The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-10-02
The wiz TrinI.
WASHINGTON, September, 30.
The Wirz Military Commission re-. as.

Ine WIZ Military Commission re as
sembled to-day. --'-1- G
Captain Wright ex-Quartermsster at
: Anoersonville, was recalled for the defense.
8 he testified that he succeeded r. B. Win
der at that post The tents of his regi-
ment were taken for the use of the hospi-
tsl. lie sought but failed to obtain more
, ior tnat purpose. As 10 lumber he was
!, | equally unsuccessful; owners not having
been paid for what had previously been
furnished An Injunction was served IN.
on him and others to prevent them from
: cutting timber. He had never seen Capt.
Wirz search the prisoners. ---
Mr.. Baker-Did you hear Capt Wirz
complain of the bad condition of affairs.
Judge Advocate Chipmsn objected TO
the declaration of the prisoner. 9
Mr. Baker said he did not ask for Cant.
Wlrz' declarations, but his acts.
Col. Chapman remarked that Mr. 'Ra-
ker asked about complaints. = .
Mr.. Baker said it was competent accord.
ing to the rules of law, 10 chow the kindly
disposition of the accused in order 70 re-
fute the allegations that he wilfully and
maliciously murdered or maltreated pris.
oner. = cN-if'' p--'-
/ The court remarked that they had ot ar
and over again overruled such questions.
/ Mr.. Baker said he designed to show that
Captain Wirz accompanied his complaints
by acts to smeliorate the condition Of the
prisoners.
Mr.. Baker then withdrew the question
and prepared another, namely DO you
know of any acts on the part of Captain
Wirz to srneliorate the condition of the
prisoners2 ~
The witness said he could not think of
any. The witness never heard that any
soldier received o furlough for shooting
Union prisoners, He had frequently car
ried vegetables into the stockade for the
relief OF the prisoners, after showing Cap
tain Wirz what he had for them. Captain
Wlrz permitted Masonic honors to be paid
to deceased prisoners. Lieutenant Davis |
was In charge when Captain Wirz was
sick.
Cross examined by Colonel Chipman-
The witness had no personal knowledge of |
what Captain WiTz did in the stockade, |
but outside of the stocksde he knew thst |
the accused had put prisoners in the stocks |
and chain gang. Turner, who had charge /
Of the dogs, told witness that Captain WiTz /
had promised him thirty dollars q piece for
capturing prisoners, but the witness re-
fused to pay him, not believing him to be
entitled 10 money.
Judge hall, of Georgia, who had testi.
fed for the prosecution, was called as wit
ness for the defense. He said said that he
was employed by q man named DYKES
against Colonel Gibbs and Captain Wright,
to restrain them by an Injunction from
using Dykes grounds for burial purposes.
and cutting timber on it. Dyke subse-
quently withdrew his bill Voluntarily,
when the witness used his influence to have
Dyke paid by the Confederate government
for any loss he might sustain The witness
denied that the land in the immediate vi
entity of AndersonYille was q poor pine
barren. LIS chief value consisted in its
timber, which could be sold to the Rail-
road company for iuel or cross-ties. Capt.
Wirz had applied to the witness to prose-
cute some msn who had been appro-
pristing provisions and things of that sort
belonging to prisoners. He took out q
search warrant to find the stolen property,
but thought the process was unsuccessful. l.
In August 1864, he saw Captain Wirz,
whose appearance was that Of q man Just
recovered from spell of sickness He was
feeble and emaciated. Dogs are used in
Georgia for tracking felons, Violstors of the
law>snd runaway slaves, but by the laws
of that State nobody could be pursued by
= 4 l.
Colonel Chapman objected to the wit 7
ness proceeding further on that point, as
the subsequent question asked was irrele-
want. He represented it as VI Just to our
sOidIers VINO had periled their Ewes for the
country that they should be put upon the "
ground OF and pursued as common felons.
Mr.. Baker said that the use of hounds
was authorized and made legal by the
laws OF the United States. The command.
ing officer was authorized 10 track human
beings with dogs.
MsjOr General Thomas said he knew all
about that.
The Court said-Mr. Baker, you mean
Florida.
Mr.. Baker said he did, and that he might
follow up the question to show that the peo- (
pie Of the South were bound by law 10 do
whatever was commanded by superior mil
ltsry officers.
The Court having voted against the OBJ
jection raised by the Judge Advocate, the
witness In course of his further examine
ton said, that by the laws of Georgia il
was made capital felony to harbor or en-
terrain federal prisoners.
Cross-exsmined by Col. Chipmsn. Wit
ness said that his sympathies had been
with the rebellion. He was 3 seeessIonist {
and remained as such until the close of the
rebellion. He was active aud did all he
could for it. he had not been acting as
Counsel for the accused. He had, how
ever, been asked questions about law, and {
them, and had been in Mr..
Bakers office several times. He went with
him TO the library of the Supreme Court
and pointedout the decision Of Judge Simp-
kins.
Mr.. Baker objected to these questions,
saying they did not touch ANYTHING which ,
had been done in the direct examination. ;
Although witnesses for the prosecution
were open to reflection, he called on the {
court 70 witness that he had not reflected {
upon them.
Examination by Mr.. Baker: The wit
ness had not acted as counsel or adviser
for Capt. Wirs, nor had he advised how !
the defense ought to be shaped. He had
not intimsted anything about the defense, ]
any more than in his conversation as q !
witness, .t
w. ID. Hammond, of the Confederate
army, testified that he never saw any of
his Men shoot federal prisoners, but hsd !
seen prisoners sitter they were shot. Capt.
WiTz- never TO his knowledge promised
furloughs for shooting prisoners. The
order was that If the squads could
not account for their men, they should be /
deprived of their rations. No orders were
issued to take from Stoneman's raiders any
thing more than money, knives and forks,
and such other articles as had been stolen
from the residentseof the country through
which they had passed, were taken from
them. The Confederate soldiers were
punished Just the same as the Union pris-
OnerE The Commission here adjourned
until Monday.
Suspended Business.
WASHINGTON, September 30.
The Washington Branch of the U. 8.
C..-sla--. Cn..,z,isa;o.. ..,...n-a ana ..a-.I