Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-08-16
review OF a Famous TriaI-spau.

Review OF a Famous TriaI.-Span-
dauer, the man who attempted to swear
away the life of John II. Surratt, who is so
intimately known in this county from his
long residency here, died in the Maryland
Penitentiary on Friday of last week. The
following circumstances of Spandauer's
criminal effort have been related to the Bal
timore Sun by Mr.. John T. Ford
"At the trial, which lasted several weeks,
the government attempted to prove that Sur
raft was in Washington on April ID, 1865,
but failed to find witnesses to establish this.
Spandauer appeared and offered, for con-
sderation, to furnish five witnesses to prove
the presence OF Surratt in Washington on
the night in question and on his way from
it, making his escape. He was engaged and
produced the witnesses he proposed to put
upon the stand to swear away the life OF
Surratt, and in which he came very near
being successful. One of these, then residing
on Lombard street, near Frederick, became
frightened at what he had agreed to do and
its probable results, and went to II Mr.. Wiel,
a prominent Israelite, now dead, but who
then lived on Frederick street, and revealed
TO him the proposal that Spandauer had
made to him and four Others. 1t was that
they were to go to Washington as witnesses
in the case and commit perjury, swearing to
story that Spandauer had concocted, for
which each was to receive 500. He asked
Mr. WiePs advice, and was told to keep
quiet and to go on the stand if required,
but to swear to nothing but the truth. This
he promised to do, Mr.. Wiel assuring him
protection. | was foreman OF the grand
jury about this time, and Mr.. Wiel came to
me at once, both of us being Odd-Fellows,
though knowing each other but slightly. 1t
was midnight when he called, and he told
in graphic manner all that he had heard,
winding up by cursing Spandauer as being
disgrace to his race. He asked my advice,
as the false witness had asked his. l advis
ed him, as he had advised his informant, to
keep quiet about the matter. l went to
Washington the next morning and verified
the information had received | found
Spandauer there and five names registered
at the National Hotel. These, was told,
were those OF men who were important
witnesses in the Surratt trial, which was
then in progress. | then sought Surratrs
counsel, the Hon Richard +. Merrick and
Joseph Ill. Bradley, and tod them of the
plot. Spandauer was to he seen constantly
lowering about the office of the United
States district attorney, and every evidence
confirmed the statement had heard in Bal
timore. The man who informed Mr. Wicl
of the plot gave Il full account OF what
Spandauer had told each man To swear To.
Each story ii ted into the other, and had
the plot been undiscovered it would have
been damaging evidence against Surratt,
anxious AS was the government To convict
him to justify the hanging of his MOTHER
Two men were To swear that they had met
Surratt in Washington on April IA, 1865.
The third, who was MIR. Wiel's informant,
was To testify that he had driven wagon
from Washington to Baltlm ore over the
turnpike On the night Of the Presidents
murder, and that he had been met by Sur
raft just outside OF Washington about mid
night, who asked 10 be allowed to ride with
him; that he consented and took Surratt To
Baltimore. The fourth was to swear that
he met Surratt in Baltimore the next morn
ing and the fifth was TO say the he met
him on the train going To Philadelphia
on the same day. The government had
all these witnesses in the court room on the
last day of the trial, but none Of them were
called upon to testify.
Enquiry by the defense had proved that
no train had left Baltimore for Philadelphia
on the day in question, the 18th Of Aprii, all
having been stopped by the government. IL
was thought that the government had got
ten possession oi this TACT, and it Was one OF
their reasons for not producing Spandauer'
the prosecution rested their case, the coun-
sci lor the defense asked il they were not
going To call the other witnesses who had
been found by Spandauer. The reply was,
No. by Messrs. Edwards Pierreponl, of
New York, and A. q. Riddle, of Washing
ton, the prosecuting attorneys. At this both
Merrlck and Bradley laughed dersively at
their legal opponents The jury disagreed,
and nolle pros. was finally entered. The
case failed because the prosecution could
not prove Surratt's presence in Washing
ton, though the defense brought II dozen
witnesses TO testify as to his having been in
Elmra, N. Y, when President Lincoln was
shot. Some time after il was learned that
the government paid the hotel bills OF Span
dauers witnesses and all ol Span lauer's ex
pens.s in Washington"
Almost all the time since the trial Mr..
Surratt has been living in Baltimore, lead
ing IA retired ME, an Is held in hign esteem
by all who know him. He dislikrs 10 talk
about the case, rs the associations connected
with it are painful 10 him. Some time ago
he had his life Insured, and when the formal
printed question How did your mother
die?" was reached he wrote, She was muir
dercd by the United States government"