Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-14
THE WIRZ TRIAL.

At the opening of the Wirz trial, We'd
r.Sday, the consul for the latter moved that
the court discard some of the testimony, as
it was illegal. This motion was held under
advisement. Joseph Adler testified to
hearing the Prisoner exclaim, whilst man
was dying from wounds inflicted by blood
hounds, that "it served the man right"
He also saw Wirz strike a sick man with
riding-whip, because he asked him for
bread. The man went ino fits, and subsc-
qnently died. He also heard the prisoner
order sentinel to shoot one of our men
who had overstcpped the dead line. col
orrd soldier named Jennings testified that
whilst laboring under an attack of sickness
he was publicly whipped ON the bare back
i.s.canSc he would not go to work added
to this, he was put in the stocks for pc
ri0d wi,irul anything to eat or drink. T.
y. Nay sw,rc that, for making an attempt
Ia escape, he was tied up by the thumbs
and then put in the stocks for four days.
His head and feet were fastened, his back
was on the ground, and his face exposed to
the sun. A young man named Freddy had
been torn to pieces by bloodhounds. John
IL. Stearns detailed to the court some of the
tons were frequent, and the men always
died from them A Mr. Kennel instanced
the case Of a Pennsylvania soldier who suff-
| cred so much from being in the stockade
that he soon afterwards died. William
| Willis Scott testified that WirZ struck a
sick man who had asked to be taken to the
hospital The man died from the injuries.
| A Mr. L. IL. Pond also corroborated the tcs-
timony Of the former witnesses as to the
cruelty of Wirz and his associates. Abncr
| MelIcy affirmed as to his being robbed by
| Wirz, and as to the latter refusing admit
! tance into the hospital OF man suffering
! from disagrccable sores, which afterwards
caused his death. A. Goodfelt Drummer tes-
! titled that until the prisoner assumed com
mand the men were treated well. If any
! man should be missing at roll-Call all would
| be deprived of food until he was accounted
| for
The Testimony each day acCumulatcs
new horrors. On Thursday three Union
prisoners, named Clarke, Forney, and kcl
| logg, testified to the shooting of numerous
prisoners for approaching the dead line, one
of them being deprived of life because, IL
dipping for water, his hand extended a lit
tie too far over the fatal line A Mr.. Achuf
who had been torn by bloodhounds while
attempting to escape, Showed his wounds
and also, averred that for this attempt tt
regain his liberty he was placed in irons
thirty-two days in very sunny place. H'
heard Werz order the shooting of man
who was reported "silly," because h'
asked for parole Thirty-fve Thousand
men were at one time confined in the stock
ade A Mr. passenger testified that whel
our men asked for bread or water, the re
sponse they received was in the shape o
leaden bullets. This was corroborated b,
a Mr. Turrell, of an Ohio regiment. Rober
Morton, of this State, has seen Wirz wear
ing clothes which had been sent by tn
Sanitary Commission to our men, and thl
statement was reatfirmed by Frank Mat
tox, a colored soldier The latter testite'
to the whipping of colored men in beastl,
manner, and also to hearing Wirz declar
that che gave the Yankees all the LAM
they came to fight for" meaning, of course
a grave.