ch last the prisoner,
Payne, according to Weichmann, went to Mrs. Surratt's house and
inquired for John H. Surratt. "I, myself," says Weichmann, "went to
open the door, and he inquired for Mr. Surratt I told him
Mr. Surratt was not at home; but I would introduce him to the
family, and did introduce him to Mrs. Surratt--under the name of
Wood." What more? By Weichmann's request Payne remained in the
house all night. He had supper served him in the privacy of
Weichmann's own room. More than that, Weichmann went down into the
kitchen and got the supper and carried it up to him himself, and as
nearly as he recollects, it was about eight weeks previous to the
assassination; Payne remained as Weichmann's guest until the nest
morning, when he left on the early train for Baltimore. About three
weeks after that Payne called again. Says Weichmann, "I again went
to the door, and I again ushered him into the parlor." But he adds
that he had forgotten his name, and only recollected that he had
given the name of Wood on the former visit, when one of the ladies
called Payne by that name. He who had served supper to Payne in his
own room, and had spent a night with him, could not recollect for
three weeks the common name of "Wood," but recollects with such
distinctness and particularity scenes and incidents of much greater
age, and by which he is jeopardizing the lives of others. Payne
remained that time about three days, representing himself to the
family as a Baptist preacher; claiming that he had been in prison in
Baltimore for about a week; that he had taken the oath of allegiance
and was going to become a good loyal citizen. To Mrs. Surratt this
seemed eccentric, and she said "he was a great-looking Baptist
preacher." "They looked upon it as odd and laughed about it." It
seemed from Weichmann's testimony that he again shared his room with
Payne. Returning from his office one day, and finding a false
mustache on the table in his room, he took it and threw it into his
toilet box, and afterward put it with a box of paints into his
trunk. The mustache was subsequently found in Weichmann's baggage.
When Payne, according to Weichmann's testimony, inquired, "Where is
my mustache?" Weichmann said nothing, but "thought it rather queer
that a Baptist preacher should wear a false mustache." He says that
he did not want it about his room--"thought no honest person had any
reason to wear a false mustache," and as no "honest pe