The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-05-11
WHY LINCOLN WAS AssAssINATED.
How John wilkes Booth Avenged the
Hanging Of his Friend, John Y. Beal.

|
How John wilkes Booth Avenged the
Hanging of his Friend, John Y. Beal.
From Pomeroys Democrat.
Among the chosen friends of John
Wilkes Booths boyhood was dashing,
chivalrous young man named John Z.
Beal, whose home was in the beautiful
Shenandoah Valley not far from Winches-
ter. Damon and Pythias were not more
attached to each other than were Booth
and Beal. Beal was Southern in his
sympathies, and planned raids on
Northern cities, and at last was captured
at or near Buffalo, tried for piracy on the
Northern lakes, and sentenced to be
hanged on Bedloe's Island.
One afternoon, in the city of Washing
ton, while Beal was under sentence of
death, there alighted from the carriage
two men, who walked into the room oc-
cupied by Washington Mclean of Gin
cinnati, who was at the time in WASH
| ington in the interest of his business:
These men who called were Senator Hale
of New Hampshire and John Wilkes
Booth. Booth was anxious to save the
| life of Beal, his chum and confidential
personal friend. he had interested MIR.
Hale in his behalf.
They importuned Mclean to 60 with
them to the President, as q Democrat-as
friend of Booth-as man who had
much influence with Mr.. Lincoln, and to
| youch with Mr. Hale for any promises
Booth might make in return for this
great favor to him. After protracted
Interview, Mclean accompanied Hale
and Booth in carriage to the residence
of John W. Forney, who was then in
bed, the hour being late. Forney was
awakened from his sleep and told the OBJ
ject of his call. His sympathies were
enlisted, as he was always ready to serve
his friends.
It was an hour or more past midnight
when Hale, Forney, Mclean and Booth
were driven to the White House. The
guard, at the request of Forney, admit
ted the carriage to the grounds. Mr..
Lincoln was called from his sleep and
there in the dead of night, he sat and
listened to the prayers of Booth and the
endorsements Of those who came with
him to ask the favor of Executive: Glenn
ency.
This interview lasted till in the morn
ing. It was one of tears, prayers and petit
tions. There was not q dry eye in the
room as Booth knelt at the feet of Lin
coin, clasped his knees with his hands,
and begged him to spare the life of one
mana personal friend who in serving
4 the ones he loved, had come to the door
of death. mi .as41e.i,s =.
Booth told all. He told how, long be-
fore, in a fit of passion to do some bold
deed, he had joined in a conspiracy to
sbduct the president and to hold him as a
hostage for the release of certain militia
~ prisoners who were Booths friends,
and who, it was thought, were to be shot.
He told Of the meetings they had held at
the house of Mrs. Surratt, and all of the
plans had fallen to the ground long
before. he offered his services at any
time and in any place or capacity, free
of cost and fearless of consequences
The eminent gentlemen who were there
with him Joined in the request that the
prayer of Booth be granted, and that
| Beal should be pardoned.
At last President Lincoln, with tears
streaming down his face, took Booth by
the hands, bade him rise and stand like
man, and gave him his promise that
Beal should be pardoned. He asked the
party to depart that he might gain rest
| for the work of the morrow, and said
that the official document that they
asked for should be forwarded at once to
to United States Marshal Robert Murray
in New York, and through him to the
officers charged with the execution of
Beal.
| After breakfast Lincoln informed Sew
ard, Secretary of State. what he had done
OF promised to do. Seward said that it
must not be: that public sentiment in
the North demanded that Beal should be
hung. He declared that to pardon Beal
would discourage enlistments, lengthen
the war, and insult the sentiment that
called for blood. He chided Lincoln for
making such promises without asking
the advice of his Cabinet, or advising
with himself, Seward, on State policy.
As the argument grew contentious, Sew
ard declared that ifthe conduct of the war
was to be trifed with by appeals for hu-
manity he should 60 out of the Cabinet
and use his influence against the Presi-
dent, and should charge him with being
in sympathy with the South: Lincoln
yielded and Beal was executed. The re-
action on Lincoln's nervous system was
such that for days he was far from well.
The effect on Booth was terrible. He
raved like madman, and in his frenzy
swore that Lincoln and Seward should
both paw for the grief and agony he had
been put to-. From the death of Beal
Booth, brooded vengeance for that which
he considered a personal affront. His
rage took in Seward, and he engaged
Harold, Atserodt and others to avenge
Beal's death by killing Seward, while he,
Booth, wreaked human vengeance on the
President. .....
At last came the hour. Booth killed
Lincoln. His friends and the relatives
or avengers of Beal tried their best to
kill Seward, and when they left him
stabbed, bleeding, and limp as cloth,
as he rolled over behind the bed whereon
they found him, they supposed their
work was completely done.
+. Our story is told. We have G. iyen the
truth of history, and told exactly why
I Abraham Lincoln, the humane President
of the United States, was killed.
CRIMINAL INTENT."-A man about
! ffy-fve years old, having red hair and
whiskers, took liking to woman IN