Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-05-15

70 tne OnlIeu SCdueS COuTJS. Iuo pTobr
dent assured them that he would see
no injustice done, and would act at the
right time.
Meanwhile the court-martial was
organized to convict" to quote semi
official utterance of the time.
The chief of one of the navy depart
ment bureaus wrote in letter which
was brought out in the trial Smith
was "a dead cock in the pitt from the
start.
The court-martia1 assembled at the
Charlestown navy yard September 20,
1864. The testimony was concluded
on December 13. The arguments were
finished on January IL, 1865, after
sitting of 20 days.
Although there was ample testimony
that the kind of tin supplied by Smith
did not differ materially from that
named in his contract, the defendant
was found guilty, and was sentenced
to Imprisonment for five years, and
to pay fine of $4,000.
Secretary Welles, at the solicitation
of the Massachusetts delegation, de-
layed the execution of the sentence
and placed the testimony in the hands
of counsel of the department for exam
ination and report. That report, which
covers 62 foolscap pages, sustained the
action of the court-martial and was
adopted by Secretary Welles and sent
to the president.
The conspirators were jubilant at
the outcome, but their jubilation was
checked when the president sent to
the navy department for all the papers
in the case.
These he handed to Sumner.
make me a brief of them," he said,
"and bring it to me tomorrow, for the
day after 1 am going to Richmond
Sumner took the papers to his house
across Lafayette square, worked on
them all day and most of the night,
and next morning had a review OF
them ready in rough manuscript, OF
which Maj. Ben Perley Poore, then his
private secretary, made a fair copy
by four o'clock in the afternoon.
It was five o'clock when Sumner,
papers in hand, returned to the White
House. Lincoln was sitting in his car
riage under the portico, waiting for
Mrs. Lincoln to come down to go
driving Putting his foot on the hub
Of the wheel, Sumner, wrought up to a
high pitch of righteous anger, poured
forth an eloquent torrent of denuncia-
ton against Smiths prosecutors, which
was interrupted by the arrival of Mrs.
Lincoln.
Come, Sumner" said Lincoln, that
speech is too good to be lost. Get in
here and take ride with u.s."
Sumner talked most of the way on
the drive, and fully convinced the pres
ident that the injustice done Mr.. Smith
was grave and despicable.
The president fisally said: Come
around in the morning and I'll fix
this up
mo, Mr.. President" said Sumner,
rising to his feet in the carriage, you
must not sleep until you have righted
this wrong"
VERY WELL" said the president, II
have engagements after dinner until
ten o'clock, but come then and we'll
finish this up"
| At ten o'clock, in a driving storm,
Sumner crossed to the White House,
and, finding Lincoln alone, went over
the case with him again, and then left
with the presidents promise that be-
fore he slept he would write his de-
cision, which Sumner should see in the
morning.
At nine o'clock the next morning
Sumner was once more in the presi-
dents room, and Lincoln was reading
an Endorsement he had made on the
papers, setting aside the courts de-
cision.
Even Sumner was satisfied.
"And now, Sumner" said Lincoln
"let me read you something" For hall
an hour Sumner, fretting to get away
and telegraph the good news to Bos
ton, had to listen to Nasby-Petrole
um V.
Many of the last generation Of Bos
tonians will remember the gratifica
tion with which Lincoln's decision in
the Smith case was received. Some
will perhaps remember that 1t was
Lincoln's last important decision. Thai
day he went to Richmond. In few
days, it seemed but day, he had re
turned and was assassinated.