The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-03-02

Il
like it ever seen in North America, is in
troduced in England, with varied fol-
de-rol of talk, plot, scenery, and such
| phantasmagoria as goes to make up q
modern popular drama-had progressed
through couple of its acts, when in the
midst OF the comedy, or tragedy, or none
such, or whateyerit is to be called, and to
offset it OF finish it out, as If in natures
and the great muses. mockery of these
poor mines, comes interpOlated that
scene, not really or exactly to be des-
cribed at all (for on the hundreds who
were there it seems to this hour to have
left little but passing blur, a dream, a
blotch) yet partially to be de-
scribed as | now proceed to give it.
! There is scene in the play represent
ing modern parlor, In which two I'M
precedented ladies are informed by the
unprecedented and impossible Yankee
that he is not man of fortune, and there
fore undesirable for marriage catching
purposes after which, the comments be-
ing finished, the dramatic trio make exit,
leaving the stage clear for moment.
There was a pause, a hush as it were. At
this period came the murder of Abraham
Lincoln. Great as that was, with all Its
manifold train circling around it, and
ctretching into the future for many a
sentury, In the politics, history, art, ETC.,
of the new world, in point of fact the
main thing, the actual murder, trans
pired with the quiet and simplicity OF
any commonest occurrence-the burst
ing of bud or pod In the growth of
vegetation, for instance.
Through the general hum following
the stage pause, with the change OF posi-
tions, etc., came the mufled sound Of
pistol shot, which not one hundredth
part Of the audience heard ct the time
and vet a moments hush-somehow
surely vague, startled thrill and then,
through the ornamented, draperied,
starred and striped space-way of the
Presidents box, sudden figure, man
raises himself with hands and feet, stands
a moment on the railing, leaps below to
the stage Ga distance of perhaps four
teen or fifteen feet), falls out of position,
catching his boot-heel in the copious
drapery the American fag), falls on one
knee, quickly RECEIVERS himself, rises as
if nothing had happened Che really
sprains his ankle, but unfelt them and
so the figure, Booth the murderer,
dressed in plain black broadcloth, bare
headed, with full head Of glossy, raven
hair, and his eyes, like some mad ami
mails, flashing with light and resolution,
yet-.with certain strange calmness, holds
aloft in one hand a large hlife-walks
along just back from the footlights-
turns fully towards the audience his face
of statuesque beauty, Lit by those basi-
lisk eyes, flashing with desperation, per-
haps insanity-launches out in firm and
steady voice the words, SIC senaOer tyr
ni8-and then walks with neither slow
nor very rapid pace diagonally across to
the back of the stage, and disappears.
Had not all this terrible scene-making
the mimic ones preposterous-had it not
all been rehearsed in blank, by Booth,
beforehand?)
A moments hush, increduloug-a
scream-the cry of murder-Mrs. Lin
coin leaning out of the box, with ashy
cheeks and lips, with involuntary cry,
pointing to the retreating figure, "He
has killed the President And still q
moments strange, incredulous suspense,
and then the deluge !-then that mix
sound, somewhere back. of a horses
hoofs gathering with speed-the people
| burst through chairs and ratings, and
break them up-that noise adds to the
queerness of the scene-there is mex
tricable confusion and terror-women
faint-quite feeble persons fall, and are
| trampled on-many CRIES of agony are
heard-the broad stage suddenly fills to
suffocation with a dense and motley
crowd, like some horrible carnival-the
audience rush generally upon it-at least
the strong men do-the actors and ac-
tresses are all there in their gay cos
TUNES and painted face, with mortal
fright showing through the rouge, some
trembling some in tears-the screams
and calls, confused talk-redoubled,
trebled-two or three manage to pass up
water from the stage to the Presidents
box-others try to Chamber up-etc.
In the midst of all this the soldiers of
the Presidents guard, with others, sud
denly drawn to the scene, burst in
some 200 altogether-they storm the
house, through ali the tiers, especially
the upper ones, infiamed with fury,
literally charging the audience. with
liked Dayonets, musketS and pistols,
shouting "Clear ont clear out You
p 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 frenzy, ready to seize any
outlet for it, came near committing MUIR
der several times on innocent individ-
uals. One such case was especially ex-
citing. The infuriated crowd, through
some chance, got started against one
man, either for words he uttered, or per-
haps without any cause at all, and were
proceeding at once to actually hang him
on neighboring lamppost, when Le
was rescued by a few heroic policemen,
who placed him in their midst. and