The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-04-12
NTnro DcYelonmcnts.

Officials 0t W|ashingtOn, not even screening
the War Department from completely In
the execution Of an innocent and
which We have already placed before our
readers, sc propose to continue the publi-
cation of, not only the developments made
bv BUTLER Of the criminal procedure OF
the Commissions Instituted by STANTON for
the purpose. rs Hon. Henry WINTER DAVIS
said, "of conviction but Of others, also,
made relative 10 other parties who were
executed under sentence passed upon them
by the Military Commission at Washington.
The following. relative to the trial and
hanging Of Captain WRz, is from the peu
Of his counsel, Mr.. LOUIS ScyADE, with
whom we have a personal acquaintance,
and who has had an opportunity to learn
the facts, having been employed IN the
Census Department at Washington. We
have not room for the fun statement to-
day, but win complete It tomorrow or
Monday. Here is what Mr.. SCHApE says:
THE wIW TRIAL.
We insert the following important and
interesting statement, advanced p~roOfshects
Of which we have received from Mr.. Schade /;
To the american Peopie:
Intending to leave the United States for
some time, ! feel It my duty before | start
to fulfill in part n promise which, Il few
hours before his death, | gave to my un-
fortunate client, Captain Wirz, who was
executed at Washington on the 10th day of
November, 1865. Protesting up 70 the last
moment his innocence of those mcnstrous
crimes with which he was charged, he re-
Ceived my word that, having failed to save
him from a tClOn's doom, ! would, as long
rs ! lived, 40 every thing in my power to
clear his memory. | did that the more
readily, as Twas then already perfectly con
WINGED that he suffered wrQngfully. Since
that TIM his unfortunate children, both
here and in Europe. have constantly i'm
plorcd me to wipe out the terrible stains
which now cover the name OF their father.
Though times do not seem propitious for
obtaining full justice. yet, considering that
man Is mortal, | will, before entering upon
n pcrilous voyage, perform my duty to
those innocent orphans and also to myself.
| will now give a brief statement OF the
causes which lei to the arrest and eNecu-
ton OF Captain Wirz. In April, 1865. Presi-
dent johnson issued a proclamation stating
that, from evidence in the possession of the
bureau of Military Justice it appeared
that Jefferson Davis was implicated in the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and for
that reason the President offered Il reward
VI "iN'sNbb VII Aii' NhI'Nl' VI III AllNll lhEl-
tive cN-President Of the Southern Confed-
eracy. That testimony has since been
found to be entirely false and Il mere fabri-
cation, and the suborner Conover is now
under sentence in the Jail Of this city. the
two peTjurers, whom he suborned, having
turned State evidence against him, whilst
the individual, by whom Conover was sub
Orned, has not yet been brought to justice.
Certain high and influential enemies of
Jefferson Davis, either then already aware
of the character of the testimony of these
witnesses, or not thinking their testimony
quite sufficient to hang jeff Davis, expected
to find the wanting material in the ter.
rible mortality of Union prisoners at An
Jacksonville. Orders were issued according
ly to arrest a subaltern officer, Captain
WirZ, n poor. friendless and wounded pris,
oner of war (he being included in the sur
render of General Johnston). and besides
n foreigner by birth. On the 18th of May he
was placed in the Old Capitol Prison n
Washington, and from that time the greater
part Ofthe Northern press was busily en-
gagged In forming the unfortunate man IN
the eyes of the Northern people into such
a monster that IL became almost impossible
for him to obtain counsel. Even his coun-
trymen. the Swiss Consul General, publicly
refused to accept money to defray the eX-
penses of the trial! He was doomed before
he was heard-and even the permission to
NC utdIu HCCOTullR 10 law was uelllcu MN,
To increase the excitement and give eclat
to the proceeding, and to inflame still more
the public mind, the trial took place under
the very dome Ofthe Capitol of the nation.
\ military commission, presided over by
one of the most arbitrary and dcspotiC
Generals in the country, was formed. aut
the parOled prisoner OF war, his wound
still open, and so feeble that he had to re.
cline during the trial on Il sofa. carried be,
fore the same. How the trial was conduct
ed the whole world knows. The enemies
of generosity and humanity believed i
then TO be a sure thing to get at Jefferson
Davis.
Therefore. the first charge was that o
conspiracy between WirZ, jefferson Davis
Seldom, Howell Cobb, r. b. Widner, and
number of others, to kill the Union prison
ers. The trial lasted for three months, bu
unfortunately for the bloodthirsty insti
gators not a particle of evidence wa pro
duced showing the existence of such a con
spiracy yet Captain Wirz was found guilt
of that charge! Having thus failed anOthe
effort was made. On the night before tn,
execution of the prisoner a telegram wa
sent TO the Northern press from this city
stating that Wirz had made important dis
closures to General l.. G. Baker, the well
known detective, duplicating jeff. Davis
and that the confession would probably b,
given to the public. On the same evenin!
'lii pAlblNS ANN W VIC tbllltN@OI VI W lIL
Rev. Father Boyle, and also to me, one o
them Informing me that Il high Cabinet of
fcer wished to assure Wirz that If he woult
implicate jefferson Davis with the atrOci
ties committed at Andersonville his sen
tence would be committed. He, the mes
senger, or whoever he was, requested m,
to inform WirZ of this. In presence o
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 no
know anything about Jefferson Davis. ii
had no connection with me as to what wa
done at AndersOnville. i'll knew anything
of him | would not become n traitor agains
him or anybody else. even to save my life.
He likewise denied that he had made an.
statement whatever to General Baker. Thu
ended the attempt to suborn Captain Wiz
against jeff. Davis. That alone shows viii
a man he was. How many of his defamel
would have done the same? With hi
wounded arm in Il sling the poor parole
prisoner mounted, two hours later, I'll
scaffold. His last words were that he die
innocent-and so he did, The 10th day
November, 1865, viii indeed bel black stat
on the pages of American history.
To weaken the effect Of his declaration
innocence, and of the noble name |
which Wirz died, Il telegram was mani