Type of trial - Debate

[Rob Wick]

John,

Off the top of my head, I'm not sure. The main time I am aware of, which really ties into the war, was during Reconstruction, which is why the act was passed in the first place. All my files are in boxes and I don't have access to them right now. As for the NDP, it was really only "national" in the mind of Lafe Baker. Its main function was to stop bounty jumpers and to investigate other military issues. In fact, when Lincoln was assassinated Lafe and Byron Baker were in New York and Conger was in Virginia investigating bounty jumper claims. It really wasn't a national police force per se. As far as I know, it didn't trump state or local authority, but I have the feeling that at the time of the assassination most people weren't really cognizant of or cared about jurisdictional issues. No one really expected the D.C. police department to lead the investigation given that it didn't have the manpower or resources required to do so. Plus, given D.C.'s "neither fish nor fowl" status, I wonder if jurisdictional questions would even come into play. Mind you, I'm not saying they wouldn't, but i don't know that they would have.

Lafe really got lucky with the capture of Booth. Even though Stanton called for him to come to Washington and help in the investigation, and he was partly responsible for the reward being offered, he was just one of several involved. Had he not been hanging around the telegraph office when the report came in that two men had crossed the Potomac, he likely wouldn't have been as lucky.

Best
Rob

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(03-12-2013 11:38 AM)Hess1865 Wrote:  Who was the other Rebel executed for war crimes??

Champ Ferguson.

Best
Rob