The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-07-10
The Surratt Trial.

lie SufrdLt 1llAss
One of theeviis perhaps the mostodious
and revolving, which has becnengendcred
by the late unhappy struggle, is the cor
ruption which has crcpt into Our Courts.
The most atrocious OF all murders is the
judicial murder. We have read the sick
enipg dctails-the hideous mockery Of a
Court Of Justice-thc Corrupt Judge, the
peuured witnesses; high officers Of State
dabbling in the trade Of snborners Of per-
jury-in the dark annals Of the darkest
days of English history, but happily. we
have had, until lately, no experience Of
the kind iii this formerly favored land
We have been led into this train Of
thought, by the developments which are
made daily on the trial of John II. Sur
raft, for completely in the murder Of Prcsi-
dent Lincoln, which is now in progress in
Washington before Judge Fisher We
hope, for the honor Of human nature, we
may have done the Judge injustice, but
his rulings, from the beginning, seem to
evince preconceived determination that
the prisoner shall be hung, whether limo
cent or guilty.
In the first place, upon the challenge Of
the prosecution to the whole panelof drawn
jurors, the Judge sustained the challenge
upon the ground Of technical informal
ty in the mode Of drawing. We do not
know whether he was right or wrong as to
the technical iuformality, but it is strong
! = suspected that the motion was made and
sustained because of the presence Of a few
catholics on the jury. In the early part
Of the trial the defence moved the Court
to instruct the prosecutor to furnish the
defence with a list Of witnesses for the
prosecution. This was most reasonable,
for if the defence wished to impeach or
contradict any, among one CT two hundred
unknown witnesses, it was indispensable
they should have the list to be prepared
with the impeaching evidence. But the
Judge over.ruled the motion The Sc
quel proved the Importance to the defence
Of this list Of the witnesses for the prose
cution.
Among the most important witnesses,
for the United States, were several whom
the defence discovered after they had tes-
| ttfcd and hurried ont Of lie city By the
first trains, that one or two, could be i'm
peached by competent testimony, and 9th
ers had either been convicted Of infamous
crimes, or were awaiting trial. The de-
fence then moved the court that the prose
cution be instructed to recall these wit
nesses, but the Court refused to grant the
motion. The Court also declined to allow
the defence to prove that witnesses, testi-
flying on this trial. had been induced to
testify as to this same conspiracy before
the military commission by threats or brides.
We don't know whether the jury has
been packed for the conviction Of this poor
man OF not, but we believe, il he is. con.
victcd, an impartial world viii never cease
to suspect that he has had foul play
Since the above wiring, VIC find t! G
following confirmation Of our views. The
prosecution having closed.
Mr.. Bradley, Jr., made the opening
speech for the defense. lie reviewed the
testimony by the prosecution to prove the
prisoners presence here on the 18th April
and said he could prove that most Of it's
witnesses were either infamous or mista-
ken. lie would prove that Surratt was
not within 400 miles OF Washington on
the day Of assassination, and further that
it was neither Booth, Surratt nor Alter
odt, who were in front Of the theatre on
that night. He would produce on the
stand the three men referred to, and would
produce the man who looked into Iincolns
carriage and the man who called the
time, as well as the individual described
as the yillainous looking man.
In closing his remarks, Mr. Bradley
said he would also produce the original
agreement between the assassins, with
their genuine signatures attached, and
that neither the names Of Mrs. Surratt
nor the prisoner would appear on the pa
per-
THE Situation in Tennessee.
We have before us private letter, post
marked Spring Hill, June 10Th, from an
officer, distinguished and trusted by our
people during the war, now devoting him