Today in the Lincoln Conspiracy: June 14
The question of Lewis Thornton Powell's sanity consumed two days of testimony at the Lincoln conspiracy trial. On June 14, 1865, Powell again submitted to an examination -- this time by the Surgeon-General of the United States Army, along with the previous witnesses, Dr. James C. Hall and Dr. Basil Norris, an Army surgeon. Their verdict was unanimous.
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| Lewis Thornton Powell |
"I have made an examination this morning of the prisoner, Payne [Powell's alias], and find no evidence of insanity—none whatever," concluded Surgeon-General J.K Barnes. "I arrived at the conclusion that he is not insane," Dr. Norris concurred. Dr. Hall, who had admitted there was evidence for "suspicion of insanity" the previous day, now felt otherwise. "I think I am now prepared to say that there is no evidence of mental insanity," Hall told the court. "Payne's mind is weak and uncultivated, but I can not discover any sufficient evidence of mental insanity."
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