Payne's Statement?

[RJNorton]

(07-13-2014 04:25 PM)BettyO Wrote:  According to testimony, it was sometime "after the 27th" [of March] according to Weichmann and in the evening. Mrs. Surratt went into the Herndon House "to see Payne" and they walked around the block for 20 minutes waiting for her to come out.

I should clarify something I said earlier about Nora Fitzpatrick supporting Weichmann's statement that Mary Surratt visited Lewis Powell at the Herndon House. She testified that Mary did indeed enter the Herndon House, but she says Mary stayed only a few minutes and did not tell anyone why she was stopping to go in there. So her testimony is definitely different from Weichmann's. Here is Nora Fitzpatrick's testimony from the John Surratt trial:

Q. I allude to the Herndon House corner of ninth and F; you know the house?

A. I know the house, but I do not know what street it is on.

Q. Do you recollect passing by that house some time in the month of March before the assassination of the President, in company with Mrs. Surratt and others?

A. I remember passing with Mrs. Surratt; I do not know what month it was.

Q. Who were in company with you and Mrs. Surratt at that time?

A. Mrs. Surratt, Mr. Weichmann, and Miss Jenkins.

Q. When you got to the Hemdon House, state what Mrs. Surratt did and what the rest of the party did?

A. Mrs. Surratt went in, the others of us walked up the street a little ways.

Q. Did you wait for her up there?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. How long did you wait for her?

A. Only a few minutes there.

Q. Where had you been coming from?

A. From St. Patrick's church, on F street.

Q. What day of the week was it?

A. I don't remember, sir.

Q. Did Mrs. Surratt tell you or any of the party, to your knowledge, while you were going in that direction, that she intended going into the house?

A. No, sir; I did not know she was going there until she stopped.

Q. Did you or any of the party ask her what she went there for?

A. No, sir.

Q. Did she state to you afterwards what she went in there for?

A. No, sir; I do not remember asking her.

Q. Did you ever hear it spoken of afterwards?

A. No, sir.

Q. Do you know how long she staid there?

A. She remained there a few minutes.

Q. After Mrs. Surratt had been in the house did she come up and join the party?

A. Yes, sir.

Q- Where did you then go?

A. We returned to Mrs. Surratt's house on H street.

Q- Where was John at that time?

A. I don't know.