The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-07-12
The Trial of Surratt.

4uS AIl1l OF ouIEatC-
The prosecution in the trial OF JOHN Fl.
SURRATr for conspiracy in the murder of
President LINCOLN rested their case on the
9Th inst, and the testimony for SURRATT
is now being taken.
Mr.. BRADLEY, Attorney for the prisoner,
seems to be sanguine of the innocence of
his client. He opened the case for the de-
fense, and spoke as follows
''He expected to prove the innocence of
the prisoner and the pure fame of his
mother. They would contradict John NJ.
Lloyd, a self-proclaimed low groveling
drunkard, in many important particulars.
Mrs. Offutt would contradict his statement
from sober stand-poin AS to WEIGH
man, a man who was treated as a son by
the murdered woman, man whose dast-
ard heart made him quake for his position,
it will be proven that it was not one of the
conspirators who called at Mrs. Surratt's.
She did not answer the door that night
She never said the murder of Lincoln was
a punishment on this people for their pride
and licen tiousness. That the conversation
detailed by Weichman as taking place at
the breakfast table, April 18th had no place
except in the brain of the witness. 1t
will be proven that Weichman was at all
times under arrest. His confession will be
shown, and it will be proven that he was
intimate with the conspirators. That the
information which he obtained at the War
Department, which would be of benefit to
the rebels, was communicated to blockade
runners. The mans character will be
fully shown.
''As to the testimony of Joseph NJ Dye,
the dreamer, We will produce the man who
looked in the carriage and the man who
called the time-l0 minutes past i0-in an
audible voice. We will further prove the
record of Dyes indictment as counterfeiter,
and that he never had any conversation
with Mrs. Surratt, as sworn to. As to Da
vid C. Reed, gambler of 20 years, if al
lowed We will contradict him out of his own
mouth, and prove his Indictment for a
criminal offense, and that he is unworthy
Of belief Cooper's testimony is so indis-
tinct that it is unnecessary to contradict
him. We will contradict John Libby,
showing that he never saw or knew John
Surratt before testifying, and is not enti-
tied to any credit upon his oath. Another
witness, VIM. f. Clever, fresh from Jail
for the murder, in the vilest manner, of
little girl, who, after manipulation by the
vilest of criminals, Conover, swears that
he saw Surratt on the l4th of April. A
worthy successor to Clever is Vanderpool,
who will be shown to be utterly infamous,
and will prove that he could not have seen
the afternoon performance at Metropolitan
Hall, because none took place. As to the
testimony of Wood, the barber, it will be
shown that he is mistaken.
"Mr. Bradley reviewed the testimony of
other Witnesses and concluded We will
trace Surratt from Richmond, March, 1865,
to Montreal in April. We will show he
was not near Washington except when
brought back in the .Saodtara. Surratt, on
April the l4th and 18th was not within
four hundred miles of Washington.
1t will be shown that he went to
a certain town and registered his
name Jno. Harrison, and returned there
to attend mission that he was entrusted
with and was there on April the l4th. 1t
will be shown that the register of that ho-
tel has mysteriously disappeared. He will
be followed back to Montreal, where he ar
rived April 18th. Facts and circumstances
will be shown to conclusively demonstrate
that Surratt could not have got to the places
named for the purpose of covering up his
tracks. 1t will be shown that while Sur
ratt was in Montreal after the assassination,
he was not allowed to read newspaper in
his place of concealment, and was not
aware of his mothers peril until the event
of her execution, and then wanted to has
ten to Washington to give himselfup He
was not permitted to do SO as will be shown.
He first heard that he was implicated in
the assassination at Albany, and then turn
ed back to Montreal. He did not fee for
fear, but because he knew that Justice had
dropped her scales when she entered that
building at the foot of l street. AS to
the handkerchief of which so much had
been said, it will be shown that it was not
dropped by Surratt, but by an officer of
the government who was in pursuit, and
who carried it with him for purpose. 1t
will be shown that the government knew
the officer who dropped the handkerchief,
but did not choose to divuIge it, The de-
tense would also show the agreement be-
tween the conspirators, signed by them,
and upon which neither the name Mrs
Surratt nor John Surratt appears. This
agreement will be produced as it came from
the chief conspirators, and containing the
genuine signatures, in which they pledge
themselves to commit the act of assassina-
ton, and that upon it neither the names
of Mrs. Surratt nor John Surratt appear,
and after these facts the jury cannot be ask
ed to say that the prisoner is guilty OF the
chorpe nreferred against him !"