The National tribune., 1898-02-24

corn to have stopped the scurvy; the MAS
matte effluvia from the prison was exceedingly
offensive and poisonous, sOmuch so that wher
| the Surgeons received slight scratch ON their
persons they carefully covered it up with
court-plaster before venturing near the
prison.
A number of other rebel Surgeons testified
| to substantially the same facts Several resi-
dents of that section of the State testified to
the plentiiulness of the crops there in 1864.
| In addition to these about one hundred and
| fifty Union prisoners were examined, who
| testified to all manner of barbarities that had
come under their personal observation. They
| had all seen Wirz shoot men, had seen him
knock sick and crippled,men down and stamp
upon them, had been run down by him with
hounds, etc.
The taking of this testimony occupied
| until Oct. Is, when the Government decided
to close the case as any further evidence
would be simply cumulative.
The prisoner presented a statement in
which he denied that he had been an ac-
complete in a conspiracy Of John II. Winder
and others, to destroy the lives of United
States soldiers; he also denied that there had
been such a conspiracy, but made the per-
tinent inquiry why he alone, of all those
who were charged with the conspiracy, was
brought to trial. He said that "Winder has
gone to the great judgment seat, to answer for
all his thoughts, words and deeds, and surely
l am not to be held culpable for them Gen
Howell Cobb has received the pardon of
the President of the United States" He fur
Their claimed that there was no principle of
law that would sanction the holding of him
mere subordinate-guilty, for simply obey
ing, as literally as possible, the orders of his
superiOrs.
He denied all the specific acts of cruelty
alleged against him, such rs maltreatng and
killing prisoners with his own hands. The
prisoners killed for crossing the dead line
he claimed should not be charged against
him, since they were simply punished for the
violation of a known order which formed part
of the discipline, he believed, of all military
prisons
AS to the lack Of shelter, room and rations
for SO many prisoners, he claimed that the
sole responsibility rested upon the COnfeder-
ate Government There never were but two
prisoners whipped by his order, and these
were for sufficient cause He asked the court
to consider favorably two important items in
his defense first, that he had of his own ac-
cord taken the drummer-boys from the Stock
ade, and placed them where they could get
property taken from prisoners was retained
by him, but was turned over to the Prison
Quartermaster.
The court after due deliberation, declared
the prisoner guilty on all the charges and
specifications save two unimportant ones, and
sentenced him to be hanged by the neck
until dead, at such time and place as the
President of the United States should direct
Nov. President Johnson approved of the
sentence, and ordered Maj Gen. C. G.. Augur
to carry the same into effect on Friday, Nov.
TO- which was done. The prisoner made
frantic appeals against the sentence.
When all hope was gone he nerved himself
up to meet his fate, and died, as thousands of
other scoundrels have, with calmness His
body was buried lii the grounds of the Old
Capitol Prison, alongside of that of Atzerodt,
one OF the accomplices in the assassination of
President Lincoln. &
TO be continued.