The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-20

his hand around my neck, knocked N
down, broke away from the other mai
and rushed down stairs; he struck me ii
first time with a knife, and the last tim
with his fist; he stabbed me in the fore
head; I ssw him cut Mr.. SeWar
twice; he struck beyond his neck th
first time, and then struck him on the neel
Asjof Seward, son of the Secretary, wa
sworn, and identified Payne SIS the mai
who was at his fathers house on the nigh
of the l4th of April. He had retire.
about IL o'clock, and q short time after wa
aroused by the screams of his sister. H
rushed up stairs and seized q man VIII
struck witness with decsnter from the ia
ble. He msd0 use of the words: ~ an
mad; l sm mad When near the door
as witness was pushing him, he saw
that he was tall, large, and had blsel
hair and no beard; got pistol and rushed
down to the front door; after witness Owr
wounds were dressed he went into his
fathers room, and saw he had large cash
on his cheek, and on his throat, and one
under his ear; witness was satisfied that
| the prisoner at the bar was the same man.
Colonel Morgan testified On the 18th
of April he had possession of Mrs Surratt'
house, and stated that Payne came in with
a pick-sxe on his shoulder; Payne said,
81 guess i am mistsken;" asked him " no
he wanted TO see he said Mrs. Surrstt; 1
told him he was right; she was in the
parlor; he said Mrs. Surrratt had
engaged him (Payne) to dig a gutter;
said he was twenty years old, from Far
quier county, Virginia, and earned a living
~, -. .,sotr7. ba ufovyod voa q N cath Of a1lo
glance, and said he was from the South !;
said be could neither read nor write; wit
ness identified the pick-sxe as the one
which he had on his shoulder; he said he
had previous acquaintance with Mira Sur
Iatt; she knew from his working in the
neighborhood that he was poor man, and
came to him to do work. The oath Of
allegiance contained the name of Louis
Payne, Farquier county, Va He said he
was from the South, and left there in FEB.
rusrS last; that he had to leave or go into
the army that he preferred to earn his
living by the pick axe; said be could not
read but could manage TO write his own
name; the prisoner and Mrs. SurTatt had
no conversation at the time of her srI est
witness found some papers and
photographs at the house of Mrs.
Surr4tt, including those of Booth, Davis,
Alex. II Stephens and Beauregsrd we
also found card pictures with this on it:
q Thus it will ever be with tyrsnts. Vir-
ginis, the mighty sic semper tYrsnpis."
Msjor Smith testified that he was in
charge o. the party who took possession of
Mrs. Surrstts house; saw her after the
arrest of Payne; he asked Mrs. Surratt if
she knew Payne; she said, raising her
right hand, before God l don't know
VINO this man is and have never seen him.
Mrs. Surrstt did not even ask for what she
was arrested she expressed no surprise or
feeling at all; when 1 rang the bell, Mrs.
Surratt opened the window she said, ais
that you Kirby2' the reply was, alt was
not Kirby, but open the door" came into
the hall and said, HAre you Mrs. Surrstt2'
she replied, II am the widow of John II.
Surratt," and l added, ''0f John H. Sur
ratt, Jr. ?" che replied, ~ ami" ] said, IL
have come to srrest you, and am in your
house."
On cross examination, witness identified
the large grey, dirty coat worn By Payne
on the night Of his arrest, but on another
coAt-smsIler, cleaner and Of brighter
produced, he said that was the
coat; he recognized it by the buttons, all
that was wanting on the other coat
Surgeon General Barnes testified to the
of the wound.
SergeaI Price testified to picking up
coat on the 10Th of April in the woods be-
tween Fort Bunker Hill and Fort Saratoga.
Two coats were shown, one of confederate
grey, the other q checkered green color:
witness Identified the latter as the one
picked up it had traces of blood on the
sleeves.
Mr.. Roch identified q pocket compass,
needle case, tooth and hair brushes, and
other articles found on Payne when he was
searched. bid
Clarke identified q boot with Booths
name in it which had been worn by Payne
but had been suljected to chemical process
BY him TO bring out any marks in it. It
was handed to him for thst purpose by the
Assistant Secretary Field.
MIR. Jordan testified that he saw the
boot after it had undergone chemical &C
ton, and came 10 the conclusion that the
name written there was J w. Booth. He
did not know at the time who had worn
the boot. ..a.r.
Mr.. Marsh testified similarly, having
made out the letters j. w. Booth
VIM. Il. Wells, colored, was re EXAM
ined here. The Judge Advocate ordered
the fetters to be removed from Payne, thss
he might put on both the coats already
spoken Of As Payne was uLfettered and
arose, every eye was directed towards him.
His face was slightly flushed, and his lips
curled an involuntary smile, which showed
dimples in bis cheeks; to which the colored
boy had referred in the previous testimony.
He first put on the coat of confederate gray;
and over this he drew the larger tized one
The hat was then handed him, and he put
It on and turning round the young negro
put his dark blue eyes searchingly upon
him. Judge Holt then said 70 the boy 'do
you recognize him nOW2
Ans. ''Yes sir, hut he had white COM
fortar on and Looked quite we'll, and he had
one corner Of that hat over one eye turned
down like; l tell You his eyes looked pref
ty ferce. Here the boy shook his head),
and then added: OH he knows me we'll
enough" In spite of the solemn import
ance of his words, the honest positiveness
.ot the boy caused q laugh TO which Payne
himself replied by a removal of his old
smile.
Mr.. Robinson was recalled, and said of
Payne: BE is more like the man than he
wAs before; should think it was he, but
vet am not certain about it
Jacob Rittensack testified to knowing
Spsngler; Spangler owned the valise
which witness handed to the detectives on
the fth of April Rittensack is the man
commonly called Jake about the theatre.
Captain Wesenskirsch testified that he
was st Sarrstts house on the lTth of April,
when Mrs Surrstt and Payne we're arrest
ed He identified both of them. Mrs.
Surratt removed her vail st the request Of
Judge Advocate Bingham, and met the
gsze of ths witness. The witness found
bulIet-moulds and percussion caps in Mrs.
SurIatts room The caps we're in one of
the buresu drawers and the moulds were
on top Of y wardrobe He confirmed the
previous testimony of finding photographs.
Lieutenant j. w. Dempsey testified tC
finding likeness of Booth in the house o.
! Mrs. SurrStt, put away between the from
and back of another picture.
Mr.. Weyrehman, recalled, testified hav
ing seen Payne previous to the assassins
/ tion in the 81 me clothes he now wore
Col. II, b. Wells testified that Vh9I
| p.iro ru.o IN his ouafodv on fha I7th n