Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-01-22
oooM OF THE CONSIDERATIONS.
scenes Mt tho Trial OF the Asssss'.' %
President Lincoln.

scencs ut tho Trial OF the Asssss'.s VI
President Lincoln.
The courtroom in which were trleo
IN May, 1865, the eight consplrators ar
raipned for being concerned in the pios
AGAINST the lives of the heads OF inc
government was a place OF fascinating
and perhaps morbid interest, writes
Noah Brooks IN Century, put !. was
finally opened to those who coulo pro
cure passes from the president OF Vno
court The room in which the trial was
held is part of the great United states
arsenal establishment, attached 10
which is the penitentiary in which the
conspirators were confined. 1t IS on
| the hanks of the Potomac, in the SUD-
urbs of the city. Entering an old
fashioned brick building, one was
shown into large, bare room on the
ground floor, where sat couple OF
staff officers receiving the credentials
of those who applied for admission.
They sent these up to the court, where
an officer inspected them, and returned
them, If satisfactory, with the desired
card of admission. ..4l1..
A narrow flight Of stairs brought the
visitor to small chamber in the second
story, where lot Of orderlies were
lounging about, and an officer inspect.
ed ones pass. After another flight OF
stairs, another inspection OF the pass
permitted one to enter the courtroom
which was in the third story. 1t was
. an apartment about twenty-five fee,
wide and thirty feet long, the entrance
being at the end opposite the peniten
, tiary. Looking up the room one saw
that it was divided lengthwise into tive
, parts, the portion on the right being
occupied by the court, sitting around
long, green-covered table, Gen. Hunte
> at one end and Judge Advocate Genera
, Holt with his assistants at the other.
: The part of the room which was no
/ occupied by the court was rallied OF
S and was taken up with few seats to
C reporters and spectators generally, VIII
e were crowded confusedly about, an
:, rested as best they could against tn
Y bare, whitewashed walls OF the room
q At the farther end of the apartmer
It was a wooden railing, behind which, Q
q narrow, raised platform, sat the a
n cused men, all in a solemn row, wit
n an armed soldier sitting between ever
re two persons. At the left-hand corn
d behind them was heavy iron do
x, opening into the corridor along whl'
s, were the cells of the prisoners. Ea'
1T one of the accused was manacled nal
h and foot. and sat grimly against T.
lie wall, facing the court and the w
Of nesses, the witness-stand being a rails
Il, box in the center of the room.
vc The appearance and demeanor OF t
e. court, it must be admitted. were Meth
IT, solemn nor impressive. The memoe
vn of the commission sat about in vario
or negligent attitudes, and general
pearance of disorder was evident. Ma
Id ladies were present, and their II
r. pressible whispering was continl
up nuisance to the reporters, who desir
Ike to keep track of the evidence. L
in witnesses were first examined by
ng judge-advocate, the members of
lg- court putting in a question now a
of then, and the counsel for the prison
ey taking up the cross-examination, ca
he counsellor attending only to the "
ley ness whose testimony affected his o
for client. The witnesses were brought
INT without regard to any particular or
ol- inal, all being tried at once. DC
in sionally an attorney for one priso
ay, would develop" the witness under
ra- animation in such manner as to mi
ec, the cause of another Of the defendaI
ich and then petty quarrel would en-
between the different counsel.