Lewis Powell's Double

[Linda Anderson]

I found this article in the 2/17/1924 San Diego Union. Betty, what do you think of it?

"Double of Lewis Payne Tell of Narrow Escape: San Diego Resident Recalls Thrilling Experience in Washington When He Came Near Being Hanged as Assaulter of Secretary Seward."

"Being accused of having attempted to assassinate Secretary of War [should be Secretary of State] Seward of President Lincoln's cabinet, at the time of the assassination of Lincoln, and almost being hanged by an infuriated mob, is the experience passed through by Edgar A. Nichols, former Captain of C company, 11th Maine volunteer infantry during the Civil war and now a resident of San Diego.

"According to the narrative given to the Union the other day by Capt. Nichols, who is known to have enjoyed the personal friendship of the great emancipator, Capt. Nichols was a practicing attorney in Washington, D.C. at the time of the shooting of Lincoln and the attempt on the life of Seward by Lewis Payne, a co-conspirator of Wilkes Booth and had had an appointment with a former comrade of the northern army at a Washington hotel to assist in making out a claim against the government."

The morning after the assassination, Nichols was standing in the lobby of his hotel. "'I was meditating over the news of the terrible catastrophe of the murder of Abraham Lincoln when the young lieutenant called in two guards and told them to take me to the post commander, who was informed that I was Lewis Payne, wanted for the attempt on the life of Seward. There was a mob outside and the leader asked for someone who could identify Lewis Payne. Two young men came forth and said they knew Payne. They were taken into the room where I was standing and one of them identified as Payne while the other said he was positive I was not.'"

Fortunately Nichols had an alibi but, "'Ever since that day I have thought how near I had come to meeting a tragic death and in my misfortune of being a double of Payne.'"