Media Coverage of the Conspiracy Trial

[BettyO]

The Conspiracy Trial was held from May 10, 1865, concluding June 29, 1865. During this time at first the press was not admitted, but subsequently was allowed into the courtroom about a week later.

Do you think that the press offered good coverage of the trial? Was the coverage accurate? Was it perhaps slanted in order to sell newspapers?

As the prime media of the period, how well do you think that the trial was covered?

[RJNorton]

Betty, I am not knowledgeable on this topic, but didn't the coverage tend toward sensationalism (at least to some degree)? They would spend a lot of time describing the facial reactions and mannerisms of the accused and perhaps embellishing somewhat on their courtroom behavior. Wasn't there a lot of editorializing when it came to those on trial? And didn't the press make an issue of the fact that Mary Walker attended court?

[BettyO]

Roger,

To me at least, I think that sensationalism (definitely built to sell newspapers!) was a top priority at the time. Yes, a lot of the descriptions of the conspirators in the prisoner's dock were very much sensationalized to the point that if you actually saw the persons described that you would not be able to recognize them from the press reports - or so it would seem. Some of the most popular reports described the prisoners in minute detail - from their expressions, to their dress to their mannerisms, etc. and that is what I find so very, very interesting. A lot of coverage was given to the ladies who attended the trial - even those with a somewhat "scandalous" reputation; such as "female reporter" Jane Swisshelm to the dress of Dr. Mary Walker who attended much to the amusement of the prisoners in the dock.

[L Verge]

I believe that the author of a new book on this subject is a member of this forum. Glenn A. Cheney has authored How A Nation Grieves on just this topic and focuses on press accounts rather than on Lincoln and the assassination itself. Mr. Cheney will be doing a book signing at the Surratt conference in March, and I hope that he will hop into this thread and string it along for us.

[Linda Anderson]

Here are some negative descriptions of the four conspirators who were hanged.

Philadelphia Inquirer, May 11, 1865
"Payne, the contract murderer from Canada"
"Mary Surratt, the female fiend incarnate"

New York Times May 15, 1865
"Looking again to the right, and omitting the alternate guard, we come to one of the most remarkable faces in the group; a face which, once seen, may never be forgotten; one whose moral status is readily determined by making a survey of his face...thin lips and slightly twisted mouth, curved unsymmetrically a little to the left of the middle line of the face; a wild, savage looking man, bearing no scientialla of culture or refinement -- the most perfect type of the ingrain, hardened criminal. The reader who has read newspaper descriptions of this man will not guess his name -- the very opposite of my picture is that which has been given to the public, and yet mine is a truthful pen-likeness and just estimate of LEWIS PAYNE, who has been represented in appearance as almost the reverse of what I have here stated. Those who look upon the criminal will agree with me that he is almost monstrum homendum."

Philadelphia Inquirer "Trial of the Assassins," May 16, 1865
"PAYNE Sits as erect as a statue, except when he leans over to converse with his counsel. Lieutenant-Colonal Doster, law partner of J.H. Paulston, who seems to take considerable interest in this vile wretch. His countenance exhibits the most wanton recklessness while the fiend seems to be engraven upon every feature."

"Atzeroth [sic] Is the most restless and nervous of anyone. His whole bearing indicates the craven coward, and the great wonder is that he was ever entrusted to do a great deed of blood that could not be done in the dark."

Boston Daily Advertiser, May 20, 1865
"Mrs. Surratt unveiled her face for the first time since the trial opened to enable a witness to identify her. She is rather a good-looking woman of her age, but wears a jaded and despairing expression. Herold has been induced to comb his hair and wash his face, and has less the aspect of an imbecile than he has worn heretofore."

Daily National Republican, June 16, 1865. "Payne was dressed in his mixed grey shirt and has the same, horrid unconcerned look...Mrs. Surratt still hides her guilty face with her fan and veil."

[ReignetteC]

And on the day following the execution, the "New York Herald" provided "Sketches of the Criminals," highlights of which are noted as follows:


Surratt
"Mrs. Surratt, who was naturally a woman of strong mind and nerves, appears to have gradually contracted a habit of decision not characteristic of or common with her sex. She appears to have been masculine not only in person and manners, but mind; and throughout every detail of the conspiracy she appears as stolid and determined as Payne and as desperate and dramatic as Booth."

Paine/Payne/Powell
"A tall figure, thickly but squarely built, a stolid and indifferent expression of countenance, wearing his hair long and neglected, a low forehead lit up by two bright, glaring eyes, and with general features of a desperate cast, he formed a picture in admirable keeping with that of Mrs. Surratt."

Herold
"He had acquired at Washington such a reputation as a liar for lying’s sake; was so fond of being thought to excel in vice, would tell of such deeds of iniquity as all knew he never had performed, and was withal at times so perverse that while people around the Navy Yard call him a fool, many vary the description by styling him a wicked fool and a slanderer."

Atzerodt
"His peculiar face and manner made one instinctively distrust him. . . . The manners of Atzerodt were rough and unpleasant in the extreme, his jests obscene and coarse."

[Jim Garrett]

   

(12-29-2012 05:48 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Roger,

To me at least, I think that sensationalism (definitely built to sell newspapers!) was a top priority at the time. Yes, a lot of the descriptions of the conspirators in the prisoner's dock were very much sensationalized to the point that if you actually saw the persons described that you would not be able to recognize them from the press reports - or so it would seem. Some of the most popular reports described the prisoners in minute detail - from their expressions, to their dress to their mannerisms, etc. and that is what I find so very, very interesting. A lot of coverage was given to the ladies who attended the trial - even those with a somewhat "scandalous" reputation; such as "female reporter" Jane Swisshelm to the dress of Dr. Mary Walker who attended much to the amusement of the prisoners in the dock.

Speaking of ladies attending the trial, Cary Delery of the Historical Shop had an original trial pass signed by Hunter. It was made out to, "Mr. McConnell and five ladies". He theorized they were there to show support for Mrs. Surratt. I think they were there for Lewis Powell

[BettyO]

Quote:Speaking of ladies attending the trial, Cary Delery of the Historical Shop had an original trial pass signed by Hunter. It was made out to, "Mr. McConnell and five ladies". He theorized they were there to show support for Mrs. Surratt. I think they were there for Lewis Powell.

I have to agree, Jim. A LOT of ladies, Clover Adams amongst them, visited the court room and were very anxious to get a look at the conspirators; particularly Powell. According to the memoirs of Clover Adams, she too went to see the conspirators and described how Powell was the most handsome man in the room and that Herold was a "pretty little man"..... sounds to me like each of the conspirators had their own bunch of groupies.

Seriously, though....do you think that the prisoners, as described in the papers were meant to sell more papers via sensationalism? I do. I also see it as a means of garnering interest in the trial and much to General Hunter's and Hartranft's probable headaches, a clamoring for passes to get into the courtroom to watch the proceedings -

Certainly, Clover Adams describes it as exciting entertainment for a rainy day and even spoke to the guards to get "inside" information on how the prisoners reacted from everything concerning the trial to the few "gifts" that they received from anxious ladies in the courtroom viewing the trial.

[Houmes]

(12-29-2012 05:01 PM)BettyO Wrote:  The Conspiracy Trial was held from May 10, 1865, concluding June 29, 1865. During this time at first the press was not admitted, but subsequently was allowed into the courtroom about a week later.

Do you think that the press offered good coverage of the trial? Was the coverage accurate? Was it perhaps slanted in order to sell newspapers?

As the prime media of the period, how well do you think that the trial was covered?

For an interesting view on current news media use and misuse, compare the newspaper content of 1865 with this article about recent school shootings, online: http://www.salon.com/2012/12/29/do_media...shootings/

[Gene C]

These quotes are making O'Reilly's book look a little bit better

[Rob Wick]

As some of you know, I spent 14 years in journalism working for small community newspapers. Most of the time my beat consisted of covering city council meetings and taking pictures of large turnips. However, when I worked for the paper in Marion, Illinois, I became part of some big stories (big from my perspective). Let me say that I've seen the ultimate in mediocrity from several journalists (although it seemed most of it came from television reporters rather than print), but I've also seen the power used in a very good way. Most people don't like journalists simply because our first mission is to report the news regardless of who is involved. Of course some do it better than others, but most of the time what we wrote or what appeared on TV was something that someone didn't want known. I have been accused of being insensitive when I covered the funeral of two teens killed in a car accident, but I went there quietly and didn't try to speak to the families involved. I just wanted to see how people try to handle crushing grief. For every person who thought I was insensitive, a number also complimented what I wrote.

As for media coverage of the conspirators, competition makes for coverage that from a distant perspective seems salacious and unnecessary, but speaking as one who got scooped, that makes you less likely to want to let it happen again.

Let me close with one final point. People seem to forget that first and foremost, news is a business. To remain in business it must be profitable. It remains profitable only by the number of advertisers it has. This notion that news people sensationalize something to sell newspapers is just fantasy. Selling newspapers for a quarter or 50 cents doesn't amount to anything. Selling advertising is what makes any news organization hum. And if news executives (who are far and away politically conservative as opposed to those in the newsroom) thought that public outrage would stop people from advertising, you would see a massive sea change in every news room in America. Yet that hasn't happened.

Best
Rob

[L Verge]

Clover Adams sounds like one of those French revolutionists who would have sat by the guillotine for hours seeking entertainment...

I suspect that the average journalist and reader of the Civil War era had little understanding of the legal jargon and maneuverings that were going on in that courtroom, so they resorted to writing and demanding more personal reporting and exposes.

I'll never forget when Joan Chaconas and I were doing some research on Mary Surratt and ran across the word "virago" used in describing her. Finding a definition for that can be your trivia search for the day.

[Gene C]

Virago was Yamah's first V- twin cruiser motorcycle and one of the worlds first mass-produced motorcycles with a mono-shock rear suspension.

From the merrian-webster dictionary
1) a loud overbearing women
2) a women of great stature, strength, and courage

[L Verge]

You got it, Gene. The source we found depended strictly on your first definition and included terms like "manly in build and actions" and "Amazonian."

[Jim Page]

(12-30-2012 01:29 PM)Rob Wick Wrote:  As some of you know, I spent 14 years in journalism working for small community newspapers . . . I've seen the ultimate in mediocrity from several journalists (although it seemed most of it came from television reporters rather than print)

Rob, like you I spent years writing and editing for small community papers and have seen some amazingly lazy reporters. Generally, at least in my experience, the television folks were by far the worst offenders. They usually didn't even try or feel as though they were expected to try to uncover anything. Spoon-fed what to say and carefully coiffed, they were much impressed with themselves and satisfied with the job they did.

So it goes . . .

--Jim