Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-05-15

wished to hire a horse. had been sent there
BY Mrs. Surratt for the purpose OF hiri ng
buggy, and when ! went to the stable / saw
Atzerodt there and asked him what he wanted.
He said he was going to hire horse, and he
asked MT Brooks in my presence THAT is the
name by which the stable. keeper is known to
mel if he could have a horse, and iMr Brooks
told him he could not. Then we both left and
went as far as the Post Office; had letter to
street towards 10th. Since that time l have
never seen him. / would state that on the
Tuesday previous to the Friday of the assassi-
nation was also sent by Mrs. Surratt to the
getting his buggy. She wished me to drive
her into the country on that day, and Booth
said that he had sold the buggy, but that he
would give me ten dollars instead and should
hire buggy. He spoke about the horses that
he kept at Brooks stable, and remarked to
him, Why tnoTght e% they were su5ra55s It's
lett the city about nine O'Clock, and reached
Surrattsville at about halfpast twelve
o'clock on Tuesday, the eleventh of April.
We remained at Surattsville about half an
hour, probable not that long, and Mrs. Surratt
stated that she went there for the purpose of
seeing Mr.. Nothe, who owed her some money.
the assassination, drove Mrs. Surratt TO the
country. We left about half past two O'Clock
in the afternoon. She herself gave me the
money on that occasion, a ten dollar note, and
| paid six dollars for the buggy. drove her
to Surrattsville, arriving there about half-past
four Mrs. Surratt went into the parlor and
renamed OUTSIDE q pOrtOn OF tDe Time, ana q
portion of the time went into the bar room,
until Mrs. Surratt sent for me. We LETT on our
return about half past six O'Clock; person
can GET down there very easily in two hours
when the roads are good. Some time in the
month of March a man called at Mrs. Sur
rats, giving hims elf the name of w ood, and in
quirng for John III Surratt. l myself went
10 open the door, and he inquired for Mr.. Sur
ratt 1 told him Mr.. Surratt was not at homo,
but would introduce him to the family if he
desired 1T. He thereupon expressed desire
tnc hTre "A Nv ,f,p
duced him, having first asked his name. He
gave the name of Wood. That is the man,
lpointing to Lewis Payne, one of the accused
He stopped in the house all night. He had
supper served up to him in my own room.
brought him supper from the Kitchen. As near
as can remember 1t must have been about
eight weeks previous to the assassination. He
had a black oVercoat on, and black frock
coat, with grey pants, at that time. He re-
manned until the next morning, leaving in the
earliest train tor Baltimore. I should think it
was about three weeks afterwards that he
called again, and again went to the door, and
l again ushered him into the parlor, and in the
meantime l had forgotten his name, and
asked him his name. That time he gave the
name of Payne. He was ushered into the par
lor. Mrs. Surratt, Miss Surratt, and Miss
Hanora Fitzpatrick were present. He re-
presented himself as a Baptist preacher: he
also stated that he had been in prison in Bal
timore for about week, and that he had taken
the oath OF allegiance and was going to become
good and loyal citizen. The family of Mrs.
Surratt and Mrs. Surratt are Catholics.
Mr. Surratt is himself Catholic, and was
student of divinity at the same college. Did
you hear any explanation made why Baptist
preacher should 60 there king hospitality
No, sir. They only looked upon it as odd, and
laughed at it. Mrs. SurraCt herself remarked
that he was great looking Baptist preacher.
They seemed to recognize him as the wood"
OF former days, who had been there. In the
course Of converse ton one Of the young ladies
called i'm "Wood,' and then / recollected
that on his first visit he had given the name Of
"Wood." On the last occasion he was dressed
In gray-a complete suit of gray. He had
linen coat and two linen shirts. 1 would say
that one day returning from my office found
false moustache on the table in my room. /
took the moustache and threw it into little
toilet box had on the table This man Payne
searched around the table and inquired for his
moustache. ! was sitting on the chair and did
not say anything. have retained the NOUS
was among a box OF paints that had in my
trunk. Saw Payne during that visit and Jno.
II: Surratt together in their room by them
selves. 1t was on the same day. On return
ing from my office went up stairs to the third
story, and found John H. Surratt and this
man Payne seated on q bed play ing with bowie
knives. It was the occasion OF Payne's last
visit. They had two revolvers and four sets
Of new spurs. q. [Exhibiting the spur iden-
titled by the last witness es found in the
room in the kirkwood House Were the spurs
like this ! A. They were. That is one of the
spurs. q. Exhibiting the bowie knife iden-
tilted by the last witness as found in the room
in the Kirkwood House Is that the bowie
knife? A. do not recognize that as the bowie
knife. 1t was smaller one. There were three
spurs similar to this in closet Ia my room
when was last there, and those three I am
chased by Surratt. Q. Exhibiting the revof-
yer identified by the last witness as found in
the room at the kirkwood House.l Is that the
pistol! A. That looks like it. O. Was it
a rodnd barrel like that, or octangular! A.
The barrel was not round; it was octangular.
1t was about the same size, though. Witness
went with John H. Surratt to the Herndon
House for the purpose of renting a
room on or about the 10Th of March.
He went to the door and inquired for Mrs.
Mary Murray, and when Mrs. Mary Murray
came he stated that he wished to have private
interview with her. She did notse to COM
prehend, and, said he, "Perhaps Miss Anna
Ward has spoken to you about this room. Did
she not speak to you about engaging a room
for delicate gentleman, who was to have
his meals sent up to his room % Then Mrs.
Murray recellected, and Mr.. Surratt said that
ing Monday; that the gentleman would take
possession OF it on Monday. 1t was the Mon
dav previous to the Sd OF April. l think it
was the 27th of March that the room was to
have been taken possession Of Witness after
wards learned that the prisoner, Payne, was at
that house, the Herndon House. 1 met this
man, Atzerodt, one day on the street, and l
asked him where he was going, and he said he
was going to see Payne and then 1 asked him,
"Is it Payne who is at the Herndon House p
and he said, eyes" That was after the visit
j ID
room. Met the prisoner, Heroid, at Mrs.
Surratts once. l met him on the occasion of
the visit to the theatre when Booth played
Pescara. / also met Herold at Mrs. Surratt's.
in the country, in the spring Of 1868, when
first made Mrs. SIrratts acquaintance. He
was there at that time with q party Of musi-
clans, who were serenading some county OFF,
GERS who had been elected; and then again L
met him in the summer Of 1864, at q church in
the country-the Piscataway Church-and
then in the theatre, and once at Mrs. Surratrs
house. About the 18th OF March, 1865, woman
by the name Of Mrs. Slater came to the house
and stopped there one night. This lady went to
Canada and Richmond. On Saturday, the 23d
of March, Mr.. Surratt drove her into the
country, about eight o'clock in the morning; he
had hired two horse team, white horses, at
Brooks He LETT in company with Mrs. Slater,
and Mrs. Surratt was also in the buggy.
On returning, Mrs. Surratt told me that he
had gone to Richmond with Mrs. Slater. This
Mrs. Slater, to the best Of my knowledge, was
to have met man by the name OF Howe
there, a blockade runner. This Howe was cap