The Cecil Whig., 1865-04-22

the continent, and while the two assassins
were speeding unharmcd upon fleet horse.
far away, his chosen friends watched abou!
the death. bed of the highest of the nation,
Occasionally, DR.. Gurley, pastor of the
| church where Mr.. Lincoln habitually attends
ed, knelt down in prayer. Occasionally
| Mrs. Lincoln and her sons entered, to find
no hope and to go back to ceaseless weep.
| ing. Members of the Cabinet, senators,
representatives, generals, and others, took
turns at the bedside Not gleam Of con.
sciousness shone across the visage of the
President up to his dcath-a quiet, peaceful
death at last-which came at twenty-five
minutes past seven A. NJ. Rev. DR.. Gurley,
after the event, knelt with all around in
prayer, and then, entering the adjoining
room where were gathered Mrs. Lincoln,
Captain Robert Lincoln, Mr. John HAY and
others, prayed again. Soon after 9 clock
the remains were placed in temporary cof.
fin and conveyed to the White House under
a small escort.
FUNERAL oBsEQrIEs.
The funeral obsequies in Washington, on
Wednesday, were marked by the cere.
monies and observances through which the
Nation feebly yet earnestly seeks to express
sense of its great loss and detestalion of
the crime which cruelty and ruthlessly
slaughtered its honored head. The assem-
blagc of people at Washington was immense,
and the funeral procession the most impress
sive demonstration which has ever occurred
in Washington. After religious services at
Executive Mansion the remains were re-
moved to the Capitol and placed in the
Rotunda, where they laid in state until yes
terday morning, when their progress TO the
residence of the late President, at Spring
field, Illinois, commenced. A special train,
with funeral car, was prepared for the oc-
casion, in which the remains and their escort
are conveyed. The remains were to arrive
ing, and lie in state five hours, in charge of
the State and city authorities. From Balti-
more they went to Harrisburg, thence to
Philadelphia, New York, Albany, Buffalo,
Cleveland, Columbus, indianapolis and
Chicago, reaching Springfield on Wednesday
next. Senators johnson and Creswell, and
Hons. IL. Winter Davis and Phelps, and
Lieut.. Gov. Cox, of Maryland, were i'll the
funeral procession.
THE AssAssINAToRs.
J. Wilkes Booth, the assassinator of Mr..
Lincoln, is a native of Maryland, having
been born in the neighborhood, near the
birthplace Of the infamous Major Harry Gil
mour. He is son of the celebrated Lucius
Junius Booth, the tragedian, and brother
to Edwin Booth, prominent actor at the
present time. He is about q years old, and
until recently followed the profession of an
actor. Some months ago he went into the
oil business, and is reported to have made
considerable. His character is that OF q drink
ing and revengeful man. His hatred for the
President was well known by those acquaint-
ed with him, and he had long ago thrown
out vague hints about numbering the Presl.
dent. He is still at large, but despatch
from Washington states tnat the authorities
are on his track and confident of his escape
being cut off.
The would,be murderer of Secretary Sc.
ward and his sons, was arrested on Tuesday,
in Washington, and identified beyond doubt
by the servants of Secretary Seward who
were present on the night of the attempted
assassination. He has been secretly con,
fined in order to prevent his taking his life
himself, and to prevent the people from
taking the law in their own hands and wreak,
ing summary vengeance upon the scoundrel.
Other arrests have been made, but as it is
thought best for the cause of justice, and
assist in ferreting out others of the conspira-
tors, names and particulars are not given.
The ablest detectives in the country are en-
ployed, and every effort is being made by
the Government to thoroughly sift the whole
plot.
CONDITION OF THE. Stewards.
Secretary Seward is much better. as also
Frederick Seward, and it is now confidently
hoped and expected that both will recover
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF Mr.. LINCOLN.
Mr.. Lincoln was our sixteenth President,
and is taken off now in the 56th year of his
age. He was born on the 18th February
1909, in that part of Hardin county, Ken
lucky, now included in Larne. Both his
grandfather and father were, however, natives
of Virginia, their ancestors having orioinallr
+ 'emigrated from DDerks county, Pa, to Rock
ingham, Virginia. They were farmers, and
Mr.. Llncoln's father having removed to In
diana in 1916, the son there engaged with
him in hard labor, going .o school at inter
walls. In 1880 the family removed to lili
nos, where, in Macon county, Abraham
Lincoln helped to rear the roof that shelter
ed them, and fence the lands from which
they derived sustenance. He also, for
wages, engaged in boat building and trading
to New Orleans. On the breaking out of
the Blackhawk war in 1892 he was elected
captain of volunteer company. His first
appearance in political character was in
the following year, when he was nominated
as a whig candidate for the Legislature, but
was defeated. Having been made post
master at New Salem, he improved his op-
portunity for studying law, and also survey
ing, in which latter he engaged as deputy
for Sangamon county for time. In 1886
he was admitted to the practice of law, but
had, in the meantime, been chosen to the
Legislature, in which he served by re-elec-
tions till 1910. 1t was in 1887 that he set
tied in Springfield, and thence rose rapidly
in his profession. He was several times a
candidate for Presidential elector, and in
1874 canvassed the State in behalf of Henry
Clay. In 1S47 he came to Congress from
the central district of Illinois, and as Rep
resentative opposed the apnexaton of Texas,
and though inimical to the war with Mexico,
voted for the loan bill to enable the Govern,
ment to defray its expenses. He favored
the prohibition of slavery in the newly ac-
quired territory, and at one time offered to
the House a scheme for abolishing slavery
in the District of Columbia by compensating
owners, provided a majority of the citizens
should vote for the acceptance of the pro-
posed act. In 1S49 he was a candidate for
the United States Senate, but the Legisla,
ture being democratic, Gen. Shields was
chosen. 1t was not till the repeal of the
Missouri compromise that Mr.. Lincoln again
appeared in public, when he entered earnest
ly into the canvass which was to decide the
choice of United States Senator in place
of General Shields, and the result was the
triumph Of the republicans, and the election
of Judge Trumbull. In June, 1858, the Re.
publican State Convention at Springfield