Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-07
THE TRIAL OF WIRz.

At the opening OF the court Tor the tr'at
of Wirz, on Wednesday, 1t was stated that
the defendant had been handcuilcd every
night since his incarceration. General
Thomas, member of the court, and maker
of the statement, held that the handcutiinS
was unnecessarily severe, since the pra-
Qner requires the use Of his hands to at
tend to any business that might be ncccs-
sary in the course Of his defence. Judge
Advocate Chipman said the handcuiiin9
was merely precautionary, and rcsorted TO
at the instance of the counsel, who feared
that Wirz would commit suicide, hc having
said almost as much when they (Mcssrs.
Schadc and Baker, retired from the case,
on Monday last "If the counsel desert
me, and do not return, will never again
come into the presence OF the court = Al
though the prisoner had often adopted
handouts to punish many OF those under
his ban, the court had no desire to retail
late, and undoubtedly, Colonel Colby, the
keeper, would cease the in!ilcton. Alr. Ba
ker attributed his suGgcs ton to manacicS
to the excitement Of the moment and
hoped their use would be dispensed with.
The evidence taken was partly favorable
and partly uufavorablc to the witness
I6eut.-Col Parsons, formerly Of the 55th
Georgia regiment, regiment, by tie way
composed Of men who had Il secret respect
for the Union, according to sthe testimony
of A. j. Spring, v no had been prisoner at
Andersonvilc, said that the smaIncss and
msullicienCv Of accommodation 81 the prs
ouers were not faults OF NrZ, but Oi those
who laid it out and Of the Confederate gov
ernmcnt generally ly--its high officers He
commanded the prison II. lis earliest ami
best days hot very good, wc thnh, even
ut the best-aud at one time tried to abatc
the thronging nuisauces Of stencil and lt,gn,
but was prevented by General Howell
/ Cobb. The legal proceedings necessary
/ for such abatement We're charac arIZed by
/ the General as unoilicerIike General
/ Wnder. it was testified, had Supreme coa-
troll over the prison. The dead line
came to be an institution after Captain
/ WIZ assumed command Of the post, but
/ this line, the Colonel held, in principle, diff
cred nothing from the imaginary sentinel
! line" or beat Two Witnesses were exam
/ incd concerning the supplies Of food and
medicine one, resident near Macon, said
/ that the crops were always good IL the
section Of country in which the stOckade
/ was situated another, 4. ). spring, Il
! Union prisoner, thought there was plenty
of green cOrn peaches, etc, III tie country
and he had seen a storehouse three or IOul
/ hundred feet long filled with supplies. two
/ thirds Of which seemed to be corn meal
When any Of the prisoners did get fooC
/ from outside the stockade it was takeI
away from them and given to Wiz. The
same witness saw a man shot by guards
for rolling under the dead line" while
asleep, but had never seen WiZ shoot any
. body, although he was very abusive some
times, and made Il great many threats
Sergeant Corbct, the eXccutioner OF Booth
stigmatised WirZ as Il most atrocious man
hc knew none more so but could no
question that discipline in the stockadt
ought to have been strict on account o
raiders and malcontents among the pris
oncrs themselves. Dr. Couklm, q COnicder
ate surgeon, admitted the filth, misery, an,
deaths, but did not know that " irz was t,
blame, although he saw the defcndau
strike a man who had, from sheer Inability
once fallen out ot the ranks, and Oh an
other occasion, set dogs on man who Ina,
tried to escape and allowed them to bit,
him This testimony closed the session %
the court, which then adjourned until Fri
day morning