Payne's Statement?

[Gene C]

Augustus Howell served as a Confederate agent and visited the Surratt House on at least two occasions. He was arrested by Union soldiers in Surrattsville on March 24, 1865. At the trial for the conspiracy, he effectively dodged prosecutors questions by claiming he only stayed at the Surratt boarding house because it was cheaper than a motel. He was called as a defense witness on behalf of Mary Surratt (so he could have been slightly biased toward Wiechmann) and never admitted his role as a Confederate agent or escort for Sarah Slater - "The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia" by Edward Steers.

I'm not sure Howell was an objective witness.