Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-06-22

STEWARDS ASSASSIN.
Lewis Powell's Daring Enterprises, Hand
fo-Hand Fights and Hnir-Brendfh Es-
Capes-
Lewis Payne. formerly United States
attorney for Wyoming Territory, was
put to considerable trouble In his
youth because Booths fellow eonspira-
tor, who attempted to kill MI. Seward.
assumed his name. Mr.. Payne's inter
est in the assassination has caused him
to search closely into the history of that
remarkable person, and the outcome Of
the search is an important article in the
Philadelphia Times. From that article
the following paragraphs are taken:
Powell was also one Of the men who
made the celebrated calico raid in the
valley in the fall Of 1854, when train
load of calico was captured and the
calico strewn all over the country for
miles around. In retaliation for shoot
ing General Hunters men, soldier
named Anderson and several others
were captured and shot by the Feder-
ais at Front Royal. The speed Of
Powell's mare was all that saved his
neck from being stretched on that oc-
casion. He escaped with seventeen
bullet holes through his clothing. On
one occasion the house in which Powell
was stopping was surrounded by the
Federals, when Powell blacked his face
with lampblack and walked out of the
house.
might give great many incidents
of this kind in the career and adven-
lures Of Powell, but it is unnecessary.
Such things occur in the lives Of many
soldiers. Powell had the reputation Of
having killed great many men, and
when any desperate matter was to be
undertaken he was selected.
PowelI's favorite mare was blood
bay. This animal had habit of foam
ing at the mouth and exposing the
whites of her eyes. Mounted on this
mare, the strange man ssrode fast and
far to share wars iercest perils." The
people here in Virginia who remember
Powell as he appeared twenty years ago
with his pale face, slouch hat and mys-
terious ways, mounted on that bay mare,
dashing and splashing through the
woods, across fields. over bitches and
fences, by day, at night, and through
all kinds of weather. almost believe that
he must have been q stray knight from
the black forest.
During the. cannonading Jackson
and Banks across the Shenan doah river
shell entered the gable end Of house
on the Valley pike, exploded, struck a
bureau at which young lady was dress
ing her hair in an upper room, chipped
of large wedge. shaped piece OF the
bureau and drove it into her back under
the right shoulder blade. The same
day q young Confederate soldier was
brought to the house by some of his
companions, shot through the lungs.
The name OF the girl was Lily Bowie !;
the name OF the soldier was Lewis
Powell. Miss Bowie was the daughter
Of gentleman from Alabama, who had
married q Virginia lady. Under these
singular circumstances these two young
Southern people met in Virginia,
wounded almost unto death, and formed
an attachment for each other which only
ended when the one breathed out the
last of life upon the scaffold in Wash
ington. and the other returned broken
hearted woman to her far-away home in
the South.
When Powell had recovered from his
wound he went to Richmond as guard
to some prisoners. While in Richmond
he attended the theatre for the first
time in his life. John Wilkes Booth,
who was in Richmond at the time, ap-
peared in the cast. Powell was SO de-
lighted with Booths acting that he
sought his acquaintance and gained it.
At that time Booth was engaged in his
plan to abduct the President OF the
United States and his cabinet. He saw
in Powell material to be used In his
plot AS Burr wound himself into the
open heart Of the unfortunate Blen-
nerhassett by the elegance of his man
ners, the beauty Of his conversation,
and the power of his eloquence, SO
Booth infused the venom of his
own ambition into the credulous heart
of this gawky and impressible country
boy, and found him an easy conquest.
Suavity Of pretended friends, overflow
ing bowls, jellies, ices and champagnes
have turned older heads than Powell's,
and If he had no strength to resist the
Establishments Of John Wilkes Booth,
he at least paid for his weakness with
his life. Powell was brave man, and
it is pity he was not brave enough to
resist the wiles of his evil genius. But
he was not T; on the contrary, from the
hour he frat met Booth he was his to
do as he pleased with. Leaving Rich
mond, Powell returned to the Piedmont
section changed man.
Powell soon began to sell off his