The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-19
GOLD LAST NIGHT 1870 s-4.
WASHINGTON HEWSITEMS
Preparations for the Grand
Review.
GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.
Associated Press Report.
TRIAL of THE C0NsFIRATOEs.

| TRIAL OF 4 He CDASelRATO Ks.
.-...... WAsHNGToR, May lS.
A Reed, telegraph operator residing in
Brooklyn, L. 1 identified = dispatch hand
ed him by Booth at the St. Nicholas Hotel
and sent to Lewis j. Weichman on the 23d
I If March, it simply read: "Fell John to
telegraph the number and street st once"
Lewis Weichman recalled and testified,
he delivered the message to John Surratt,
| who in response 10 Weichm6n's question,
what it wss about, said: Don't be so
damned inquisitive. .-.r.
Weichman boarded at Mrs. Surrstrs
house in Washington after the fourth of
March. He could not fix the time. He
said Booth, John Surratt, Payne and At
zerott, with several others, who bad all
been riding out seemed much excited. He
noticed that some of them we're armed.
Surrsts said his prospects were blighted,
and was in an extremely i'll humor. Wiz
meas also testified that on the morning after
the assassination he thought it his duty to
surrender himself to the government and
forthwith assisted in the discovery and ar
rest of the guilty parties. He mentioned
q woman coming to Mrs. Surrstfs, whom
. letter said WAS Mrs. Slater, French
woman and blockade runner, and who was
not afraid Of consequences, because she
could invoke The projection of the French
Minister or Consul.
The Court here took recess.
On cross examination questio-s were
asked witness as to man nAmedS st. Marie,
in 1863, with the apparent object of show
ing that witness was aware of st. Ms1ie's
intention of getting South, and if there
was no other plan, by enlisting in 8 Fed
erAl regiment and deserting; and that wit
Less was a sympSthiser with re0sls and Hs-
sisted this man TO get South. The prosecu-
tim objected to the testimony as imT ate
rial, but allowed few questions, to which
witnesse answered that st. Marie enlktsd
and plScsd IL CssETsP PfkaunnSdsr. kanSd sG.' Witness
denied having agreed, while clerk in the
War Department, TO communicate to any
Of the prisoners at the bar any informs-
tion he might have from that Department.
Being asked about his acquaintance with
q man named Augustus Howell, he said he
had seen him, but never had any converse
tion with him, but on the contrary had said
to Captain Gleason, of the War Depart
ment "There is blockade runner at our
house; shSll 1 give him up2' agitsted
the question three days; but thought it
might be the only time the man would be
there. let him go. told him l would
like to 90 South that l had been q student
Of divinity, and would like to be in Rich
mond for the purpose of continuing nv
studies. When in the War Department
taught him cipher which he said was for
no particular purpose. No arrangements
were made for corresponding with Rich
mond the cipher Was ne doubt fornd in
my (witness) box; once wrote poem of
LongfelloW's in this cipher, and that is the
only use ever made of it; Howell was
well acquainted with Mrs. Surrstt; Howell |
never told me il was the cipher that was
used in Richmond. -lE
In answer TO other Questions, witness |
said he would have been the last man in |
the world to have suspected John Surratt, |
my schoolmste and companion, of the |
murder of the President. Ny suspicious |
we're aroused by frequent private con-
versstions, by seeing Payne and Surratt
with bowie knives, and by finding In nv |
room . false moustsche, my suspicious |
we're not Of definite character. l made |
; confdante Of Uapt. Gleason, and told
him Booth WAsssecret sympsthizer; talked
Over with him certain snstches of con-
VsrsStIon 1 had heard, and whether the |
parties could be bearers of dispatches or
blockade runners. WeichmRn also ssid /
be told Captsin Gleason, at the War De-
partment, Of suspicious circumstances in
with the movements of Mrs
SurrAtt and others, and asked him what
hey could mean-whether they were
blockade runners, occupants or not
BE also spoke to Gleason OF the talk sbout
! Contemplated captureof the President by
.he rebels. Capt Gleason secuted the idea |
As impossible. He had read in the papers
hat such an attempt was likely to be made.
Witness said in reference 10 his having 8
Of the presence of the blockade
runner, Mrs. Slater, st the house of Mrs.
5urrAtt, and not giving information to the
that he debated the point
with himself for some time, and though,
inally, As she had been there only one
night, he would say nothing about it.
James Walker, colored, testified: He |
was living at the Pennsylvsnis House in
April. Atzerott came there on the 18th of |
A pril, about two o'clock in the morning,
and left between Ave and six in the morn
ng. $50 riEy
William OlendiAe identified q knife as |
The one picked up near the corner of + and
9TH streets, on the morning of the assassi-
nation BY 3 colored woman. Detective |
McPhil testified that Atzsrot said to him |
be had thrown the knife away, and that
The case found st Atzsrot's room had in it |
3 pistol belonging to Harold.
Lieutenant Kline testified that he saw |
Atzerot ct the Pennsylvanis House; saw |
him in room, and said to him, HHave |
you heard Of the assassination Of the PresI-
dent7" He said, SYes, 1t was an awful |
thingp9 Awoke about in the morning, |
and he wss gone. Some time before the |
assassination saw the prisoner have q |
knife in bed with him. He went out, and |
when be returned he said "Lieutensnt.
have you seen my knife2' l told him yes,
I had it. He said, "If one fails have an
other.
Rev. Mr.. Ryder of Chicago testified as
follows: I visited Richmond in the month !
of April, remaining from the 18th to the |
21st, and picked upin or near the State !
House a letter, signed w. J. Oldhsm, and
dated Feb. llth, 1866, and directed to Pres
ident Davis, in which he calls the attention !
Of the President 10 the act that certain
difficulties in plan presented to destroy
Ihe snemy's vessels, cities, ETC. had been
overcome. The preparation is alluded as
having been compounded by Prof. Nc
1ulioch, 70. whom and one other person
,nly, the composition was known, and the
RrIter ststes that by its means, every YES