Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23

somehow, surely vague, started thri
and then, through the ornamented
draperied, starred and striped space
way of the Presidents box, a sudde
figure, man raises himself with hand
and feet stands moment on the rail
ing, leaps below to the stage Ca dis
tance of perhaps fourteen or 6fteer
feet, falls out of position, catching hi
boot heel in the copious drapery 9th
American fag), falls on his knee
quickly recovers himself, rises as il
nothing had happened Che really
spralns his ankle, but unfelt them
and'so the figure. Booth the murderer
dressed in plain black broadcloth, bare
headed, with a full head of glossy
raven hair, and his eyes, like some mad
animals, flashing with light aud res.
olution, yet with certain strang
calmness, holds aloft in one hand a
large knile--walks along not much
back from the footlights-turas fully
towards the audience his face Of stat
uesvue beauty, lit by those basllsk
eyes, flashing with desperation perhaps
nsanity,-launches out in a firm and
steady voice tie words, Sic semper
tyrannas-and then walks with neither
slow nor very rapid pace diagonally
across to the back of tie stage and
disappears. Had not all this terrible
scene-making the mimic ones pre-
posterous-had it not all been re-
hearsed. in blank, by Booth, before
handy
A moments hush, incredulous- a
scream-the cry of MURDER Mrs.
Lincoln leaning out Of the box, with
ashy cheeks and lips, with involuntary
cry, pointing to the retreating figure,
''He has killed the President. Aud
still moments strange, iucredulous
suspense then the deluge!-then
that mixture of horror, noises, uncer-
tainty-(the sound somewhere back of
horses hoofs Gathering With speedy
the people burst through chairs and
ratings, and break them up-that
noise adds TO the queerness of the
scene-there is inextricable confusion
and terror-women taint-qute feeble
persons fall, and are trampled on
many cries of agony are heard the
broad s'Pse suddenly fills to suffoca-
ton with dense and motley crowd,
|.liA soIas horrible carniva!-the audi
ence rush generally upon tat least
the strong men do-the actors and
actresses are all there in their play
costumes and painted faces, with NOR
tai fight showing through the rouge,
some trembling, some IN tears-the
screams and calls, confused talk-re.
doubled, trebled-two or three man.
age to pass up water from the stage to
the Pres dents box-others try to-
Chamber up--&c., &C., &c.
ln the midst of all this the soldiers
of the Presidents guard, with Others
suddenly drawn to the scene, burst in
some 200 all together--they storm
the house, through all the tiers, es.
pecially the upper ones infamed with
fury, literally charging the audien ce
with fixed bayonets. muskets and pis-
tolls, shouting, "Clear out! clear out!-
you sons of b." Such the wild scene
or suggestion of it rather, inside the
play house that night.
Outside, too, in the atmosphere of
shock and craze, crowds eff people
filled with frenzy. ready to seize any
outlet for it, came near committing
murder several times on innocent in
dividuals. One such case was es-
pecially exciting. The infariated
crowd, through some chance, got
started against one man, either for
words he uttered, or perhaps without
any cause at all, and were proceeding
at once TO hang him ON neighboring ng
lamp post, when he was rescued by a
few heroic policemen, who placed them
in their midst and fought their way
slowly and amid great peril towards
the station house. It was fitting
episode oi the whole affair. The
crowd rushing and eddying to and fro
the night, the yells, the pale faces,
many frightened people trying in vain
to extricate themselves-the attacked
man, not yet freed from the jaws of
death, looking like corpse-the 81
lent, resolute half dozen policemen
with no weapons but their little clubs.
yet stern and steady through all those
eddying swarms--made indeed fit.
ting side scene to the grand tragedy of
the murder. They gained the station
house with the protected man, whom
they placed in security for the night,
and discharged him in the morning.
And in the midst of that night pan.
demonium of senseless hate, infuriated
soldiers, the audience, and the crowd
the stage, and all its actors and
actresses, its paint pots, spangles, and
gas lights--the life blood from those
veins, the best and sweetest of the
land. drips slowly down and dooth,.