AMERICA.

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 72, 24 August 1865, Page 9

AMERICA.

THE ASSASSINATION PLOTS. TRIAL OF THE CONSPIRATORS. The New York papers have been almost exclusively occupied with reports of the trials of the persons alleged to be implicated in the Booth assassination conspiracy. . The court for the trial of the persons engaged in the above conspiracy on the 13th May so far altered its rules as to admit members of the press. A correspondent of 'the • New York Daily Times,' after describing the court and personal appearance of the various prisoners, says : — The last and most prominent of the accused is Mrs Surratt, who sits apart from the other prisoners,at the west end of the reporters' table, and near her counsel. This woman is dressed in full mourning ; she wears her bonnet and veil during the sessions of the commission. Her age is probably \pO. She is a large Amazonian class of a square built, masculine hands, rather full face, dark grey lifeless eye, hair not decidedly dark, complexion swarthy ;. altogether her' face 1 , denotes more thip ordinary intelligence.- She seems too strong to be weighed down by the crushing testimony against her, and whilst conclusive evidence was being rendered, which, if true, makes her part in the horrible tragedy of the most cold-blooded, heartless character, she but once seemed disturbed, lier eye is rather soft in expression and strangely at variance with the general harshness of her other features. She seems a. woman of undaunted mettle, and fittedfor Macbeth's injunction to ' bring forth men children only : ' and yet she does not appear as Lady Macbeth prayed to be, 'from crown to toe-top full of direst cruelty. 3 This unfortunate woman, like the other prisoners, is in irons. - A bar of about 10 inches in length passes from one ancle to the other, and there is attached to an iron band that encircles each leg. Her hands are free. : AH the other prisoners, except Dr. Mudd, are heavily ironed. Thoir feet and ankles are ironed, as in the case of Mrs. Surratt, and attached to each leg is a chain, about 6. feet long, to which is appended a ball weighing 50 4bs. Besides this bar and bands like those about the feat confine their arms. When the prisoners thus heavily ironed are required to move about, the officer in attendance upon each carries the hall. Nearly nil the accused are required to wear a peculiar cap when they return from the court to their rooms. .. The cap is constructed of cotton cloth; pauded, and covers, helmet-like* the entire head and nearly all the face. It was suggested some weeks ago by the attempt of Payne to take his life by butting ]iishea4 against, the prison 1 ! walfe. ! The conduct of all the business of the commission %s entrusted to General Hartrauff, whose position is relatively that of a sheriff to a civil court, or marshal to a United States court; and.the corresponding position of bailiffs are filled by colonels, majors and captains. :Alj business is transacted in a scrupulously J3iguified and orderly manner. Upon entering ,the pourl-rppm we found the Commission en'jgaged 'in' revising tlie minutes or journal of the

proceeding day's ./business,, and ..we ..were in,--structed'by the President tliat whilst we were permitted to hear this journal iead, it was not intended that any portion of this testimony should at this time be given to the puhlic. The reasons assigned for this are such as should satisfy every well-meaning citizen, and when these are given to the public, as they will hereafter be, no "blame can be attached to the government for the secrecy it has observed, nor. for directing that the commission sit with closed doors. ■ The gener il character of the evidence adduced was of the most loose and inconclusive nature, "showing everywhere a strong desire to criminate without having adequate facts in proof. ■':, Some of the witnesses have since been flatly contradicted in their statements, and in one instance, where ah attempt was made to implicate Mr Davis, the witness was shown to have committed perjury and fraud. Perhaps there never was a case of so much public interest in which the evidence was altogether so unsatisfactory. '„...