Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-03-28
NUMBER Ii.


were there. II see ms 10 this hour TO hav
left but passing blur, dream, a blotch
and yet partially to be described as
now give it.
There IS scene in the play represent
ing mOieru ptrlOr, Ia which two
unprecedented English ladies are inform.
ed by the unprecedented ADD impossible
Yankee, that be is not of fortune, and
therefore undesirable for marriage catch.
ing purposes; after which, the comments
being finished, the dramatic trio make
exit, leaving the stage clear for a moment
There was pause. \ hush IS il we're
At this period came the murder Of Abra.
ham Lincoln. Great AS that was with all
its manifold train circlDg round it. and
stretching into the future for many
century, in the political history, art, etc,
Of the New World, in point o. fact, the
main thing, the actual murder transpired
with the quiet and simplicity OF any
commonest occurrence-lhe bursting of
a bud or pod in the growth OF vegetation
for instance.
Through the genial hum following the
stage pause. with tho change OF positions.
etc, came the mufil I'd sound OF q pistol
shot, which not one hundredlh part OF
the audience heard at the time-snd yet
q uloment's hush-sOmshow, surely,
vague, startled thrili-aud then, through
the ornamental. draperied, starred aud
striped spsceway Of the Presidents box.
3 sudden figure, man raises himself
with bands and feet. stands moment on
the railing. leaps below to the stage "a
distance OF perhaps fourteen or fifteen
teet), falls out OF position, catching his
boot heel in the copious drapery (the
American aaQ) falls on one knee, quickly
RECEIVERS himself rises As il nothing had
happened, Che really sprains bis ankle,
but unfelt lheD) and so the figure, Booth,
The murderer, dressed in plain black
broadclolh, bareheaded, with full head
Of gloss, raven hair, aud his eyes, like
some mad animals, htshing with light
and resolution, yet with a certain strange
calmness, holds alolt ia one hand a large
knlfe-walks along not much back of the
ioot-ligbts-turns fully toward he audi
euce his face OF statuesque beauty, liz by
those basslisk eyes. .suing with desper.
alton, perhaps iusanity launching out iu
firm and steady voice the words SIC
semper tyraHniS-1nd then walks with
neither slow nor very rapid pace diago.
ually across the back OF tue stage aud
disappears. (H.d not all ibis terrible
scene making The mimic ones preposter.
ous-had it not all been rehearsed in
blank by Booth, beiarcband?)
A moments hush, ,incredulou- Il scream
the cry OF murder-Nlrs Lincoln lean.
lng out of the box, with a,bY caeeks snd
lips. with involuntary cry, pointing To the
retreating figure, ale has killed the
President" Aud still! moments strange,
lncredulous uspeuse-Iud then The del
uge then that mixture + horror, noise,
uncertainty-the sound somewhere back
OF horses hoofs entering with speed
the people burst through chair and railing
and break them up-that noise adds TO
the queerness OF the scene-there is mex
tricable confusion and lerror-women
taint-quite feeble persons fall and are
trampled on-many cries OF agony are
heard-the broad stage suddenly filled to
suffocation with dense and motley
crowd. like some horrible carnival, the
audience rush generally upon it-at least
the strong men do--the actors and act
resses are all there in their play costumes
and painted faces, with mortal fright
showing through the rouge, some tremb-
ling in teaIs-the screams and
calls, confused taIk-redoubled trebled-
two or three manage to pass up water
from the stage to the Presidents box
others to Chamber up-etc., etc.
In the idst OF all this the soldiers OF
the Presidents guard. with others sudden
ly drawn TO the scene, burst in-some two
hundred altogeiher-they storm the house
through all the tiers, especially the upper
oUes. iuhamed with Jury, literally charg-
ing the audience with fixed bayonets.
muskets and pistols, shouting Clear outl
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 OF people. filed
with irensy. ready to seize any outlet Tor
it, came near committing murder several
times on innocent individuals. One such
case was especially exciting. The iniu-
rated crowd. through some chance, got
started against one man. either Tor words
he uttered, or perhaps without aby cause
at all, aud were proceeding nj once to
hang bin 10 a neighboring lamp post,
when he was rescued 10y lew heroic
policemen, who placed him in their midst
and fought their way slowly and amid
great peril toward the station house IL
was fitting episode OF the whole affair.
The crowd rushing and eddy iDg To and
Iro-the night, the yeIs, the pale faces,
mauy frightened people try ing IN vain 10
eXlricale themseives-lhe attacked man,
not vet heed from the jaws of death.
looking like corpse-the silent, resolute
halt dozen policemen, with no weapons
but their little clubs, vet stern and steady
through all those eddyiDg swarms-made
indeed fitting scene TO the grand tragedy
of the murder. They gained the station
house with the protected man, whom they
placed III security Tor ihe night, end
discharged him In the morning
And in The midst Of ibat nights pan