Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-07-15
MISCELLANEOUS.


~ " tgl i1a'- .N
A AiRrsat mystery envelopes this man, a
mystery which seeIns isDpenetral,le. As the
assassin who attenspte, The Me of Secretary
Seward. more than ort,inxry interest WAS at
.ached tn the testimony affecting his case.
Who he Ia NO one seemed to know on the trial.
The nearest approach 60 anything sa.isfac-
tory is, that he is the son Of Rev Dr. Po-
well. Baptist Minister, residing in Florida:
hut even this is not positively ascertained.
Miss Brandon. witness produced in his he.
.lal remembered him ss nnrse in one of
the hospitals after the battle of Getty si,uru.
He then went by the namcsof Pow ell; tut
early in 1865, while boarding with Miss
Brandon's mother, in Baitirpere, he assumed
the name of Payne. rf... t-r..
During the progress of the trial he remain
ed apparently indifferent to all around. and
WAS possessed of most extraordinary con.
trol over llis feelings. He maintained
dogged and sullen demeanor throughout,
and when the colored waiter 1T Mr.. Sew
ards was placed upon the witness stand.
Panye was directed to stand up and face The
witness. Both looked steadily at Zach other
tor few moments,n when the coor,d boy
pointed to Payne, saying :" That is the mani
This positive recognition did not in the least
disc0ncert the prisoner. But when Sergt.
IT.
ards, was called. and Payne was again di.
rected to stand up and look at the witness
while he detailed the circumstances attend
ing the attempted murder. the prisoner grew
red IN the face ut the recital of Robinson.
particularly while lie held in his hand the
knife which panye used on the OCCASION
and gave demonstration of the manner in
which the assassin had struck at the defence
less man az he lay upon his sick bed
The court room WAS almost hreathess M
TINS moment, every eye being turned upon
the prisoner, to read in his countenance the
continuation of the truth of the witness.
statement, but he not So much as stirred.
His wild stare was fixed upon the witness.
His mouth was closed tightly. as ii his teeth
were firmly clenched together. and he stood
up as straight rs statue, with no sign of
fear, trembling, or trepi,a'ion. Two coats
worn 10y Payne on the night Of the attempt
ed murder were produced. I u
The irons were tukrE from Payne's wrists.
and he was directed to put on both coats
ana the hat which he dropped at the Secre-
tarys house when he fed. The colored hoy
WAS again brought in, an,l Payne stood up.
dressed IN the cloths he wure ON that night.
and he again indentifie,i ms the man Who
forced himself into Mr. Ssward's house
Pa! ne would occasionally betray snceriny
detan. smile, and looked like perfect des-
perado. r .I.V susti
Major Seward. son of the Secretary, also
positively Unidentified Payne as the maj, who
,"tsr.d hie iati.,'s i'uuso, ana in "a tone nt
deep emotion, narrated the incidents of the
stahllng at his father and brother. and
pointed to Payne as the man who did IT.
lie was positive as TO his identity and the
counsel for the prisoner, after short cross
examination, desistcd, as reiutation of
this evidence was hopeless. The sleeve OF
the woolen shirt which Pay ps bad improvis,
cd into skull cap On the night he visited
Mrs. Surratt's house, and the pickaxe he
carried were exhibited. ,al. .I.'
The sleeve was put on Payne's head, and
he. MAS fnlly in'isntih"d ~ tho ,cepeu,isv
Officers Ms the man who attempted TO pass
himself off rs a laloring man when he Was
arrested by the detectives at Mrs Surra,t's. !
The boots he had ON that night were also
given IN evidence. and it was shown that the
name originally inside oe them had been
blntted out 20 prevent inden,iication, hut
being experienced upon with nxalic acid.
The name OF u. w. Bpoth" appeared. This
completed the chain of evidence connecting
Pa, ne with Booth. .r
An attempt was made hy his counsel to
prove him insane, but u rigiG examination,
under diiUtiun Of Surgeon General Barnes.
furnished conclusive evidence of bis sanity.
The testimony against him during the trial
brought out the fact that he MAS emplo, ed
by the rebel plotters who had taken refuge
in Canada to assassinate Secretary Seward.
He WAS Lit tool tor these persons, Rev.
Tucker. George N. Sanders, c., C. Clay,
Jacob Thompson, w. N. Cleary, ct sl. Booth
succeeded, hut, thanks to kind Providence,
Payne failed. If Abraham Lincoln was to
he the martyr, VIM. II, Seward, his trusty
counsellor and friend, was tolive and behold
the triumph of our cause. Id.
Payne went ON to play his part in the
work On the 4ih of March, but MS the scheme
was postponed, he found his way TO the
house he passed under the name of Wood.
The part which he enacted in the assassina.
tion plot is explained in the testimony given
durirg the trial.
Pa, ne is a had looking man, tall and of
huge proportions, neck bare. face smoothly
shsven, shock OF black hair over u low
forehead. and fierce eyes witii small corner,
around which the white is always disagree
ably visible. He leans his head streight
back against the wall, and when looked at
giares the locker out of countenance.
i.,@.f-. David &. Harold.
Harold, the accomplioe of Booth in the as,
sassination OF President Lincoln, is not over
twenty]tbree yearsof age, He Was born in
Mary land, and received his education at
Charlotte Hall, IN St. Mary's county. His
father, . most estimable man. resided for
many years in Washington, and held the po-
stion of principal clerk in the naval store.
Young Harold was ferfectly acquainted with
the Topography of the lower portion OF the
State. ling between the Chesapeake Bay
and the Potomac river. and made most
excellent guide tor Booth; with whom he
WAS ON most intimate terms for several
months previous to he assassination. Harold
led very dissipated life. and was notorious
" indolent, while il Was matter Of general
surprise how he obtained means to live. II