The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-09-05
personal Appearance of wirz.

Personal Appearance of Wirz.
Washington (August 23) correspondence Of tho
Chicago Tribune
Henry Wirz is a Swiss by birth, and
ner. In the early part OF the war he did
duty at Richmond, where he was amply
known as a low bred and vulgar creature,
who had no association with the SO called
gentlemen of society or Of the army. AT.
forwards he went to Europe on secret SER
vice business for the Rebel State Depart
ment.
What the business was is not definitely
known; but some facts point to the con-
clusion that it was in connection with one
of Benjsmin's schemes for raising troops
among the pessantry of Poland, Germany,
and other central States of Europe. After
his return to this country Wirz was, for
a time on detached service in New Or
leans. In the early part of 1854, within
four or five months after the establishment
of the AndersonviIle prison, he turned up
as commsndant of that institutional fit
tool for the hellish spirit of the Winders,
who were his Immediately superior Off
GERS.
Wirz is a man apparently about forty
two or forty three years of age, i've feet
nine inches in height, and weighing not
far from one hundred and thirty-fvs
pounds. He is somewhat roundabout
dered, and never walks or stands in an
erect posture, SO that he appears scarcely
taller than men who measure but five feet
six or seven inches. There is no elacticlty
or springiness in his step, but he shufflss
along as if stunning observation, and he
sometimes looks out from under the brim
of his old silk hat as if he feared the
crowd through which he passes to mi
from the place of confinement.
It gives one pride in his humanity to see
that even such q wretch as he can 90 back
and forth without suffering any insult.
He wears q cheap, black cloth coat, which
is always buttoned, an old dark vest, and
reddish brown pants of some ribbed or
barred stuff. His shoes are such as are
called here ofice-slippsrs. Slovenliness
and general u%ntldiness seem natural to him,
though he is not specially repulsiVe on that
score. His hands are long, bony and flesh
less.
He wears q full whisker and moustache,
cut TO about hslf an inch in length, and SO
trained as to conceal the contour OF his
mouth. His hair is of a dark brown color.
His hesd is long and narrow, high over
the ears, wanting in the upper forehead,
n~oticeably deficient behind, and full about
the outstanding ears. He begins to be
bald in front. His face is thin, angular
and heshless; high and narrow in the
forehead, full over the eyes anh h-n--
tL0 UHv1hs, VIII upilTted eyebrows, small
and sharp nose, and keen, brown, foreign
eyes.
The man attracts in spite of himself.
Meeting him csrelessly on the street n
would set him down as a tinker of watches
and clockE-a man without mental cspac-
ity but of mechanical skill. Moreover, l
can take you into the rooms of the Coast
and match you his air and man.
mar and some of his peculisrities OF action
among the engravers employed there. See
ing his peculiar eye stirred by some feeling,
iyou would say he ~worshipped the vio-
Lin, and was i the orchestra of q theatre,
where he played with passionate self ab-
sorption.
l doubt not he was ambitious of the
good will and fellowship Of the Winders-
father, son, and nephew-who were his su.
periors at the post. They are of the class
called Southern gentlemen" Wirz was
3 poor wretch who thought it an honor to
with such fellows. They taught
him that d~eVilishness would be his best
accommodation. he had no scruples 10
pvercome-he could be cruel as easily as
be could be humane. To be q man would
not pay-to be a iend OF hell would pay
literally.
It would pay in the cognomen "good
from such as Winder, in promised
promotion, in the advancement in the es-
'eem of the upper classes in recognition
sven at Richmond. So he chose to make
himself an incarnation of cruelty, disdain,
murder. He had no special love for the
o called C~onfederacy. There is nothing
about him to show that he loved murder as
ome men have. he was simply the ready,
coarse, c-onseienceless tool of sla-
7ery.