The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1876-06-22
Lincoln was AssassInatsd

-
ng, chivalrous yoong man named
|ohn Y. Beal, whose homo IVES ia (
he beautiful ShensH ,oah Valley not
ar from Winches.er. Dsason and Py-
hiss were not tfnose attached 10 eaeh
,tl,er than were Both spd Bal.
i'e, was Southern In bis syapas
THE, and planned raids on North.
e'rcitics, and at last was csptured
!" near Buffalo. tried for piracy.
on Nvthern lakes, and sonieuced ~
be hnntsd on Bedloc's Islsud.
One af'>snoon, in the city ofWasn.
ington, while Beal was under sem
ience Of deirb, ,hero alighted from
carriage two men, who walked into
The room occupied BY Washington
Mclean of Cincinnati, who was as
this time in,Wa-hipgton 10 the inter.
est OF bis busoess. Thee men who
c,lled wero senator Hale, Of New
Hampshire AM John Wilkes Booth.
! Booth was anyious to save the life Of
Beal, his cLLn and eopfidentisl PER-
snnal friend. Ho had interested MIR.
Hale 10 his behalf.
They impottunel Mclean TO 70
with them to tho President, as q
Democrats friend Of Booih-ass Q
mao who had much influence with
Mr. Lincoln, sod to vouch with Mr.
Halo for any promis's Booth m'gns
make in return for this great iavor
to him After protracted inter.
view KcLeao accompanied Haze ano
p.,a,h in n carriage 10 tho residence
ol 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 sympa-
tbies were enlistcd, as he was ale
ways ready TO serve his friends
Col Forney says the story is not
true.)
II was an hour or moro past mid
night when Hale, Forney, MclIeon
and Booth we're driven to the White
H,uso. The guard. at the request OF
Foruey, admitted The carriage 10 tho
grounds. Mr.. Lincolu was called
from his sleep. and there, 10 ihe dead
of night, he sat aud listensd to tho
prayers of Booth and the eudorse~
ments of those who came with him to
ask the favor of Executive clemency.
This Interview l,sted until 4 o'clock
in he morning. IL was one OF tears,
pr ayers aud petiti,n There was NOT
q dry eye 10 the pom as Booth knelt
, at the feet of Lincoln, Claspcd his
knees with his hands, and begged
him to spare the life Of one man--a
personal friend Who, in serving the
ones he loved, had come TO the door
Of death.
Booth told all He told how, long
before. 10 fil ST passion to do. come
bold deed, no Lad joined in consPi.
racy TO abduct the President AID hold
him as hostage for the release o
certain military prisoners who wer'
Booths friends, and who, it wa
thought, were to be shot. lie tol'
Of the meetings hey had held at th,
: house of.Mrs. Sarreit, and that el
of that plan had fallen to the groun'
a long before. lie offered his servic
: ut my time and in any place or CO
!" pacity, free Of cost or fearless o
II consequences. Tho eminent gentle
a. men who were there with him joipe
Al IN the request that the prayer
Booth he granted, aud that Bot
should be pardoned.
" Al last President Lincoln, wit
tears Streaming down his face, toe
ay Booth by the hands, babe him ris
or or and stand like man, aud gave hi
IS his promise that Bcal should DO pa
%, Or doned. Hs asked tho party to d
part that he might gain rest for III
OF work Of the morrow, and said that Il
official document that they asked f
ID, should he forwarded AT once to Il
'n' United States Marshall Robert MuI
&C. ray, 10 New York, and through hi
e, TO the officers charged with tho exc
iy. cutiou Of Beal.
ID After breakfast Lincoln inform'
Sds ID, Seward Secretary Of State, what
raj had done or promised 10 do. Sewal
an said that it must not he; that q
,s to public sentiment in the North dema
ded that Bcal should DO hung. ]
declared that to pardon Bcal wou
discourage enlistments, lengthen Z
u war, aud insult the sentiment th
called Tor blood. He chided Liuco
for making such promises witho
asking the advise OF his Cabinet,
advising with himself, Seward,
State policy. AS tho argument gr'
contentious, Seward declared that
the conduct of the war was to be Z
= fled with by appeals for humanity
should 90 out OF the Cabinet and I
his influence against the Preside
aud should charge him with being
sympathy with the South. Liucc
i, yielded aud Beal was executed. T
! ! reaction to Llncoln's nervous syste
was such that for days he was
from well.
The effect 90 Booth was tcfrib
He raved like madman and in
- frenzy swore that Lincoln and Sc
ard should both pay for the grief 81
ai.. agony he had been put to. Fro
The tho death Of Bal, Booth brood
,,ns ,as, vengeance for that which he coosi
sni cred a personal. aifront. his rage u
'Is ,rS. 10 Seward. and be Engaged Hsro