The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-04-21
The Murder of President Lincoln
WASHINGTON, April Is.


other friends, this evening visite,
FOrd's theater, for the purpose 0
witnessing the performance of eth
american Cousin" 1t was announ
ced in the papers that Gen. Gran
would also be present, but that gen
tleman took the late train of cars fo
New Jersey.
The theater was densely crowded
and every body seemed delighted witt
the scene before them.
During the thirdact, and while there
was a temporary pause for one o
the actors to enter, a sharp report o.
a pistol was heard, which merely
ATTRACTED the attention, but suggested
5nothing serious until a man rushed tt
the front of the Presidents box, hav
ging long dagger in his right hand
sand exclaimed "Sic Semper Tyrannis,
Sand Immediately leaped from the box
which was in the I'd tier, to the stage
beneath, and ran across to the oppo
site side of the stage, making his es.
scape amid the bewilderment of the
audience from the rear of the theatre
and mounting a horse, fed. The
screams of Mrs. Lincoln first disclosed
sthe fact to the audience, that the Presi.
sdent had been shot, when all present
srose to their feet, rushing to the stage
many exclaiming, Chang him.
z The excitement was of the widest
possible description, and of course
there was an abrupt termination of the
Theatrical performance. There was
"a rush towards the Presidents box.
swhen cries were heard, "Stand back
land give him air, " elias any one stim-
sulants ?'' On a hasty examination ii
was found that the President had been
sshot through the head, above and back
sOf the temporary bone, and that some
3of the brains we're oozing out.
He was removed to private house
8oppOsite the theater, and the surgeon
General of the army and other sur
3geons sent for to attend his condition.
,On examination of the private box,
blood was discovered on the back of
the cushioned rocking chair on which
the President had been sitting; also on
the partition and on the floor. Acorn
mon siugle-barreled pOcketpistol was
found on the carpet.
A military guard was placed in.
front of the private residence to which.
the President had been conveyed.I J
AN immense crowd was in front of il, ]
all deeply anxious to learn the condi !
ton of the President. It has BEEN
previously announced that the wound
was mortal but all hoped otherwise
At midnight the Cabinet, MessrsI
Sumner and Farnsworth, Judge Bates
Gov. Oglesby, Genersl Meigs, Coll
Hay, and a few personal friends, with
Surgeon-GeneraI Barnes and his i'm
mediate assistants, were around his.
bedside. The president was in a
state syncope, totally insensible and
breathing slowly. The blood oozed
from the wound in the back of his
head. The surgeon exhausted every
possible effort of medical skill but all
hope was gone.
The parting of his family with the
dying President is too sad for descrip-5
ton. The President and Mrs. Lincoln;
did not start for the theater until ff,
teen minntes after 8 o'clock. Speak
er COlfax was at the White House:
at the time.
The President stated to him that he
was going, although Mrs. Lincoln had not
been well, because the papers had an
nounced that Gen. Grant was to be pres
ent, and as Gen. Grant had gone North
he did not want the audience to be disap-s
pointed.
He went with apparent reluctance, and
urged Mr.. COlfax to go with him, butthats
gentleman had other engagements, and
with Mr.. Ashmead, of Massachusetts,, bades
him good bye.
When the excitement at the theatre was
at its widest height, reports we're circula's
ted that Secretary Seward had also been
assassinated,
On reaching this gentleman's residence
a crowd and a military guard were around
its door, aud on entering, it was ascertain
ed that the reports were based on truth. :
Everybody there was so excited that
scarcely an ineligible world could be /
gathered.
O,o ~ Al, ,,o,t ,o,ossorv onnandoo,as