Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-11-22
Very Singular story.

y.
Avery Singular story.
WASHINGTON, November l0.-A stirling
| fact in connection with Wirz's imprison-
ment, which it has not been deemed ex-
pedient to publish heretofore, may now
be given TO the public. This is no less
than an attempt to poison Wirz, which
but for the quickness of the officer pres
ent would have been successful.
When Mrs. Wirz came on here, it was
the desire of the Government to give her
every facility for enjoying intercourse with
her husband. with only such precautions
as were indispensably necessary. The
Secretary of War, therefore, requested
Gen. L. c. Baker to arrange for such in
| terviews, and to he present at them.
The first interview of Mrs. Wirz with
| her husband was in the cell, Just after the
| commencement of his trial. Their meet
| ing was not at all of the character that
would be expected of a man and wife un-
der such circumstances. There was no
appearance of tenderness, no embrace or
kiss, no tears. and no apparent emotion OF
any kind on the part of either. The la
y
| Wirz?" WELL" he answered, in q
gloomy voice, Il am getting along pret-
ty WE'LL" She looked at him a moment.
and her next words were: when did
you have on a clean shirt last? never
saw you look so dirty in my life" Wirz
replied that he had had one on within
the last week, and began to complain OF
his misfortunes. Their conversation
throughout was cold and fiippant, and in
dicated either that their relations had not
been very pleasant previously, or that
they were not married.
She took leave of him in the same man
ner, and Gen. Baker made arrangements
that she should see him twice a week.
She represented that she had not means
to pay her way while in the city, and as
Wirz had nothing to give her, Gen. Ba-
ker, pitying her condition, supplied her
with fifty dollars from his private funds
The second interview was as cold, and de-
void of affection or emotion as the first
The conduct of Mrs. Wirz toward her
husband at the first interview had aroused
Gen. Bakers suspicious of her good faith
in visiting him, and he watched them very
closely. he noticed that Mrs. Wirz kept
moving some small object in her hand
neTvOusly. They sat one at each end of
the small pine table in the cell, and Gen
Baker sat at the side. He noticed that
they hitched closer to the table, and Mrs
WiTz's movements seemed to indicate
that she wished to pass something under
the table TO the prisoner. VIM was talk
ing principally about the testimony now
being taken on his trial, denying the
truth of the charges against him. Gen
Baker watched the two so closely that
nothing could pass between them with
out his notice. lie was very strongly i'm
pressed with the idea that something
wrong was intended. The third inter
teryiew was on Sunday, October % The
two exchanged common place salutations.
as before, and INDUCED in commonplace
conversation. Gen. Baker saw Mrs. Wirz
draw off her glove. and saw again the
nervous movement of her hand, as though
moving something in it which she desired
10 conceal. As she rose to go, she step
ped up to Wirz, and, for the first time
made movement to kiss him Gen. Ba-
ker stood at their side, where he could see
the meeting of the lips Ii was not a
quick, passionate kiss, but Gen. Baker
noticed that they occupied longer time
than necessary, and that the movements
were rather peculiar for kiss. As their
lips parted Gen. Baker was convinced
that she had passed something from her
mouth into his, and that lie was about 10
swallow it. He sprang toward Wirz and
caught him by the threat, partly choking
him for the instant. Gen. Baker com
manded him to open his mouth, and as
he did so, he spit out little bail which
he had partly crushed, and which Gen.
Baker picked up. 1t was somew hat small
er than an acorn, and was ascertained to
be strychnine inclosed in oiled silk. and
coated with liqurice. 1t is now in Gen.
Bakers possession. In getting up Mrs
WiTz had probably dexterously conveyed
1t to her mouth. In moment more WiIz
would have swallowed it, and, as soon
as the coating had dissolved in his
stomach, it would have caused his imme-
diate death. Mrs. Wirz was not again
permitted to visit the cell. She left the
city nearly two weeks ago, not waiting
either to hear her husbands sentence or
to see him again before his death. On
his trial here, her cold and Indifferent
manner towards her husband was noticed
and commented upon. 1t is not known
whether Wirz had by any means commu-
nicated his desire to commit suicide to
his wife, or whether it was not perfdy at !
the instigation of outside parties that she |
wished to aid him to do so. 1t is known |
that Wirz had for a long time no hope of
a sentence of death. 1t is also |
believed that there were friends of Davis, |
Lee and Winder who feared that some |
thing might be elected on trial that would |
connect them by legal evidence with, and
make them responsible for the Anderson
vile crimes, and who desired that Wirz |
might be ont of the way as quickly as
: 9ssible. On account of Gen. Bakers |
lind treatment of his wife, Wirz has been |
more communicative to him than to 9TH
ers. Yesterday he sent a special request |
Tor an interview with General Baker, say
ing that he wished to make some impor-
tant statements previous to his execution.
General Baker visited him and received |
from him some disclosures, the nature of
which has not transpired. Wirz convers-
ed with him freely, and claimed, as he
has always done, that Winder was more
guilty than himself for the cruelties at
He said that he repeated.
ly wrote to Richmond, complaining of
his inability to treat the prisoners COM
fortably, and this was the reason that
Winder was sent to outrank him, and he
claimed that the atrocities practiced to-
ward the prisoners were after Winder's
arrival. Talk about liberty in this coun-
try" said he, on commenting on his trial: