Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-31
Trial of Lafayette G. Baker.
Arguments of the Counsel.
The court was opened this morning at half past
ten o'clock, and Mr.. Riddle, for the defence, COM

The court was opened this morning at half past
ten o'clock, and Mr.. Riddle, for the defence, COM
meneed his Argument before the jury. ..H
You are kindly Informed, gentlemen, that ~
you will convict Gen. Baker with or without
proof you VIII have placed before you one liiis
" hole eountry aud q man could not BIO found who
would not say that he was In favor OF all neoes-
sary measures to suppress the rebellion. He re-
membered in 1851 the meu who now are loudest
In their praises for the President were then APP
plying TO Senator Andrew johnson epithets fully
as bad rs they now heap upon Baker. Those men
bad selected the Secretary OF War, and now they
had selected Gen. Baker.
he would have said nothing personally In re-
gard to Gen. Baker had not the gentlemen on the
other side made such an attack upon him. II
has been said that he was the subject OF super
vision for the vigilance oommittse In San Fran.
CISCO But he was one Of the most active and
energetic agents Of the vigilance committee. Az
nrst Baker was the bearer Of dispatches for Gen.
ciai service. Gen Hiram waidrige, Of New
York, introduced Baker to Gen. Scott as the man
suitable for such position. MI. r. proceeded 10
relate the perilous and important duties per-
mond De was once tried by tho rebels and sen :
fenced to be hung. One OF his guards released
his hands that he might have a cup Of coffee. In
an instant Baker sprang upon him, knocked him
down, took his pistol, shot another one Of the
guards and made his escape. -.
He also became Knight Of the Golden. Circle
aud spent three weeks with them. The result Of
II was the suppres ion and capture OF that Mary
land secession Legislature. On the 90th Of March,
1851, II was ordered that L. Q. Baker be APP
pointed special agent Of the War Department.
Tho mode and manner In which he discharged
the duties Of that position were matters OF his
tory. On the 18th Of June, 1858, he WAS APP
pointed colonel Of the LIST District Of Columbia
cavalry, and portions OF that regiment were led
by Baker In as severe and terrible nghts as were
ever seen by Miles o'Rsillsy,. who dogs him
with his vile doggery. The highest military
authority In the land pronounced the exposure
OF the frauds In New York by Gen. Baker equal
to placing 1000 men with Gen. Grant In front
The dsteetive force was summoned to Wash
ington to track the assassins OF our late
President. On the Sunday following Col Baker
arrived here from New York He went to work
and soon discovered the trail Of the assassins,
which had been missed by other deteetives.
Ca pit. Dougherty was then assigned 20 duty with
him, aud then the assassins were captured. The
speaker know no one but Gen. Baker In this de
fence. He had been retained by hirfa and or :
pected to DO compensated by HIM The learned
gentlemen for the prosecution had announced
that they would hold Baker for assault and bat
terry, false Imprisonment, aud extortion. We
finally everything fell through, except for false
Tho fact Is, gentlemen. there is nothing they
| can hold Gen. Baker for. He did not wonder thai
hItof TINS hlteTeu pnhbo OI Chh0, tuO lohTuou
gentlemen should content themselves with Dor
rowing from Miles o 'Reilley, referring to the
poem road by Mr.: Hughes yesterday, and which
appeared In the REPUBLICAN, OF last evening,
The object Of Gen. Baker in interfering In THU
pardon case was to test the question. II 1t wa
right and proper, the attention OF the President
| should be called to 1t, aud there Il would rest.
II II was not right and proper, be Intended thai
President. He did not say Mrs. Cobb was this,
that, or the other He only spoke Of her a. she
appeared before the court,
II is said that Spear Is an informer, AID moi
worthy OF belief Well then, gentlemen, II speal
Is an informeT, she Is a. Anybody may A.
up the blank without any fear Of doing inj us,ice
Can you take the statements OF this woman TO be
!ruei Does she protest against going to Gen;
No, gentlemen she freely, quietly and voluntarily
went with Gen. Baker She was mot under ar,
rest; she know she was not. Her fears were mo-
excited. Gentlemen, II these men had committed
perjury they would have committed 1t so that II
would have been q benent TO Gen. Baker. No
gentlemen, they have told the truth:
Mr. Riddle here reviewed the evidence In the
case, and commented upon t. Why dld they
could have been used rs rebutting proof They
did not want him. He Is their Cobb, and per-
hAps he would have been u stopper for them.
We don / want him. She says her husband wal
arrested. Was hef He was II she was. The
same proof that proves the arrest Of one proves
the arrest Of the other. They all swear thai
Cobb was not arrested. He went where hS
pleased. He went out to take . drink with Spear
the man who had helped to commit the outrage
upon him. Was there word Of truth In the
story that that woman tAllSf II she tells the
truth, this Ia 4 thing to mHke the very capital
bluSh The very transaction Itself proves thai
II was the duty Of some one to bring tho notice
OF the Executive to It. The mRu who sits at the
White House was not man to be trihed with
In conclusion, Mr.. Riddle said by the proof there
was no arrest man could not commit crime
without Intending to dot. There was no inten'