Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-04-23
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THE TRIAL OF WIRZ.


And its melody loweth from far away,
And we call it now Old Times.
THE TRIAL OF WIRZ.
Review of the Case by the Counsel Of the Defense.
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
Intending to leave the United States for some
time, feel it my duty, before | start, to fulfill
in part promise which, a few hours before his
death, I gave to my unfortunate client, Captain
Wirz, who was executed at Washington, on the
10th day of November, 1865. Protesting up
to the last moment his innocence Of those mon
strous crimes, with which he was charged, he
received my word, that, having tailed to save
him from felon S doom, | would, as long as L
lived, do everything in my power, to clear his
memory. I did that the more readily, as | was
then already perfectly convinced that he suffer
ed wrongfully. Since that time his unfortunate
children, both here and in Europe, have con-
stantly implored me to wipe out the terrible
stains which now cover the name OF their father
Though times do not seem propitious for obtain
ing full justice, yet, considering that man is
mortal, [ will, before entering upon a perilous
voyage, perform my duty to those innocent or
phans and also to myself
will now give briefstatement OF the causes
which led to the arrest and execution of Cap
tain Wirz In April 1865, President johnson
issued proclamation stating that, from evil
dence in the possession of the Bureau of Mill
tary Justice, . it appeared that Jefferson Davis
was implicated In the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln, and for that reason the President offer
ed reward of 100000 on the capture Of the
then fugitive Ex President Of the Southern
Confederacy That testimony has since been
found to be entirely false aud mere fabrication,
and the suborner Conover is now under sentence
in the jail Of this city, the two perjurers whom
he suborned, having turned State evidence
against him, whilst the individual, by whom
Conover was suborned, has not yet been brought
to justice.
Certain high and influential enemies of JEFF
erson Davis, either then already aware OF the
character of the testimony of those witnesses,
or not thinking their testimony quite sufficient
to hang jeff Davis, expected to find the want
ing material in the terrible mortality of Union
prisoners at Andersonville. Orders were Issued
accordingly to arrest subaltern officer, Captain
Wirz, poor, friendless, and wounded prisoner
of war, Che being included in the surrender OF
General johnston and besides, foreigner by
birth On the 7th of May, he was placed in
the Old Capitol Prison at Washington, and
from that time the greater part of the Northern
press was busily engaged in forming the unfor-
tunate man in the eyes of the Northern people
into such monster that it became almost I'M
possible for him to obtain counsel Even his
countryman, the Consul General, publicly re-
fused to accept money to defray the expenses
of the trial! He was doomed before he was
heard-and even the permission to be heard ac-
cording to law was denied him. To increase
the excitement and give eclat to the proceeding,
and to infame still more the public mind, the
trial took place under the very dome of the
Capitol of the Nation. A military commission,
presided over by one of the most arbitrary and
despotic generals in the country, was formed,
and the paroled prisoner of war, his wounds
still OPEN, and so feeble that he had to recline,
during the trial, on sofa, carried before the
same. How that trial was conducted, the whole
world knows. The enemies of generosity and
humanity believed it then to be sure thing to
get at JEFF. Davis.
Therefore, the first charge was that of con
spiracy between Wirz, Jefferson Davis, Seddon,
Howell Cobb, r. B. Winder, and number of
others, to kill the Union prisoners The trial
lasted for three months. but unfortunately for
the blood thirsty instigators, not particle of
evidence was produced, showing the existence
of such conspiracy; yet Captain Wirz was
found guilty of that charge! Having thus fail
ed, another effort was made. On the night be-
fore the execution of the prisoner, telegram
was sent to the Northern press from this city,
stating that Wirz had made important disclo-
sures to General L. G. Baker, the well known
detective, duplicating Jeff Davis, and that the
confession would probably be given to the pub
lic On the same evening, some parties came
to the confessor Of Wirz, Rev. Father Boyle,
and also to me, one Of them informing me that
a high Cabinet officer wished to assure Wirz,
that if he would implicate Jefferson Davis with
the atrocities committed at Andersonville his
sentence would be commuted. He, the mes
senger, or whoever he was, requested me to in
form Wirz of this In presence of Father
Boyle, | told Wirz, next morning, what had
happened. The Captain, simply and quietly,
replied: "Mr Schade, you know that | have
always told you that do not know anything
about Jefferson Davis. He had no connection
with me as to what was done at Andersonville
IF knew anything OF him, | would not become
traitor against him, or any one else, even to
save my life. . He, likewise, denied that he
had made any statement whatever to General
Baker. Thus ended the attempt to suborn
Capt Wirz against JEFF. Davis That alone
shows what man he was. How many of his
defamers would have done the same? With
his wounded arm in sling, the poor paroed
prisoner mounted, two hours later, the scaffold
His last words were that he died innocent-and
so he did. The 10Th day of November, 1865,
will, indeed, be black stain on the pages of
American history
To weaken the effect of his declaration of in
nocence, and of the noble manner in which
Wirz died, telegram was manufactured here
and sent North, stating that, on the 9th day
of October Mrs Wirz (who actually was 900
miles on that day away from Washington, had
been prevented by that Stantonian deus er ma
china, General L. G. Baker, from poisoning her
husband! Thus, on the same day, when the
unfortunate family lost their husband and IA
ther, cowardly and atrocious attempt was
made to blacken their character also. On the
next day. branded the whole as an infamous
lie, and since then [ never have heard of it
again, though it emanated from Brigadier-
General Of the United States army.
All those who were charged with having con-
spired with Capt. Wirz, have since been releas
ed, except Jefferson Davis, the prisoner of the
American Castle Chillon." Capt. Winder
was let eff without trial, and if any of the 9TH
ers have been tried, which do not know GER
tainly none of them have been hung. As Capt
Wirz could not conspire alone, nobody win now,
in view of that important fact, consider him
guilty of that charge. So much, then, for
CHARGE No T