Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-06-14

my family Yours most truly,
BENTrO JuAREZ
TRIAL OF sURRATT.
At half past ten O'Clock Surratt was
brought into court The prisoner was hand
eutied. lie appeared as he did the other day,
with clean shaven face excepting nous
tache and goatee, and wears his hair long
and hanging about his neck
After being in court few moments the
handouts we're removed and he was assign
ed a seat behind bis counsel Surratt' face
is very pale, and he wears careworn,
troubled look, but family smiled occasionally
as he received a nod of recognition from his
friends.
After all the preliminaries had been ar
ranged Judge Fisher asked if counsel were
ready to proceed with the trial of John H.
Surratt
Mr.. Bradley The prisoner is ready, and
has been SO for weeks.
BY eleven o'clock the court room was
literally crowded, and every seat within the
bar was occupied Among the visitors were
large number Of colored men
District Attorney Darlington said he was
happy to proceed with the trial of John II
Surratt, charged with the murder Of the late
President of the United States Abraham
Lincoln, on the 4th Of April, 1865
The trial may possibly be postponed for
day or two on account Of an informality in
the selection ofiurors; but if so, it wifi be
occasioned by t6e defence, and not by the
prosecution. The trial is to take place in a
measure under the direction of Secretary
Seward 1t was through his agents that
Surratt was tracked, captured and brought
back TO this country, and at his request
Judge PIerpCnt was retained in the case
for the prosecution
The prosecution have succeeded IN OBJ
taining unimpeRchable witnesses to prove
that Surratt was in this city on the day of
the assassination and all his subsequent
movements, from the time Of his fight on
the night Of the same day, have been track
ed with marvellous precision After leav-
ing this city be fled northward, and was
traced to Burlington, St Albans, ST. Law
renee and Montreal The hotels he stoned
at are known, the meals he ate, his conyer-
satiOns, aud the yerest trifcs of his doings
have come t0 the knowledge of the prose
cution The keepers Of the hotels at which
he stopped IA these places are now here to
testify. At st. Adams, where he was on
the 18th ot April, and not on the 18th. as
pTeviousIy stated, he dropped a pocket
Handkerchief containing his name. and this
article Is now IN the possession Of the prose
cution. Irifiing link though it be in the
chain Of evidence against him, it is said
that the defence intend to make an effort
to prove that this handkerchief was
dropped by friend of Surratt S and not by
the prisoner himself but that effort viii
fail
Payne, one of the executed assassins,
made confession the night before his death,
in which it is said he divulged the whole
plot, duplicating SuTatt and corroborating
Weichman,s testimony in every essential
point. Ihts confession was never given 10
the public before, but will probably be
brought up on this trial This win form an
other utcrestingchapter history of this
terrible tragedy. ii should be said more
over, that in his confession not the slightest
word is said that would show any knowledge
OF the President or other officers Of the GOV
ernmcnt of the conspiracy.
As one of the curious things connected
with tins queer case | may add that a
friend of one Of the counsels for the defence
states that the counsel 10 question said the
other day to gentleman connected with
the prosecution: Are you in earnest in
stating that Judge PieTpont is really ready
70 proceed with the tria2 On being in
formed that Judge Picrpont was indeed
prepared. the lawyer for the defence is re-
ported TO have said: Sir, there Is power
behind SWrratI that will not permit him to
be convicted, The significance of this
0raculur uuerance Is difficult TO make out
1t seems to be a fact that Suratt has told
his legal advisers that should he he convict
ed, he will inform on men high in position,
and his lawyers appear to believe in the pos
sl2lIty Of some startling disclosures.
CITY COUNCILS.
The city councils organized to-day. The
lower board has appointed by resolution,
John l. johnson, a colored man, who has
been acting as barber at the capitol their
reading clerk, and also appointed a colored
messenger The board ofaldern,an elected
white men altogether for their officers. the
minority being anti-RepubIicans.