New-York tribune., 1867-07-15
THE TRIAL OF SURRATT.
Prom Our spseIal Correspondent


coored brick church. Within, it is remodeled, fire.
proof cut into three stories stripped of every YES
tige of its former use. At the back windows PLAIN
desks look out on the alley where Booth mounted
his waiting horse. On the second floor huge cup
board of records and photographs fills the old place
of the Presidents box. l think everything should
have been preserved just it stood on that night OF
horror-the gimlet-hole the lOosened bar, the rent
curtain the scar on the box below, made by the leap
Ing assssns knife the stage carpet torn by the Deht
spur under his falling foot.
The lower stories are crowded with the tables OF
200 clerks-the Medical and Surgical Bureau OF the
War Department The upper is a public museum Vi
the same branch. On the baize table, stereoscoplc
views roll back the red panorama of four years. All
old familiar scenes the village brick house torn
with shot the ambulance bringing wounded through
tramped cornfeld the dizzy Acquia Creek bridge,
built of logs in seven days. where one fell hundred
feet and lives to tell the tale the Winter biyouac
with crust of snow on low shelter tents and sleeping
men the fort its sturdy fellows bearing brush ana
rammer beside great black guns the ditch, with
rigid FORMS and bronzed, bearded blood-staned
faces lying where they fell, in mud and water the
silent soldiers lowering their comrade to his dream
less bed with long line of mounds and rude head
boards beyond; the little black boy with knees
curled up and arm gone, just where he was holding
his masters horse when the shell burst; the bench
and surgeon bending with his knife over the Ofncer
who lies with shattered leg, and chloroform sponge
at his mouth the battle ground year after, with
rustcd musket broken caisson, ghOstly skull ana
faded army blue inoosing what once were men ana
the two hospital nurses bearing stretcher with It's
white, fixed utterly peaceful face-every Wrinkle
imoothed, every anxiety gone
"His hands are folded on his bre asst;
There Is no other thing expressed,
But long Disquet merged in Rest"
The museum holds hundreds ef war missiles-bul-
let shot and shell-an differing in size OF 1orin'
There is q breastplate, pierced by three MINES
taken from fallen Rebel who proved but naked
though locked up in STEEL The glass cases and splt
lars preserve for medical science 1000 specimens OF
shattered bones and wounded flesh One is SIX
inches of bone, from the unlocked shoulder JOINT
down of soldier yet living and working in the ad
iacent photograph room. He still raise his hand
Ia the forehead OF lift hundred pounds from the
Oronnd. with that weakened arm. wonder whether
he over looks through the glass at this portion OIL MS
own skeleton labeled -Four thousand and blank
without little shudder! Then there is section OF
the broken neck of Wirz; and finally, under the
very roof which covered the murder, two pieces OF
Wilkes Booths spinal column and vertebr@, each
half as large as my hand. and cut by the bullet oil
Boston Corbett.
Half mile away, in the DID, low Courthouse
of brown sandstone and brown stucco, John H. sur
ratt is being tried for his life The building occupies
the front of large grassy square, shaded by sober
catapa and slverleafed poplar, and sweet with the
breath of clover. Every morning at TO- from the
somber iail in the rear comes young man oil %
slepder erect habited in black broadcoth and low
round-topped hat. Up quiet PATH underline peace
full trees he steps brskly as to avoid pryngeyes his
delicate wrists are held together by handouts anu
a brawny Marshal in brown linen walks beside MN,
They 90 up the stone stairs he takes seat behind
his counsel; the manacles are removed; ana the
crowded court is called to order.
Beside the prisoner sit brother and one OF TWO
other relatives with long hair and cadayerous SOUTH
ern faces. Women, chiefly sympathizers' from 'hc
District curious visitors in Washington, members OF
Ca,oress and members of the bar. fill the other
chairs and settees Outside the railing, throng OF
Iostline men, whom an old querulous, spectacled
Secession baf is always ordering out OF the pas
sages and threatening to arrest In the rear milky
wav of intent white eyes looking out from an lnky
cloud of eager black faces
On the bench sits Judge Fisher, appointed from
Delaware by the President whose murder he IS IN
yestigating clear, firm, manly face, with frank
eve and brown mustache. At his LETT an associate
Judge In front three four clerks and busy steno-
graphers On his right, just beyond the witness
y
and wall. They plain business men, representing
two millions of property interested in the good order
and good name of the District. few are Catholics
like the prisoner. Several were SecessiOnists. One
or two are feared but the whole they are deemed
as good jury as could be legally impaneled IN TINS
community Before the prisoner, always upon his
feet is his leading counsel Bradley senior. Thick
set. with bald, hat-tOpped head, and farapart,
searching eyes, he looks little like Gen. Ben But
ler shrewd criminal lawyer, tenacious and mercl-
less upon witnesses he is pugnacOus as to lose his
own temper now and then, and thus lmpalrs his
strength After each answer that pleases him he
turns TO the jury with look saying quite as sgni-
cantly as words Gentlemen. you hear hdt| Mer-
r1ck prompt and cear-headed, and his own son, as
sist him.
District-Attorney Darlington and his associate,
Wilson. officially represent the Government; but
Pierrepont of New-YOrk chiefly examines the wit
nesses He is courteous firm, strong at cross-ques-
tiOning testimony away, and IN knowing exactly
where to stop. Ex-CongTesSman Riddle OF Cleveland
and John A. Bingham of Ohio have aided essentially
in preparing the case, though neither appears as
counsel Both sides are ably represented and there
has been ample time, preparation, and expenditure.
The turning point is on the question whether Sur
ratt was in Washington the day and night Of the
assassination. How fully the Government has
proved or the defence dsproved this the reader can
Judge as well as l. Surratts counsel claim that he
was in Emira the previous day. and as the trains
were running, could not possibly have got here.
Morally his presence absence is not of the least
consequence. If in the conspiracy what difference
where he was at the moment Of the blowH But,
legally il is vital If he away, it is essential for
Government to show that he had gone somewhere
expressly TO aid the murderous plot.
1t is understood that the defense will offer the