Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-05-23
TRIAL OF THE ASSAsSINS.
PsocEEDiSes or MAY l3,


PROCEEDINGS OF MAY 10
The court is held at the old pen tentiary in
Washington, in an upper room. Along the wall
on the west side, on raised seats, were DR.. Mudd,
David G. Harold, Lewis Payne, Edward Spsnger
Of Ford's theater Michael 0 Llughlin Abzer.
edt and Samuel Arnold Sitting outside Of the
paIin4 was Mrs Surratt, leaning on small
table Beyond her was the counsel for the ac
cused, who are as follows Mr. Thomas Ewing
son ot the Ohio ex senator, Attorney Stone, Mr.
Walter 5 Cox, Hon Reverdy johnson and
Messrs. Aiken and Clampett, Al another table
we're the court.
Dr. Mudd looked calm, collected and atten.
tiys, aning on the table, as i to relieve his
wrists from the weight Of the handouts that en-
numbered them. Arnold was restless, raising
bis hands 10 his hair with nervous twichng,
and constantly varying the direction OF his look,
now glanelng from face % face and then bowling
his head upon bis hands which he supported %
hrs knees. lis handouts were not connected
as usual, with chain, but by a bar about eight
lnches IN length. Payne was dressed 10 grey
WOODEN shirt aud dark pants, and seemed more III
t9nton trying to obtain q lull view Of the sunny
landscape through the barred windows than Of
conlinug hls attention TO the details Of the pro
eetdings OLlughlin was keenly obselvanI OF
every move made IN the court. lie has dark
eyes and pale, blo0dless complexion, and wears
a heavy mOuslaehe and wide imperial. bIth very
black AtIsrodt is some five feet Elk inches l.,
height, and but fer bis manacles might have
been taken for mere spectator. lie has a style
Of face most common IN southern Germany
Ills hair aud beard are oi reddish sandy color,
and hls eyes are light. O,e ollce officer SAL
ehiod each prisoner Mrs. Surralt is buIom
widow and was dressed IN black
The first testimony taken IN the case Of the
several parties sTragned IS Withheld from the
public for the present. Rsye.dy johnson was
objected t. as counsel by Gen. [. W. Harris on
the ground that MIR johnson had expressed bis
disregard Of the sanctIty Of an oath. Mr.
johnson ably defended himself Among other
things be SAID, " am here az the instance Of
that lady (poining at MIS-. Surratt) whom |
never saw or head OF TIL yesterday, sue being a
Maryland woman and protesting her innocence
to me- | am here also because deem It right
and due to the character OF the profession TO
which belong, and which is not inferior 10 that
Of which you are members, thai she should not
20 uudeiended. The law prohibits me from 10
receiving compensation. but II il had not, under
standing her condition, | should never have
dreamed OF refusing up n the ground Of her IN
ability to make compensation. am volunteer
M to do what evidence will Justify me In dong
for this lady, ho is now being tried for her
life. My detestatlon Of every one clncerned in
this neiatious plot carried out with such tendlsh
malice Is Bg great as that OF any member OF this
court. | am not here 10 protect any one after
the evidence is heard and they are pronounced
guilty. The Obi elton Of Gen. Harms was
finally Withdrawn
A. ". Lse being sworn testified as t. what
he found 10 Abzerodts room which was near
Mr. Johnson Under a pillow he found re-
volyer aud in the pocket Of coat two books,
one Of them containing an account Of j. Wilkes
Booth with the Qntaro bank for S455, aud also
found handkerchief with Mary K. Booth
on 1t, also another handkerchief, the mark on
which be had s0me difficulty IN making out, but
thought it was " +. A. Nelson" or " + f. Mel
son, and still another handkerchief with NJ
II" On the corner, new pair OF gauntlets, three
boxes OF Colts cartridges, piece of lquorl,e,
spur and pair OF stocks the witness took
up the carpets took out the wsshstand and stove
aud made a thorough search and then went to
the bed again, took of the clothes, piece by
piece, and after he got underneath the sheets
aud mattresses found some bowie knives Lee
i, q detective officer.
Lewis Welchman was sworn and testified that
be had known John ii. Surratl since 1859. lie
first made the acquaintance of DR.. Mudd on or
about January l5, 1885, was passing down 9Th
street With Surratt and when nearly 0ppos te odd
Fellows hall some one called out " Surrat
surratt ~ aud on looking around Surratt recog
uzed an old acquaintance OF his from Charles
county, Md Surrstt introduced Dr.. Mud1, and
Dr.. Mud introduced Mr.. j. Wilkes Booth, who
was in company with him, to both Of them /,
Booth then invited them 10 his room at the Ma
Ilonsl hotel told them to be seated and ordered
cigars and wine for four Df. Mudl then went
out to the passage and called Booth in and had
private e3nyersaton with him, when Booth
aud Mudd came IN and clled Surratt OUT lcay
ing witness alone hl cen or twenty minutes; ac
dd not know the nature OF their clnvceition 4.
they came Ia at last aud Mu1d came near wit.
ness and spolos 1'd tor his prNi,e conversation,
stating that he had private business with Both,
who wished 10 purchase tis firm. Witness
boarded st Surratt's up to the time Of the as.
sassination; Booth called there frequently, gen
orally To see John II Surratt, and IN his absence
called for Mrs. Surratt, aud these interview,
were always held apart witness had been in
company with Booth in the parlor with Slrratt
sometimes, bu. Booth would take Slrratt to hs
room up stairs aud engage in private conyer
satiOn up there, the same thing sometimes oc-
CURED with Mrs Surratt, witGess recognized
Abzerod, and sail he had come to Ms Slrrltt',
three weeks after witness formed the acqlainl-
mace Of Booth, and inquired for Mr.. Slrra;t.
Nitnessaw AtIerodt ABOUT the time that Booth
played PtscarA IN the ApostaIe, when Both
/ gave Surrltt aud witness complimentary tickets
aud they we I dowa aud met AbEsrOd and told
where they were going, aud he sand he was gong
along too az the thelter they met David Q
] Harold, and also mos Auoiher gentleman ther,
named llollohan who stopped 10 tbs house they
remained until the play was over, and then Gy,
Of them went together az far ~ the cornor o
10Th AMI T. streets, hut on turning around Sur
ratt noticed that Al1crodt and Harold were moi
following. and witness went anl found them II
the restaurant adJ lning the theAter, talking
copfdentally With Booth on hue spproachn,
they eeparat d.
Wechman also testified further that, on III,
day of the assassination he drove Mrs Stffat,
into the country 10 Surratltylle they arrive,
there abou, hail past four, and Mrs, Surnt
stopped at the house Of Mr.. Lloyd and went in
to the paror witness left to return about hal