Here’s a sample of what occurred on this day in the Lincoln conspiracy trial:
- Additional defense attorneys were admitted
- Many items found in George Atzerodt’s rented room at the Kirkwood House hotel were entered into evidence
- Louis Weichmann and John M. Lloyd, the government’s key witnesses against Mary Surratt, took the stand for the first time
- Outside press and visitors were finally allowed into the court. They provided some of the first detailed accounts of the conspirators’ appearances and the goings on in the court
The May 13, 1865 entry for the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators is now released and has more information. Please click here to access it. You can also access it through The Trial homepage.
Throughout May and June of 2020, I am publishing a day by day chronology of the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators. This includes almost daily posts announcing the release of what happened at the conspiracy trial 155 years ago. For more information about the creation of this project please click here.
LincolnConspirators.com 
I have been in the courtroom and took the picture linked below. Still, I am not sure of the floor plan. The building is oriented on the cardinal directions. Can you tell me which wall the defendants box runs along? The lattice work appears to cover a door. Was that a security measure during the trial?
Steven,
The prisoner’s dock, as can be seen in your picture, runs along the same wall as the grated door. That door led straight to the prison building where the conspirators were being held. In this way, the conspirators did not have too far to go between their cells and the courtroom. Forgiving a small mistake on the final look of the prisoner’s dock, this diagram from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated newspaper should help:
Dave,
Thanks much for the floor plan. Everything is clear now. I was wondering what happened to the chimneys, but I see that even back then the fireplaces were either removed or covered. The flues from the pot belly stoves exhaust into the hidden chimney stacks. I noticed one fire place was restored in the exhibit room.