Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-06-13
SECOND EDITION.
4 O'CLOCK r. II.
THE CONSPIRACY TRIALS.
Proceedings This Morning.
THE CASE OF PAYNE.
THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER.

The Court met at IL O'Clock this morning.
The crowd of spectators Is very large, as the
impression prevails that the trial will very
soon close, and that the opportunity to visit
the Court room and see the prisoners will not
be much longer available. A fresh impetus
to the interest felt by the lady spectators In
the prisoner Payne Is given this morning by
the appearance in New York paper OF
sensation article. broaching the theory that
Payne is an iilegitimase son OF !ea DAVIS!
Davis, when q young u. =. officer, was sent to
command the garrison at Fort Smelling, where
he seduced the daughter OF q fronGersman;
risen to be q United States Senator, his
victim came to w as hington with her child, ga
fine hearty boy, and presented him to JEFF. as
his SON. that JET refused to acknowledge pa
ternity in the case, but afterwards secretly
conveyed to the mother and child scanty
stipend; that on the outbreak Of the rebellion
this son entered the rebel service, ana is now
the prisoner at the bar known as Lewis Payne.
The fac. that JEFF. Davis and Payne are alike
of constipated habits is brought forward by
the writer as ,corroborative testimony; but the
writer, with great candor, admits that "the
circumstance is not worth much as evidence"
The Court Will doubtless be Of the same opin-
ion. and the romantic story will probably soon
be displaced by some other quite as tancitul:
Upon the conclusion OF the reading OF the
Mr. Cox called the attention OF the Court 10
the following item in the Star Of yesterday,
copied from Maryland paper:
GA MYSTERIOUS LETTRR.-On the 9TH inst.
two men, named French and McAleer, OF
South Branch, Va, were arrested by Major
Movers and brought to this city and lodged
in the guard.house, on the charge Of writing
q mysterious letter addressed to ]. Wilkes
Booth, and which was submitted in evidence
before the assassination court at washington
1t turns out now that the letter was fraud.
perpetrated by person named Purdy, VINO
is said to be Government detective, and
who, entertaining a bitter hatred toward the
parties arrested, availed himself OF this mode
to wreak revenge. French and mcAleer have
been released, and Purdy has since been ar.
rested and placed in close confinement, on the
charge of committing the alleged fraud
Cumberland Md.l Unton."
MT. Cox said il the letter was a fraud the de.
fence ought to have the benefit OF it. He mad
not been able to find the letter in question
to 81. ". b." at the National Hotel.
Judge Bingham thought the matter should
not 60 on record. If the parties want Purdy,
let him be brought here, but he objected to in.
PRODUCING newspaper paragraphs for which
nobody is responsible. The letter referred to
as fraud bears evidence upon the face OF 1t Of
murder Of the President. Though it never
reached the person to whom it was addressed,
the writer was none the less guilty.
Judge Holt said the matter was now under
going In yestigation and there would Gel tainly
be no concealment made OF the result.
Mr.. Ewing argued against the claim to cred.
ibllity Of any Of these picked up letters
Mr. Aiken said that the editor of the Star was
we'll known as a careful and truthful editor,
who would not admit such paragraph I'M
less there was some foundation for 1t.
Mr.. Olampitt said he endorsed what Mr.
Aiken had said.
Lest Or aise from such an unexpected quar-.
ter as the Messrs. Aiken aud Clampitt should
be as damaging to the Star as the legal advo-
cacy OF these gentlemen has been to their un t.
fortunate client. it may be proper to say here
that the uncomphmentary notices OF Messrs.
a. and c. the Star has had occasion to give
imam n connection with their notorious copper
head career. renucI ~ qu.s- --s..-alv that their
flattering illusions as above to the Star and lts
The Court here took q recess until p. m, in
order to give opportunity for the medical COM
mission in the case of Payne to report.