Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-04-21
THE GREAT CALAMITY.
Particulars Of the Assassination of President
Lincoln and Secretary Seward.

THE GREAT CALAMITY.
Particulars Of the Assassination of Presiden
Lincoln and Secretary Seward.
The daily papers are full of the par
|ticulars of the killing of President Lin
!coln, and the attempted murder of Sec
!retary Seward. From the great mass O
matter published we compile sufficien
ito give our readers clear understand
ing of al the circumstances ccnnecte,
with the terrible tragedy.
WASHINGTON, April 18th.
About half past ten o'clock, a maj
dressed i'm dark suit and hat, entered
the private box i'm which Mr. Lincoln
land his party, consisting of Mrs. Lin
|coln, Miss Harris, daughter of Senato
Harris, and Captain Rathbone, of Alba
my, were seated at Ford's Theater. I'm
upon opening the door III
advanced toward Mr.. Lincoln, with ,
|six-barreled revolver in his right hant
land bowie knife in his lest. ..f "
The President, who was intent upol
the play, did not notice the inter
Eruption, and the gentleman who wa
seated beside him rose to inquire TIN
reason of his entry. Before he had tim'
Ito ask the assassin what he wanted IN
fired one charge from his revolver
(which took effect in the back of th'
Presidents head. The ball passet
Through and came out at the right tenn
|ple. Captain Rathbone, who was in thu
box with Mr.. Lincoln, attempted to ar
rest the murderer and on doing SO re
|ceived a shot in his arm. The assassin
then leaped from the box OH to thu
stage.
Before he disappeared behind the cur
tain, he turned and, with tragic flour
ish and tone, waved his knife ant
shouted, ",Sic ,SeDaper Tyrdnais." Sc
Sudden was the affair that, for some
moments after its occurrence, the audi
encc supposed it was part of the play
and were only undeceived by the man
lager announcing from the stage thai
the President of the United States hat
been shot. The shock fell upon the au
dience like a thunderbolt, and loud cries
were immediately made to kill or cap
ture the assassin. The murderOus EN-
missary of the slave power escaped east
ly and rapidly from the theater, anC
mounted horse and rode Oft.
THE ASSASSINATION OF SEWARD.
At about the same hour of the assas
of the President, we'll dressed
perscn appeared at the house of Secre-
tary Seward, and asked to see him. He
was informed that he could not, upon
which he said that~he had prescrip-
ton from Surgeon General Barnes
which he was ordered to deliver in per-
son. The servant referred him to Fred
Seward. The latter told the stranger
that he was master of the house, and
would take charge of the medicine, but
the desperate refused to deliver it, and
rushed past Fred. Seward,
who attempted to prevent the miscre-
ant, who is a very large, powerful man,
from entering his fathers chamber
The assassin snapped his pistol at him
twice, but did not succeed in discharg-
ing it. He then struck him two blows
upon the head with it, crushing the
skull and telling him to the floor. I'M
mediately rushing into the room, he at
tempted to cut the Secretary's throat,
and succeeded in inflicting severe CASH
es upon his face, laying open both
cheeks but was prevented by the bed
clothing about his neck, and the fact
that Mr.. Seward rolled out upon the
floor, from infiicting fatal injuries. A
soldier by this time had entered the
room and sprang upon the assassin s
back. He stabbed him in the side, and
succeeded in breaking loose, and after
wounding Major Seward, another son
of the Secretary's, and an attendant,
reached his horse and rode away; and
as he was mounting, he pronounced the
motto of the State of Virginia, " SIC
Sem7oer 1yr0anis."
TIE AssAssINs.
Conclusive to the point that the muir
derer of President Lincoln was John
Wilkes Booth, the actor. His hat was
found in the private box and identified
by several persons who had seen him
within the past two days, and the spun
which he dropped by accident after lac
jumped to the stage was identified as
one of those which he had obtained
from the stable where he hired his
horse. This man Booth has played
more than once ut Ford's Theater, and
is, of course, acquainted with its exit
and entrance, aud the facility with
which he escaped behind the scenes is
easily understood.
The person who attacked Secretary
Seward left behind him a slouched hat
and an old rusty navy revolver, the
chamber of which was broken loose
rom the barrel as If done by striking.
The loads were drawn from the cham
oers, one being but u rough piece of
lead, and the other balls smaller than
the chambers, wrapped in paper, as if
to keep them from falling out.
The assassin of Governor Seward Is
believed to be man named Sattuck, a
noted Maryland rebel.
1t appears from q letter found in
trunk that the murder was
planned before the 4th of March, but
fell through then because the accom-
plice backed out until Richmond could
be heard from. Booth and his accom-
plice were at the livery stable at o.
clock last evening, and left there with
their horses about 10 O'Clock, or shortly
before that hour. 1t would seem that
they had been seeking their chance, but
for some unknown reason it was not
carried into effect until last night.
EXTENT OF THE PLOT.
The National MtcHigeRcer says -
% We can state on the highest authori-
ty that it has been ascCrtained that there
was regular conspiracy to a3sassinate
every member of the Cabinet, together
with the Vice President.
The following is copy of n note sent
to Vice President johnson last Friday,
which was only found on his table yes
terday among other papers:
~ do not wish to disturb you but would be
-. WILKES BOOTH"
Mr.. johnson was out ut the time, and
never saw the note till yesterday.
The gentlemen who went to the Sec
rotary of War to apprise himyT the at
tack on Mr.. Lincoln, met at the resi-
dence of the former Il man muflled in q
cloak, who, when accosted by them,
FASTENED away. 1t had been Mr.. Stan
toms intention to accompany Mr.. Lin
colin to the thcatcr and occupy the same
box, but the press of business prevent
ed it. 1t therefore seems evident that
the aim Of the plotters was to paralyze
the country by at once striking down
the head, the heart and the arm of the
country.
AT least six persons We're engaged in
the conspiracy, four of whom neglected
to perform their parts.
TIE ASSASSIN'S ARRANGEMENTS.
-Four days ago Booth took up his old
quarters at the National hotel. Yester-
day morning he sauntered into the box
office at Ford's theator, and learned ac-
that Grant and President
Lincoln would visit the play last night.
that ha ,n.tnn 1talI,, ~,