"Alias Paine"

[BettyO]

Quote:I would love to hear more about what went on in Lewis's cell on July 6, 1865, between him and Dr. Gillette. I recall reading somewhere (probably a link to it on this forum) the sermon that Gillette gave right after the assassination and the attempted assassination, and how outraged he was about it and how he called the attempted assassination on Seward "fiendish" (which of course it was), but then to meet the "fiend" and find out that he was actually a remorseful, frightened kid, and not the nearly-subhuman monster that the press had made him out to be...that must have been quite a shock and memorable experience, not to mention what followed the next day. It would be most interesting to read more about Gillette's reaction to all that, if it exists anywhere. And I wonder what effect that experience might have had on any of Gillette's subsequent sermons.

Dr Gillette wrote a nice article entitled "Sixteen Hours in the Cells" (quoted in Alias), in which he described in detail just what Lew Powell told him. He stated that Lew was extremely "cultured and intelligent" and spoke to him regarding his upbringing in the Baptist Church and his childhood. He stated that Powell was totally remorseful and cried bitterly when talking about his mother whom he loved immensely. Gillette also said that the boy alternately wept and prayed the entire time - praying and talking into the night. Lew instructed Gillette to give his Bible and some other personal affects to his parents (they never got them for unknown reasons) and told Gillette to preach a sermon about him to warn other young men to watch the company they keep. Gillette did that.

CLICK HERE

It was said that the hanging upset Gillette enormously and that he had a great deal of trouble sleeping and was ill for a while after watching the young man whom he helped die so horribly.

I think that Gillette, who had a son the very same age as Lew, acted more or less in the same capacity as Lew's dad during this ordeal; somewhat like a stand in since the poor boy didn't have any family near. I don't know how else it affected him other than it made him sick....