Payne's Statement?

[BettyO]

Quote:There is reference to David Herold writing a confession during recesses in the court. I have always wondered what happened to that.

Laurie -

I have a "voluntary statement" given by Herold - but I don't know if this is the same one or not.....I don't think so, because it isn't written in Herold's hand as far as I know..... I've tried to upload it, but it's too large to send across....it just says "Voluntary Statement of David Herold."

Supposedly Powell was also writing one at or near the same time, according to various sources.

Quote:Betty, based on what you have seen, was what Powell wrote a confession (to me, a broader term that would more likely have a greater amount of detail about the kidnapping/assassination plot as a whole) or just a simple statement vindicating Mrs. Surratt?

In my view of Powell, I would think what he wrote would be more likely to have been a direct statement relating to Mrs. Surratt. I'm not sure Powell, usually described as tight lipped, would suddenly write out a full confession. Doesn't seem like he would "rat out" anyone else.
I know from Elizabeth Leonard's book, Lincoln's Forgotten Ally, Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt of Kentucky, there are several repositories that hold Judge Holt's papers.

In regards to Herold's written confession, are there any repositories of the papers of Frederick Stone?

I think that this particular statement was completely involving Mrs. Surratt's innocence. I also believe, like Mike says, that Powell, was chivalrous (as he was described by General William H. Payne and others) towards women and would have attempted to vindicate Mrs. Surratt, guilty or not. It's also said that he told Dr. Gillette "If I had no other reason, Doctor, [to vindicate Mrs. Surratt] Mrs. Surratt is a woman; and men do not make war on women." I also think that he saw Mrs. Surratt as a mother figure, and Powell, who literally adored his mom, was also thinking of his own mother at this time, according to Gillette.

Quote:I have always wondered exactly how much Powell actually knew regarding Mary. I think there was some indication that he knew that Mary had knowledge of the kidnap plot, but did he even know about her April 11th and 14th trips to Surrattsville? Had Powell ever met John Lloyd?

Roger, according to one report I've seen, Surratt and Powell were talking in the parlor when Mrs. Surratt walked in on them. Powell had made an open remark regarding the kidnapping venture, loud enough for Mrs. Surratt to overhear at which time Surratt pulled Powell out into the hallway and told him to "Hush! Never speak of that in the presence of my mother. She doesn't know and should not know." Accordingly Powell later told Gillette that she "may have known something, but he didn't know how much."

As far as I know, Powell did not know Lloyd and did not know anything about her trips to Surrattsville to "conduct "business."