Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-05-26
rhe Assassination Trial.
Revieio of the Evidence- Comparative
Guilt Of Each Criminal
esoeeral dispatch to the cincinnati Gazette

were last yenIn discharged from Iufth-
err attendance upon the Military Commls-
sion for the trial of the assasslns. These
witnesses were generally summoned to
Drove facts which have already been
br ught out in sufficient prominence, and
as their testimony would only be Gu
INITIATIVE. and therefore consume time IN
necessarily, the Judge-Advoeate has dis
pensed with them.
Tt Is understood that the evidence for
the prosecution is now about closed, and
save what has been drawn out IN secret
| session. we are now enabled to understand
what are the features OF the case as
| proven against the several defendants
First In order of the certainty OF facts
| addueed is that Lewis Paine is shown to
have been the confederate of Booth and
guilty of an assault with intent to kill
! Nm. H. Seward, Frederick w. Seward,
| Augustus Fl. Seward, Enrick W. Hansell
and Geo. T. Robinson. The antecedents
/ of the prisoner are not known, and the
| first heard of him, so far as the proofs go,
/ is his appearance at the residence of Mrs.
Surratt In the early part of March last,
when he stated his name was wood. lie
| called for John III. Surratt, but In the
| absence of the latter asked for Mrs. Sur
raft. He lodged there that night, taking
his meals in his room, and departed the
next day. About the same time he APP
peared to have taken 4 room IN company
with O'Lauehlin, in a boarding house on
ID street. where they were frequently Vlsl-
ted by Booth. Here these prisoners re-
manned for about three week. In the
meantime Paine put up two or three days
at the Surratts', where John ID. Surratt,
Atzerott. Booth and himself had frequent
| consultations. On his second visit, Paine
represented to some of the inmates that
! he was a Baptist preacher. He and Sur
raft were found at one time IN a bedroom
| p~laving with boWie-knlves. In this room
were two revolyers and four sets of spurs
and revoIvers which were found in Alter
otis room at the Kirkwood House. AT
another time, just before the assassina-
/ ton, he is found occupying a room at the
Herndon House, where he Is visited by
Atzerott The proof of his confedera-
ting with Booth and his accOmplices Is
| beyond a doubt. That it was Paine who
made the assault upon Mr.. Seward and
the others injured in the Secretary
house, is as certain as human testimony
can establish any fact. Equally as GER
tain is the evidence that Harold was
| Booths accessory before and after the
fact. He is first found in confidential
relations with the assassins in the early
part of February, and he Is several times
discovered In secret meetings with Booth,
i AIZ6rOIb anu OLueIS OI GnC COHoplA dSg.
| He is once found at Mrs. Surratt s, In
company with them. With Surratt and
Atzerott, he called at the tavern in Sur
rattsville, and the two carbines, ammunl-
ton, &c, were taken away from that
place by him and Booth, on the night OF
the assassination. He acknowledged to
| Confederate soldiers, that he and Booth
were the assassins of the President, and
he is captured In the barn with Booth, as
has been fully detailed heretofore. There
is no doubt. whatever, of his guilt, and
he will suffer the penalty of his crime, as
it will be defined by the Commission.
Atzerott, like the last named prisoner,
Is proven to have been a conspirator; and
makes his first appearance at Mrs. Sur
rats in the early part of February, IN
q|uiring for John II. Surratt, or Mrs. Sur
raft, and is frequently in secret commu-
nication with Booth and confederates--
To him was assigned the murder of Pres
ident Johnson, at tie Kirkwood House,
but Notwithstanding it appears there was
no obstacle in the way of its performance,
he does not seem to have made any effort
to get access to his intended victim, OF
| the evening of the 18th of April.
On the morning of that day he took a
room at the Kirkwood, where Mr.. John
son was putting up, and was seen there at
noon, and about six o'clock IN the even
ing was traced on horseback, but was not
apparently about the house after that
hour. He proved false to his confeder-
ates. No doubt such would but be in
keeping with his character. He was in
active cooperation with them, however,
throughout the night, and fed at daylight
the next morning. Of his guilt there is
not the shadow Of a doubt. Mrs Surratt
/ appears to have been cognizant of the in
tended crime almost from it's inception,
and became an active participant IN the
overt act. She was a general manager
She received and entertained, at her
house, all the criminals except DR.. Mudd,
O'Laughlin and Arnold. With DIR. Mudd
she planned the means and assistance for
the escape of the assassin. She visited
the tavern keeper at five o'clock on the
day of the assassination, to see that the
carbines, &c, should be in readiness, and
informed him they would be called for
that night, Booth frequently called at
her house and held long, confidential
talks with her. He was with her a few
minutes on the afternoon of the 14th.-
AS an accomplice of Booth and a partici-
pant in his crime, she can't escape the
penalty of thelaw. DR.. Mudd's status is
Identical. As early as November last,
he is shown to lave been in the confidence
of Booth. He has held suspicious meet
ings with Surratt and Booth at the Ma
tional Hotel. In January he introduces
Booth to Surratt. Booth visits him at
his room at the Pennsylvania House.
The assassins fly to his house directly af-
ter committing the murder. He dresses
Booths wound. and assists the escape of
the latter and Harold, and. when called
upon by the officers three days afterward,
denies that he knows either of the GRIM
inals. When arrested on the Friday fol-
lowing he prevaricates, lies right out, and
finally admits that he knew Booth. He
says he first heard of the assassination
on the Sunday after it was committed, at
church; yet it is shown by abundant
proof that he was at Bryantwon on the
day preceding, Saturday. at an hour
when the populace WAS all In excitement,
the town guarded by soldiers, and every
man, woman and child in the place had
not only heard of the murder, but knew
the name of the assassin. DIR. Mudd is
guilty, but what degree of punishment he
will be adjudged remain with the Com
mission to determine.
Spangler does not appear to have been
in the conspiracy, according to the proof,
at an earlier period than a few hours be-
fore the commission of the crime. If he
be guilty, his participation would appear
to have been in preparing the means of
escape by keeping the p~assage-way clear
on the stage, and by closing the door aR-
ter Booth had passed through, Sc as to
retard the Cf the pursurers.
Proof has been offered to connect him
with the preparation of the bar which
fastened the door leading to the Presi-
dents box. but the evidence is vague and