Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-06-10
who'll. NO. a,asS.
WHY LINCOL.x WASASsAssINATED.
How John wilkes Booth Avenged the
Hanging OF His Friend John Y. BeaI.

How John Wnkes Booth Avenged Oh,
Hanging Of His Friend John Y. Beal.
4 Among the chosen friends Of Johr
4 Wilkes Booths boyhood was dash
lnechivalrous young man named J0hT
4 X. Beal whose home was in the Shenan
I doah Valley not far from Winchester
Damon aud Pythias we're not more at.
tached to each other than were Booil
and Beal. Beal was southern ia his
i sympathies and planned raids on the
4 Northeru cites, and at last was cap.
/ tured az or near Buffalo, tried for pi-
i racy on Northern lakes and sentenced
to be hanged on Bedloe's Island.
One afternoon, In the city Of Wash
! ington, while Beal was under sentence
of death, there alighted from carri-
age two men, who walked into the
room occupied BY Washingfon Me-
Lean, Of Cincinnati, who was az the
time in Washington in the interests of
his busines. 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 Mr.. Hale in his be-
half.
They importuned Mclean to go with
them TO the President as a Democrat
as a friend of Booth--as man who
had much influence with Mr.. Lincoln,
and to vouch with Mr.. Hale for any
promises Booth might make in return
for this great favor, to him. After u
protracted interview Mclean accom-
panied Hale aud Booth IN a carriage to
the residenee, Of John w. Forney.
who was then in bed, the hour being
late. Forney was awakened from his
sleep and told the object of his call.
His sympathics were enlisted, as he
was always ready to serve his friends.
/ 1t was an hour or more past mid
night when Hale. Forney, Mclean and
Booth we're driven to the White House.
The guard, at the request Of Forney,
admitted the carriage 70 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
aud the endorsements Of those who
came with him TO ask the favor of Ex-
ecutive clemency. ora
This interview lasted till four in the
morning, IL was one Of tears, prayers,
and petition. There was not n dry eye
in the room as Booth knelt at the feet
of Lincoln, clasped his kness with his
hands and begged him to spare the life
of one mana personal friend who, in
serving the ones he loved, had come TO
tho door Of death.
Booth told all. He told how, long
before, in fit Of passion to do some
bold deed, he had Joined in conspira-
cy to abduct the Presidentand to hold
him as a hostage for the release oil cer-
tain military prisoners who were
Booth friends, aud who, il was
thought, were to be shot. He told OF
the meetings they had held at the
house Of Mrs Surratt, and that all Of
that plan had fallen 10 the ground long
before. He offered his services at any
time and in any place or capacity free
OF cost or 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 a man, and gave his promise
that Beal should be pardoned. He
asked the party that he might gain rest
for the work Of the morrow, and said
that the official document that they
asked should be forwarded at once 20
United States Marshall Robert Muir
ray, in New York, and through him 10
the officers charged with the execution
of Beal. .35
After breakfast Lincoln Informed
Seward, Secretary OF State, what be
had done OF promised 20 do. Seward
said that il 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. aud Inn
suit the sentiment that called for blood.
He chided Lincoln for making sach
promises without asking the advice Of
his Cabinet, or advising with himself,
Seward, on State policy. As the aTgu-
ment grew contentious, Sewnrd de-
clared that if the conduct of the war
was to be trifed with by appeals for
humanity, he should 20 out OF the
Cabinet and use his influence against
the President, and should charge him
with being in sympathy with the South.
Lincoln yielded and Beal was executed.
The reaction to Lincoln's nervous sys-
TEN was such that for days he was far
from we'll.
The effect on Booth was terrible.
He raved like a madman, and in his
frenzy swore that Lincoln and Seward
should both pay 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 on Seward, aud
he engaged Harold, Atserode, and
others TO aveuge Beal's death By kill
ing Seward, while he, Booth wreaked
human vengeance on the President.
At last came the hour Booth killed
Lincoln. His friends or 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 where
upon they found him, they supposed
their work was completely done.
Our story is told. We have given
the truth Of history, and told exactly
why Abraham Lincoln, the humane
President of the United States was
killed-Iomeroy's Democrat.