e last."

Here comes in the plea of "reasonable doubt." If the witness himself
is not absolutely positive as to what occurred, and as to the
conversation that took place, how can the jury assume to act upon it
as they would upon a matter personally concerning themselves?

On this occasion of Mrs. Surratt's visit to Uniontown, three days
before the assassination, where she met Lloyd, and where this
conversation occurred between them, at a time when Lloyd was, by
presumption, sober and not intoxicated, he declares definitely
before the commission that he is unable to recollect the
conversation, or parts of it, with distinctness. But on the
fourteenth of April, and at a time when, as testified by his
sister-in-law, he was more than ordinarily affected by intoxicating
drink,--and Captain Gwynn, James Lusby, Knott, the barkeeper, and
others, corroborate the testimony as to his absolute inebriation--
he attests that he positively remembers that Mrs. Surratt said to
him, "'Mr. Lloyd, I want you to have those shooting irons
ready. That a person would call for them.' That was the language
she made use of, and she gave me this other thing to give to whoever
called."

In connection with the fact that Lloyd cannot swear positively that
Mrs. Surratt mentioned "shooting irons" to him at Uniontown, bear
in mind the fact that Weichmann sat in the buggy on the same seat
with Mrs. Surratt, and he swears that he heard nothing about
"shooting irons." Would not the quick ears of Weichmann have heard
the remark had it been made?

The gentlemen of the commission will please recollect that these
statements were rendered by a man addicted to excessive use of
intoxicating liquors; that he was even inordinately drunk at the
time referred to; that he had voluntarily complicated himself in the
concealment of the arms by John H. Surratt and his friends; that he
was in a state of maudlin terror when arrested and when forced to
confess; that for two days he maintained denial of all knowledge
that Booth and Herold had been at his house; and that at last, and
in the condition referred to, he was coerced by threats to confess,
and into a weak and common effort to exculpate himself by the
accusation of another and by statements of conversation already
cited. Notwithstanding his utter denial of all knowledge of Booth
and Herold having called at his house, it afterward appears, by his
own testimony, that immediately Herold commanded him (Lloyd)