Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-06-09
ELLSWORTH, MAINE FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1865.

and had five minutes talk with her. Dur.
ing her stay at the tavern she told John
Lloyd to have "those things" or those
shooting ircns ready, as they would be
called for that night. On being arrest.
ed and confronted suddenly with Payne
she swore that she had never before seen
him. These are all the important facts
proven against her,-how much they
may be explained away or mitigated re.
mains yet to be seen. The part taken in
the plot by her son, John II. Surratt, has
not been very clearly defined by the tcs.
timouy for the government. One witness
is very confident that he saw Surratt in
Washington on the l4th Of April, bu,
one witness only has been found who saw
him. and neither Weichmapn ner any
other of the inmates Of the house have
any knowledge OF his having returned
from Montreal. The books of the hoteI
at which he stayed in that city show that
he left there April Il, and returned the
18th, after which there is no trace oi
him, He could hardly have reached
here in time for the tragedy, and on the
whole it seems probable that meeting or
the way home the news Of the murder
he wisely turned and escaped while i,
was yet time,-an1 the testimony OF the
men who thought he recognized him here
on Friday afternoon remains as an ex.
ample of how easily one may be mistaken
The history Of this trial has been proli.
fic in similar Instances.
The testimony bearing upon Atzc.odt
establishes the fact that he was in full
fellowship with the consnirators during
the winter and spring. He was furnish.
ed with weapons. and in his conversations
let fall many hints OF great events tc
come. lie took room at the kirkwood
House on the l4th, but it does not ap
pear that he selected any particular room
with reference to its situation. He came
to the house in the forenoon, before it
was known that President Lincoln was to
be at the theatre that night. Hero!d's
coat was left hanging in the room by
solue singular bunder, with Booth 5
check book. left in Herold's charge, in
the pocket. A PISTOL loaded and capped
and bowje-knile, were found in the bed
but Atzcrodt carried on his person anoth.
or pistol and another knife. and it is not
easily explained why he should leave
these articles there. Thc defence will
probably aim TO show THAI he had moth
ing to do with them. Atzerodt, about
five O'Clock, inquired out the Vice.
President at dinner. Soon after he hired
horse, and appears to have spent the
evening iu state Of intoxication and ex-
citcmcnt. ri ins about the city. lie
went into The kirkwook House about the
time Of the assassination, stopping only
five minutes. He returned his horse to
the stable before midnight, and, after
more wandering on foot, lodg d at the
Pennsylvania House. and thence, early
i" the morning, dep .rteI for the house Of
his cousin in Mary land, where he was
soon after arrested.
Hcrold hired horse at one o'clock Of
the day Of the murder, took him frem
tie stable at four, was seen in the west
ern part Of the city at the time the two
tragedies were being enacted, rode rapid
y thence to the Navy Yard Bridge. and
across it, five minutes behind Booth
The sergeant OH guard there is positive
that llcrold is not the man who crossed
but there are . hundred proofs that he is
mistaken, and the story Of llcrold him.
self is conclusive evidence Of the fact
Oyertaking Booth before long, the two
never again parted till the night Of the
affair Of Garretts farm, when the MUIR
dcrer went to receive his doom from the
Divine hand, and the plant tool surren-
dered himself for human punishment
The case against Payne is too clear to
the mind of every one to need elucida-
tion here. As his crime is less doubtful
than that Of any OF his fellows, he him
self is more mysterious. All the rest of
the criminals in the dock. their charact-
ers and antccedcnts, arc thoroughly
known; the assassin of the Secretary OF
the State deies all curiosity, and perhaps
will 90 down to his wretched grave with
his steanso secret undiscovered. The
story tina. he is identified as one of three
Kentucky brothers, outlawed by Shcr-
man, guerillas under Morgan, and takiE.
part in the St. AlbaUs raid, is entirely
without foundation. No trace Of his
history prior to March, 1865, has reward.
cd the most diligent search,--and the re.
cord Of the man renaias aa eni gma. -
That he is something more than com
mon desperate, numbering for money,
like Atzcrodt, is most certain. lie is not
only physically Hercules, but mentally
and morally man of immense force.
His manner is that of refinement, his
language, both in respect to grammer and
pronunciation, gives evidence that he has
had educational adyanta yes. II is powers
of endurance are marvellous and seem
superhuman,-and to this day he main
tains checrlulness aud speaks Of his
fate with Il cool courage that astonishcs
all who arc brought in contact with him.
Desperate as his case seems, a defence
will be attempted by his counsel.---a de.
fence the precise line of which l am not
at liberty to indicate, but the audacitv
Of which will be apt to create quite n
sensation ia the community, -.
1 may remark here that it is now
seriously proposed to put Payne on the
stand as witness for the defence sf
other prisoners The design may ei.her
be carried out or abandoned before This
reaches you Such a proceeding would
certainly create a sensation in the court
ronna Ii l. al llinaoa LIZ th.a onnnnnl tr,r