The Defence, before the fury of those, sounded almost meaningless. Even the judges showed their boredom: there was nothing novel about a man’s defence. The accusations, at least, had a certain interest, for they were levelled by such disparate people. The courtroom was forty-five feet long and thirty feet wide. It had four badly placed windows. The judges sat against one wall, the reporters and the Defence Counsel against the wall opposite. The witness stand was in the middle. The prisoners sat on a raised dais at one end of the room, so they could see and be seen. The room had new furniture and was freshly painted. It had been fitted up for the trial. But after a few days it smelled dingy and discouraged enough. Atzerodt, Arnold, Spangler, Herold, and O’Laughlin were only small fry. Not much was to be said either about them, or in their defence. Along that far wall, only Mrs. Surratt and Dr. Mudd were worth the catching, only that insensate giant Payne worth the pulling down.
What do You think about The Judges Of The Secret Court?
