Assassination of Lincoln: a History of the Great Conspiracy: Trial of the Conspirators by a Military Commission, and a Review of the Trial of John H. SurrattHarris, T. M. (Thomas Mealey)
History
Assassination of Lincoln: a History of the Great Conspiracy: Trial of the Conspirators by a Military Commission, and a Review of the Trial of John H. Surratt
Harris, T. M. (Thomas Mealey)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Assassination; Surratt, John H. (John Harrison), 1844-1916
This witness was intolerable to them because of the directness and
force of his testimony. In self-defense the Doctor was provoked into
making the following remark: He said he would tell the counsel (Mr.
Merrick), and if he was not deaf, he could hear, and repeated his
answer, adding that Mr. Merrick had insulted witness the other day, and
that it was the act of a coward and a sneak. The Court here cautioned
the witness that such language was not becoming, but also remarked
"that it was not becoming in counsel to try to worry witness into bad
temper."
Witness stated "that Mr. Merrick had remarked the other day that all
the witnesses in the adjoining room ought to go to the penitentiary, or
something to that effect; that he was just as good as Merrick."
On the following day, at the opening of the court, Mr. Bradley said:
"If your honor please, before we proceed with the trial of this case,
I beg leave to call the attention of the Court to an incident which
occurred just before the adjournment yesterday, and to ask that the
notes of the reporter may be read. Your honor was very much occupied at
the time, and I desire that the record may be read in order that you
may see what passed, and what led to the attack made by the witness
upon the stand upon the counsel with whom I am associated, your honor,
without having heard what passed at that time, if not in precise words
yet in substance, censured the counsel to whom these observations were
addressed. I think, in looking at it, your honor will see that there
was no provocation given; and that if there was, it is due to the
dignity of this court, and to the protection of the members of the bar,
to which they are entitled at the hands of the Court, that some notice
should be taken of what then passed." After the reading of so much of
the report as related to the matter, the Court spoke as follows: "I did
not hear what was said by the witness in regard to the gunboats, for
the reason that I was at the time occupied in preparing some passes
for a friend. When my attention was called to the remark made use of
by the witness towards the counsel, I was under the impression that he
had been provoked to it by something that had been said by the counsel.
I cannot, however, perceive in the record which has been read anything
which ought to have called forth, or which justifies, the expression of
the witness. I will say now to the witness, that although Mr. Merrick
did say a few days ago, in regard to the witnesses who were in the
adjoining room (which Mr. Bradley had called a penitentiary) that they
(the witnesses) would soon be in another penitentiary, or words to that
effect, it is not the privilege of a witness to take exception in the
way he did to any remarks made in the court room. He may appeal to the
Court to protect him if he is aggrieved." [Turning to witness] "You
must not, hereafter, in your examination, make use of any expressions
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account