Thomas F. Harney

[John Fazio]

Gene, Jenny, Laurie, Betty and Bill:

Gene: Thank you.

Jenny: It is not possible for an historian (or anyone) to know everything an individual does in his or her lifetime. Historians base their findings and conclusions, therefore, on records, i.e. evidence (material, eyewitness and circumstantial). I offered facts, some supported by evidence and others supportable by evidence, for every contention I made in my email. You offered neither facts nor evidence for anything you said, only emotion. If you have evidence contradicting anything I said, I would love to have it.

Laurie: Please see comments to Jenny, to which I add: There are no suppositions or innuendo in my message, only facts and evidence. I do not believe in "any trick in the book"; on the contrary, I put a premium on honesty, integrity and humility, enough to admit error when it is shown to me by evidence. Further, Powell was not completely mum after capture; he revealed quite a lot to Gillette and Eckert, though not the identities of unknown co-conspirators.

Betty: See the above comments to Jenny and Laurie, to which I add: I have almost no use for Vaughn Shelton. (Practically the only thing he said that made any sense was that the idea that Herold waited for Powell at the Seward mansion is "unbelievable".) No, my comments about Powell and the real Lewis Payne came from another source, namely a fine work titled "Alias 'Payne'", by a fine women whose name is Betty J. Ownsbey. On page 161 of her fine work, she quotes Lewis Edmonds Payne, son of Albin S. Payne (i.e. the "real Lewis Payne"), as saying "Powell had the reputation of having killed a great many men, and when any desperate matter was to be undertaken he was selected." On the same page, there is a reference to him as "the terrible Lewis Powell", which is at least consistent with the reputation. Further, as to being dull, I grant that he was a cut above Herold and Atzerodt, but there is much evidence that he was still a long way from bright. Payne again: "Booth infused the venom of his own ambition into the credulous heart of this gawky and impressionable country boy and found him an easy conquest." (p. 166)

Bill: Good to hear from you. I wasn't sure I would. I missed you at the last conference. I hope to see you at the next one.

John