Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-06-16
YEARLY ADYRRl5,r1s5lI
lThe AUTHENTICATED TFs.I.

Z The trial Of the assas ssihs III III Rshi ton
appruachibe L md. an the Important
testimony e evidently in, and It only, re.
mains for Judge advocate Holt to sum it
up and tell the military judges what they
are expected to decide. That there is no
defense, and will be none, is clear enough
ReVerdy johnson, the only one Of the
counsel for the prisoners who seems able
to do anything in their behalf has not
been present much during the trial, and
will devote himself to an argument against
the Jurisdiction Of the court, which will be
of no avail, whatever. may be its intrinsic
weight, as no military court can be ex-
Pected to decide against it's own right to
exist. 1t was ordered by superior author
ity, and Gen. Hunter and the rest obey or
ders of course. 1t is . mere question of
power with them, not ofIaw. There is no
reason to doubt, however, that the court
will do substantial Justice They may
fnd some of the prisoners guilty upon eY.
idence atw0uld not have satisfied civil
court, but there is very little danger of
their adjndgtng any guilty who are actu.
ally innocent. .... -
The court will not probably undertake
to give any opinion as to the guilt of Davis
and his Canada sgents, but Mr.. Holt may
be expected to work up the evidence taken
against them in effective shape. 1t is al.
ready evident that the credibility of the
witnesses against them does not stand very
firmly, and Touldebs exposed tol severe
treatment In any civil tribunal. The de.
mails Otthe accused rebels in Canada carry
no weight with them, except in go far as
they are otherwise sustained. But when
W. W. Oleary shows up the discrepancies
between Conover's testimony in the ST.
Albsns raid case in Canada and that which
be has just given at Washington, Us he has
done in the Toronto Leader, he creates at
least a suspicion that he tells the truth
when he says, "the whole eyIdenceis made
to order and has not particle Of truth
whereon to stand" At Washington Con.
over testified that he was q native Of New
York, had been a Oonscript in the rebel
service, and left Virginia in September,
1868; at Montreal be testified that be was
q native of Virginia, never was in the Con-
federate army, and left Virginia in Ooto
Der, 1854. Conover seems to be not only
knave, but shallow and blessed with a
poor memory. The testimony Of Bates,
who swore SO rOundly as to what Davis
said at Charlotte, N. O., when he heard OF
President LiucOln's death, is squarely de.
MED by the Charlotte Democrat, which
says:- =lFa-Ha a-2
We know of our own knowledge, as do
dozens of other citizens of this place, that
Mr.. Davis did not read the dispatch to the
crowd mhled to hear him speak, Just
sshe (Dsvis) concluded a short speech or
near the close of the speech (which was
made immediatelylonh his arrival here) the
dispatch was handed to him; he looked at
1t, remarked in low tone, this is an ex-
traordinary communication and then
handed 1t to citizen standing near, who
read it to the crowd. Mr.. Davis did not
allude TO the,s matter in his speech nor
make any remark about it, except ahe one
We have stated, which was mere expires,
sion of establishment; nor did he authorize
the reading of the dispatchjtO the crowd.
This statement can be substantiated by
many Of our citizens who were present.
We know nothing about what occurred
after Mr.. Davis went into Mr.. Bates' house,
but We do know: that Mr.. Bates statement
of what took place on his steps, or in front
of his house, is incorrect And we are
told by many peEsonS that Mr.. Bates was
uot present when the dispatch was read, or
when Mr.: Davis made his speech"