who said he would
put him III the same place. Witness replied
he was not afraid of it. Wirz then called u
corporal and two guards. who pat upon him
ball and chain; he gradually. by working al
the ball ami chain, freed himself of the
weight. and then made his>escape The man
that was shot was named Wright and belonged
10 the sth Missouri, The prisoners would
sometimes ret water from the stream or brook
by attaching vessels to the end Of n pole
while doing 50 they were often fired at.
Cross-exainined By Mr.. Baker
Where did you get the hundred and fifty
dollars in gold?
captured it at Jackson, Miss.
Mr.. Baker-And Captain Wirz captured it
from you. Had not he right to do so?
Witness-No. Laughter
Mr.. Baker-That is your opinion.
Witness IVES y native and lived in Ohio,
when he joined a regiment from that State
The man TO whom he had referred as having
been killed by Capt. Wirz, went mp previously
to Wirz. saluted the captain in the usual way,
and asked that he might go out of the crowd
TO get some fresh air. Capt. W. asked abb
ruptly what he wanted. The man replied.
when WIrz said, in the Dutch language. .iLook
out. The man was only few PAGES dis
tant. face to face, when Wirz drew his pistol
and shot the man, who died soon after from
the effects of the wound.
Witness remained at the prison two months
after the man was shot.
Sergeant Boston Corbett testified that he
was in the [. S. service and was captured at
Centreyille, Va, aud conveyed to Anderson
vile, where he arrived in July Before his
companions entered the stockade, having re-
manned some time, they were divided into de-
tachments. He was exceedingly thirsty, and
asked q man near Cant. Wirz for drink of
water.
Another man was sick in the stockade and
asked the lieutenant of the guard whether he
could not be sent to the hospital. The officer
informed him that nothing could be done till
o-morrow and that he must go into the stock
ade. He found nine men Of his company
who had been brought there three months
previons. Within two month six of those
men died OF fourteen men who were taken
to Andersonville when he was, only two re-
turned alive. He was one of them. When
ne reached there he saw the fort and gums.
He noticed several men near the headquarters
in chains with balls, exposed to the rays of
the sun. He bore the marks of the sun by
the exposure of his shoulders He had seen
the stocks but did not remember seeing any
persons in them. The dead hne was q slight
wooden structure, three or four feet high, |
running twelve or fifteen from the stockade. |
The place where the stream entered the
stoekade was broken down, and he had seen
men shot and killed The prison was in
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