Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1865-01-18 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE ST. ALBAN'S RAIDERS.  The trial of Lieutenant Young and the other recaptured raiders commenced on Tuesday, the 37th of Deeimber, in the Superior Court at Montreal, before Mr Justice Smith. It was stated that there were several charges against the prisoners, but it was contended on behalf of the priaoners that the only question to be iaised before that Court was the extradition of the accused, whose conviction on au charges would be no biitter than conviction on one. A commitment on one would answer all the purpose& of the counsel for the United States.  Judge Smith said there were but two warrants before him, and the case of Brooks stood first for examination. So far as both were concerned, the choice lay between them. _  --It was then decided to proceed with the case of Brecks. Cyrus N. Bishop, teller of the St. Alban's Bank, was sworn :—He related the facts with regard to the robbery of this bank by Collins, Spurr, and three other raiders on the day of the St. Alban's raid. While the parties were in the bank a merchant, named Samuel Brecks, came to the door, rapped, and was admitted by the raiders. They then seized him and demanded his money, which he stated was private property. Witness told Brecks it was better for him to give up his money, which he did. Witness learnt it was about 400 dollars United States' currency. The parties threatened that if Brecks gave any alarm they would shoot him. In re-exam nation Bishop stated that the raiders were ' dressed in plain clothes. Os Thursday Joseph F. Butterworth, a Confederate soldier, of Kentucky, was examined. Ile said he knew several of the prisoners, Young and Spurr particularly. His evidence was to the effect that the prisoners hail admitted to him that they went to St. Alban's for the purpose of taking the money from the banks and burning the town. He also said,— When I saw Spurr and Young in Chicago during the time of the Convention I understood that they were there for the purpose or releasing the Confederate soldiers at Camp Douglas. There was an organization than going on there for that purpose. I was told by some of my fri,•nds whom I knew to be Confederate soldiers, and also by 'Young and Spurr, that they were in the Confederate array. I was informed during the time that I was in Chicago that a raid or raids ware being organized there for the purpose of plundering and burning Northern frontier tow.. I was aware that Young mid Spurr were then engaged in organizing such raid or raids."  -The trial was proceeding with the greatest despatch. At the opening of the Assizes at Toronto Judge Morrison, in the course of his charge, characterized the way in which the raiders had been discharged as "very extraordinary and precipitate," and alluding to the plea that the doings of the raiders were acts of war he said— Without admitting for an instant that, even if they were, it would form a ground for their discharge, I fail loser that, while the actual seat of wr.r is several hundred miles li,,tant from our frontier, a mere incursion of. f,:w men, secretly contrived and without the ordinary features , or emblems id a warlike expedition, resulting io an inroadti le takingiuti upon f et ht terr lives itory yoitif a ho o h Iht gbeoruerhi and u country,hoitahntid_ (e)n I tai and the plunderinm theist of their propeaty.  and escaping into this conutry with their plunder,—l may I fail to see that such acts are entitled to be treated as acts of war. If it wore otherwise, the most moinitroue and revolting mimes might be perpretratsd under such pretexts, and being coininmed on the borders f friendly and contiguous States, as in the present instance, the offenders womb] escape the punishment that such crimes deserve. War, ae understood and carried on among civilized nations, has enough evils and calamities without extending its horrors to murder and robbery, such as I refer to. As well might it have been argued during the Crimes. War that if a row desperate men entered any part of our province from the United States and murdered and robbed our people, and invited tely fled thereafter within the American frontier, they were, under the pretext that their crimes' were acts of war in aid of !tussle, entitled to proteetioo, anil within thu tri.rity One's common sense revolts at any law, intcrnational or otherwise, being invoked to protect the perpet,itors of of such atroeitie, and crimes from being amenable to the laws of the outraged country."