The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-06-10
John Wilkes Booth and his
Father.

The Louisville Jgu~rai has The following n
reference . the late as-assiu-tiJn
There can te n doubt that J. Wilkes Booth.
the distinguished actor. If guilty Of having a.
s4s,inarsd President Lincoln, should IL hung.
We would gladly have him hung =, high that
JIT people could 80 him BY TELESCOPES from all
portions u the continent. We nave no doubt
that John Wilkes Booth, though q man Of great
Ei=-ri0uic genius, has q broad s-Teak u insanity
in his nature but the evidences of hi lCng-cgn-
tsmplated, deliberat4lv-considere and terribly
7 executed crime, exclude and make impossible al
Considerations or thoughts Of mercy. Oh that
lie had twenty million necks-One for the private
thoughts and feeling Of every loyal man in the
United >-atez.
About thirty-thrss years ago, the elder Booth,
the father Of WIke=, Edwin, etc, came 70 this
city upon q theatrical engagement. He sent for
U= - hls hotel, with many bur very queer CON-
PLuents. We went. lie received u kindly.
but strangely Ia a little while lie asked u If We
were - armed. Not much We answered.
:. Well, hoU much 2; said he. We drew from
our pOcket Z sprIng-knife. presented y Us two
days befJre and gave il into his hand=, showing
him how i, was % be used. He instantly raised
II On high and exclaimed IN his tragic stvle.
- What j. q save you now - We retired q stem
and replied, " What : % save me l. your fear If
this plstOll' lie responded IN & most Joyous
laugh, Oh i don't care for knives OF pistols, as .
/ know you don't, but l wanted 10 find Won
worthy y BE my friend" We told him that We
had not thus far found him worthy Of our friend
snip lie then asked us u 20 up 70 his room and
sc some Of his Departed friends. Having an
awful prejudice against the sight Of ghosts. we
declined. He urged. We yielded. We went
with him. and be introduced Us u twelve or IF
teen ROSTERS. hens. and pulIets, his travelling
companions through the country, =aying that
they were his deceased friends, and telling Us the
name Of each. His sylemnity was evidence of
ms sincerity. There was no hypocrisy in his
soul. The next night he was advertised for his
third appearance ~ the theater. An immense
assembled. He didn't show himself. I'm
became irrepressible, and the people in
the house had their money returned 1T the door.
We passed down 4 cross street a well-knOwn
voice from a carriage exclaimed 80 HaIloo! have
you been at the theater ?'' Yes We said,
. " nat sort Of an audience was there ~ 81
tremendous one?'' ;. Did thew see BOoth?' .sNo.
md Booth treated them like a-dog.'' All,
veil, were they rery much disappointed % Two
afterwards we were sent for BY the keeper
i the city Jail. Poor Booth was in his keeping.
lie had been taken in a state Of uncOnsciousness
rom the streets, and was still unconscious. He
.ad BACKED himself blacker than the blacklist
.egro IN Kentucky. We helped him away from
he city, and when he came again he behaved
etter. and spoke his gratitude to US. t
We do not mention these evidences Of raternal
insanity as the slightest reason for the sraring Of Z
resident LincJlns murderer from the gaIlows. '
' g mention them simply because, at a time like /
they may be interesting 10 many readers. ]
IS tor the assassin, we repeat that be should, if :
OsslbIe, be hung higher than the clouds. =