The National tribune., 1909-12-23

a disabled soldier, was helping to nurse
the Secretary, and al this moment came
into the hall. Payne struck him in
the forehead with his knife. knocking
him partially down, pushed by him to
the Secretary's bed, leaned over ard
struck him three times In the neck With
his bowie knife. The knife cut the
Secretary's face from the right cheek
down to the neck but the steel frame
interfered with the blow. as il did with
the two others that Payne delivered
with the ferocity of a desperate man.
Robinson rushed into the room after
Payne, tried to drag him off the bed.
when Payne turned and attacked him.
The noise of the struggle brought an
other one of the Secretary's sons, Maj.
Augustus II. Seward. who rushed into
the room and clinched with Payne.
Robinson at last managed to drag the
assassin out of the room, when he
broke away and ran down the stairs
and outside the house. The colored
doorkeeper had run after the police
when Mr.. Frederick Seward was
knocked down. He soon returned and
reported that he had seen man rid
ing q horse and followed him to 1
street, when he lost sight of him. In
some way Payne's horse got away from
him, and was found the next morning
at Lincoln Branch Barracks with the
sweat. which had poured from him
after he had been stopped by the sem
try, making regular puddle around
him.
There was much aston:shment that
Payne had not used his revolver upon
the Secretary, but ii was discovered
that when he struck Frederick Seward
with such force as to fracture his cra-
MUM, he bent the revolver slightly tut
sufficiently to prevent the cylinder from
l.RsNl l1.H
but the hammer could not be raised.
Payne evidently supposed that he had
killed the Secretary with his bowie
knife.
George A. Atzerodt, whose part was
to kill Vice President Johnson, seems
to have weakened. He took n room on
the floor above the Vice President at
the Kirkwood House, whore the Raj
eigh Hotel now stands, but after
o'clock in the evening was not seen by
anybody until 1880, when he gcr upon
a street car, and was next heard Of at
the house of his cousin near Middle
burg, Md, where he passed under the
name of Andrew Atwood.
O'Laughlin. who was detailed to kill
Gen. Grant, came from Baltimore the
day before with three companions, and
wandered about the city drinking. and
during the evening of mis- arrival had
entered Secretary StantOn'S residence
with a crowd that had come up with
a band to serenade the Secretary. Gen.
Grant was in the Secretary's house, and
lO'Laughlin tried to get near him for
the purpose of striking the blow then.
tho it was the night before the plot was
to be executed The day o. the asSas-
sinatfon O'Laughlin went to the Ma
tional Hotel to see Booth, but spent the
rest of the day in drinking around
town, reaching the Lichau House about
IL Il
| to Baltimore. His part Of the plot had
! been foiled by the unexpected departure
of Gen. Grant and his wife for New
Jersey.
1t has not transpired what part John
II. Surratt was to take in the great
crime, and he claimed at his trial that
he left Washington before the assas-
sination. This is contradicted on the
testimony of Serg't NJ. Dye, of battery
then in camp at Camp Barry, al the
| junction of II street and the Biadens-
| burg pike. Serg't Dye said that he and
| a cOmrade were standing in front of
! Ford's Theater from the time Of the
arrival of the Presidents carriage un-
til Booth entered .he theater. He no.
ticed a low conversation held by two
vicious-looking fellows, who were soon
Joined by a better-dressed third man.
This last one stepped into the lobby of
the theater, and VIXEN he reioined the
other two called out the hour. This
action he repeated three times at in
tervals. the third and last time being
10 minutes past 10 o'clock. Each time
| he did so he looked at the two men,
and seemed to be very mnch excited.
ana at the last call Rooth appeared d
and went into the tleater. Serg't Dye
vas confident that the man who called
the hours was John II. Surrats After
this episode Dye and his comrades went
| into a saloon and ordered soma oyS-
terS, but before they could be served
the news of the Presidents assassina-
| ton came. and Dye Immediately hurried
off to his battery. which he felt GER
tain would be called out. AS he went
| out II street woman hOisted Il WIN
dow and asked what was wrong down.
town, when he told her that President
| Lincoln had been shot. Sh., asked who
did it, and was told Wilkes Booth This
woman was Mrs. Su-ratt, for the Ser
seant remembered the number of the
rouse and its appearance. Other wit
nesses testified to having seen S;urratt,
and among them was a barber, who
said that he had shaved and dressed
| 1is hair between 9 and 10 o'clock I. m,
| md that Booth and O'Laughlin were in
! his barber shop at the same time. Sur
att arrived in Montreal, Canada, at
1880 p. m, April IS, 1855, and legs
| tered his name at st. Lawrence Hall as
John Harrison. From the hotel he
went to the house of {: Southern SYM
| pathizer, where he remained a few days
| concealment