The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-10-05
The Wirx Trial.
WAsHIsorox, Oct. 4.

At the Wirz trial this morning, A. Nous.
ner, prisoner, testified that rations were
stopped from the prisoners whenever . man
was missing until he was accountedfor. Boxes
sent by the Sanitary Commission and friends
of the prisoners arrived several times, but
their contents were never distributed inside
the stockade. One lot contained clothing,
and Wirz gave about one hundred and 6fty
paroled men suit except shoes. There were
only about fifty pair Of shoes, and these he
gave to those most needing them. The other
things were turned over to the hospital when
Wirz had nothing to do with them. Wirz
furnished tools for the prisoners to dig wells.
There we're about forty or fifty boys in the
take them into the hospital. He said if he
tWirz) had his way he would send them into
the Union lines, as they would only get sick
and die. He finally sent them to pick black
berries for the sick. Witness learned, how
ever, the nurses made pies of the berries, and
the sick got none. DR.. White ordered vacci-
nation, and Wirz said to Q man who refused
to be vaccinated, that he did not care if he
died, rs the order was not given by himself
The chain gang was formed under Winder's s
orders. When plot to escape Was discover
ed, Wirz said he would abstain from shooting
as long as he could Wirz was sick in July
and August, and Lieut.. Davis was in COM
mand. In September Wirz came back very
sick.
Witness was sick with dysentery, and asked
the Doctor for some medicine. The DIR. said
he had been sick with the same disease him
self, but had no medicine. He however told
witness to 90 and get blackberries. Witness
dis 30.
A witness testified that after he had been
L L.
rolled and sent TO Capt. Wirz Office as clerk.
He had to carry orders to the stockade and
morning reports to Gen. Winder's headqnar
tiers. The requisitions we're made every day.
They state the number of prisoners inside
and those on duty outside the stockade. The
quantity of rations was left blank. The COM
missary would see how many men were pres
ent. and he would then know what number of
rations he had to furnish every morning. A
list was made out of the number of rations
each night he had to get from the cook. The
witness carried that list to the commissary
and left it, while he did not remember the
number of rations for the entire camp. They
were sometimes stopped in q squad when q
man was reported missing. As soon as the
Federal sergeant could answer for the man
the rations we're returned. If he reported
him escaped or sick the rations were re-
moved
Cross-examined by the Judge Advocate
Witness came from Germany in 1862, he
gave the particulars of his entering the ser
vice. He applied to Wirz for clerical duty
stating that he was acquainted with four Ian
guages. Wirz had the power to both issue
and stop the rations of the prisoners, and he
exercised it. Wirz never signed or approved
the requisition for the hospital, as he did not
exercise control over the rAtions for them.
Judge Advocate Chapman here asked the
witness questions in relation to Gen. Winder' s
order about the chain gang.
Witness felt like speaking about some other
matters, and had evidently entered into long
story, when Col. Chapman requested him to
confine himself to the question.
Mr.. Baker wanted his witness to be given
nm opportunity 10 explain. Ii the gentleman
did not treat witnesses fairly he would put no
more on the stand.
Maj Gen Geary thought Mr.. Baker ought
to have more sense. He had got tired, Of
course, of the counsel for the defense and
would not stand it any longer. At every turn
the counsel threatened the court Ii was .
little too much and he was disposed to stop
it if nobody else would. II was an outrage
on the court.
Mr.. Baker replied that he had not threat-
ened the court.
The President informed Mr.. Baker that he
had been repeatedly told he must make his
objection to the court not to the Judge Advo-
cafa