Trial reporter related to defendant

[Jim Woodall]

I am new to the forums and was looking for an interesting way to introduce myself. Seeing how you all are so wonderful in your research and puzzle and riddle solving, I thought I would introduce myself through a poser of a question which I do not believe you all have covered.

I have been doing my family genealogy which family lore had said we were related to a particular defendant in the trial (please bear with the mystery for now) whom I have determined was a cousin to my fourth great grandmother.

In doing my research, I determined that her grandson, from her first marriage, was a reporter for one of the local DC papers. Furthermore, he covered the trial of the conspirators and supposedly was there for the executions. He probably knew he was related to the defendant in question because his grandmother and her brother were associated with the defendant in earlier times (very much accepted in the general history). His father is not fully accepted as having direct earlier contact with the defendant but I believe it to be more likely than not.

POSER:
So, does anyone know who the reporter is, who is his grandmother and who is the defendant?

If this is an inappropriate manner of introduction, I apologize ahead of time and will put out the answers forthrightly upon indication.

Those who have had contact with me directly and have had the answer, more or less, before them - Please allow the others the opportunity to answer.

If requested, I will provide further clues.

Oh, one more clue - the reporter is mentioned at least once and maybe twice already on these message boards.

Enjoy.