The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-07-05
The Man who Stabbed Seward,
and was Hanged With
Mrs SurEatt.
Concluded. J

"TS oufIdtt
Concluded
After leaving Fauquier Powell went to
Noakesville, on the Virginia Midland
Railroad, where he left bis horse and ex
changed hi- uniform for a suit of citizen :
clothes He then proceeded to walk the
railroad towards Alexandria. Near Alex
andria he met some Federal pickets, aud
representing himself as a refugee was con
veyed to Alexandria, where he took the
oath of allegiance to the United States
Government as Lewis Payne, of Fau-
quier County, Va" and was allowed to
pass through the lines.
Precisely at the hour when those terri
ble scenes were being enacted in Ford 5
Theatre, on Tenth street. in Washington,
when Booth had sent his fatal ball crash
ing through the brain Of Abraham Lin
coin, and had leaped from the box to the
stage. brandishing a dagger and crying
Sic Semper Tyranpis." Lewis Powell
presented himself at the residence of Sec
retary Seward, who had been thrown
from his buggy few days before and was
confined to his bed, and asked to be shown
to the Secretary's room. He was met AT
the door by William H. Bell, coiored
butler, who told Powell that he could not
see the Secretary. Powell held small
vial of medicine in bis lett hand. with his
hand III his coat front. He wore "a dark
gray coat, black trousers, with light over
coat and slouch felt hat bent down over
his eye. He spoke in firm, but low tone
Of voice, and said he had been sent by DIR.
structiOns to see the Secretary in person
nd tnn hnu - clo l.,
After some hesitation he was admitted by
the stairs he was met by Frederick Sc
nets when Powell felled him to the floor.
knife held with the blade down below his
abled him severely. He then, proct eded
at the door by Augustus Seward, whom
him five or six times, Pushing his way
into the sick room he was attacked by
George + Robinson, the nurse. and by
h. w. HanSeil The former he wounded
in the face and forehead with his knife
and the latter, he stabbed over the sixth
rib to a depth of six or seven inches.
IN the room he went to the bedside OF
Mr.. Seward and stabbed him three times,
infictng ghastly wound in his jaw, neck
and breast. La the struggle the secreta>
ry rolled out of bed and was lying on the
floor in the blood when physicians arriv-
ed, his attendants being ut erl y dazed
by the sudden and terrible onslaught Of
this lion hearted Virginian.
THE CAPTURE.
The only words uttered by Payne dur
ing all this awful conflict were, 81 am
mad!' and these were uttered In a
strangely intense, but not strong
voice, and described by the witnesses at
the trial. As Powell left the dwelling of
the secretary and mounted his horse he
slashed at the colored man who had held
his horse, cutting him about the face
severely. He then threw the knife to the
ground, and riding out Vermont avenue
slowly Tor feT sq""~es, put spurs to his
horse and roc in the darkness and
was seen no more Mt he was arrested in
disguise at the house Of Mrs. Surratt. 54l
H street n. W., 10 Washington. When
arrested Powell had one of his trousers
legs rolled up, skull cap on his head and
a pickaxe on his shoulder. He said be
had come to dig ditch for Mrs. Surratt,
but she denied any knowledge of him.
He was sert to the headquarters of Gen.
Augur, and upon an examination of
the boots he wore one of them was
found to contain the name Of John Wilkes
ROoth -