The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-09-25
The Wirz Trial.
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vvAnhiHOhONs OCPW SOs
The Wirz Military Commission reassemblet
this morning.
Capt. Wirz Immediately after being brough
into court, laid down upon. the sofa, still Be
ing too weak to sit up.
Seman, whose testimony towards the clos1
Of the proceedings Of yesterday caused ths
prisoner SO much distress, was cross examin
ed to-day.
In reply TO question by Mr.. Schade, he
said that he believed in punishment after
death. When he was at AndersonviIle as
prisoner, his pocket-book and cavalry coat
were taken from him. His boots had been
removed from his feet at the time of his cap
ture. The witness gave an account of the
suferings of the prisoners.
AdJutant j. H. Wright, of the 55th Maine,
was recalled, and testified that Capt. Wirz
had command and countersigned furlough pa
pers. Capt. Wirz made acquisitions for sup.
plies, which he had no difficulty in obtaining.
Fuel could have been supplied if the prison
ers had been allowed to go out after it.
Cross-examinedb by Mr.. Schade-Furloughs
were approved by Captain Wirz. When the
latter acted in the place Of Gen. Winder he
could give furloughs for thirty days, and
when acting for Col. Perseina, furloughs for
seven days.
Jervis Dyer, of the 18th United States col.
ored troops, testified that Capt. Wirz propos-
ed to the colored prisoners that if they took
the oath to the South, they could choose their
own masters and come out had heard Capt
Wirz say he would make the white prisoners
join the Confederate army by starving them.
The witness was for some time a servant a,
the house of DR.. White. Capt Wirz brough,
three thousand letters addressed to prisoners.
He handed them to Capt Reeds wife, who
was staying there. She took everything ou,
of the letters, such as money, needles, thread
pictures. &c, and laughed at the contents oi
the letters, making fun of them, and then or
dered him to burn them. He heard one Of
the surgeons at DIR. Whites say: :. have
poisoned five Yankees to-day and another
would says, " have poisoned ten" They
were laughing at the time. He had heard the
surgeons say they were going to vaccinate and
take off the arms Of the Yankees. They
would be frequently laughing about the pris-
oners Mrs. II. took four or FIVE hundred
dollars from the letters, which she kept in a
box until the prison was broken up. He did
not know what became Of the money.
Judge Advocate Chapman here read an
agreement entered into between the Judge
Advocate and the counsel for the prisoner,
by which hospital records and death register
and such other records as should be discov-
cred, may be introduced in evidence, except
in cases where objections may be legally in
terposed.
Judge Advocate Chapman then said that
government would informally close this case.
reserving the right ~ re-examine witnesses
who may be found touching new matters, and
who would offer some new records connecting
the Richmond authorities with Andersonyille
prison.
Mr.. Baker said he could not consent 10
such an arrangement.
Col. Chapman replied that the evidence re-
ferred to Davis and others Of the rebel gov
ernment, and he could have no right to OBJ
ject.
Col. Chapman said there was material ne
cessity TO show up the infamy Of those men.
The court asked Judge Advocate Chapman
whether he had such testimony at hand, and
whether witnesses had been sent for.
Col. Chapman replied that many Of them
had prevaricated or concealed facts, which
made it necessary for the government to use
extraordinary measures TO get at the truth.
He could not tell when he could produce the
testimony.