The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-16
Another Curious Story about Payne
Is He q SON of JeR. Davis?
From the Sunday Mercury.

j
Decidedly the romance of crime receives
startling illustration in the person of
Payne, the assassin of Secretary Seward.
Payne is q perfect mystery; he is as i'm
perturbable as the Sphynx, as cool IS an
iceberg. His name is q misnomer; for he
seems to have no comprehension of physi-
cal suffering. Nothing affects him; he
bears his lot with stoical indifference, COM
plains of nothing, and looks certain Death
in the face IS quietly as though gazing into
the eyes of a tender maiden. He has been
8 whole week at q time without ealing
since his Incarceration and he was en-
tirely constipated during thirty -four days.
Yet his cheek has the flush of health; his
respiration is easy and regular; he never
changes color, and never manifests by any
sign that he is affected by the evidence,
that he would either deny or confirm it.
He is not stupid his piercing eye is bright
with intelligence. But what is he? It is
as difficult to answer this question as that
other-Who is he2
To solve this problem good many sharp
wits are at work, and already we have the
most extraordinary stories in regard to him
It has been stated that he is q nephew Of
Gen. Lee, but that report was quickly ex.
ploded. 1t has been asserted that his name
il Po--slIy --.sd SiI7s5 ne Is ono VI In6 Florida
family bearing that title; but no proof las
been produced in favor of this assertion
Then we have been tcld that he is Mis-
souriap, Kentuckisn, Georgian, Cana
dian; but there Is ne evidence OF the truth
of any of these statements. The latest story
has decidedly more of the romantic features
aUOus IL sl.ssa. s-uzy thst have yot bean told
To begin st the beginning, it Is this: a
young officer of the United States army
was sent, many years age, to take command
of the garrison st Fort Smelling, then the
remotest military outpost Of the far West
| This officer was IS gallant as all military
men are said TO be-toO gallant as it
proved, for the peace of mind Of 8 bux ON
young daughter of 8 frontiers man, who,
with his child frequently visited the fort
The young lsdy-s rose in the wilderness
naturally attracted the attention Of the
officers, TO whom, deprived of feminine So
! ciety, the sight Of sweet, fresh young face
was 8 rare and indescribsble pleasure =
Among those who lsvished peculiar stten-
tion upon this solitary flower was the young
officer above mentioned, and in short time
It became evident that his courtesy was not
entirely lost. To shorten long story, the
devoted son of Mars succeeded in winning
| our dsmsePs heart. She-slssl that Il
should be told-loved him well, but all too
unwisely. It is the old, old story. The
officer was recalled to the East in time, and
she roken-hesrted, followed him as far "a
st. Louis, where through stress Of circum-
stances, she was compelled TO remain
Here she gave birth TO schild-R son-and
here she gave the boy common education.
Shortly after, the war with Mexico broke
out, and the betrsyer went TO the land q
the Montezumss SIS the colonel of 8 hissis-
sippi regiment. When he returned he en-
teI ed the field of politics, and was elected
to the United States Senate ~,
One day, while at Washington, ne wa
called upon BY q woman, who presen ted tc
him fine hearty boy IS his son. It Wa
the western rose, groWL old and faded, viii
the pledge of her affection. But the honor
able Senator refused to acknowledge pa
ternity in the case, and the pair were show
out. It is said, however, that he secreti.
conveyed 10 the mother and child, fror
time to time, 8 certain stipend, sufficient
exc out their scsnty income. Time passe
on, and the great rebellion began. III
Senator became 3 prominent man in th
Confederate Government. As fOr the sol