The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-02-17
ABRAHAM LING oLN,s DEATH.
Walt Whitman's Account OF the Scene st Ford's
Theaeer.
lFsom the Now Work Sun, Feb. n. |

The following vivid description of the
scenes at Ford's Theater at the time of
his assassination, trom. q forthcoming
book by Walt Whitman, has never before
been pHbhshed:
On this occasion the theater was
crowded, many ladies in rich and gay
costumes, etleeFs in their uniforms,
many well-known citizens, young folks,
the usual clusters OF gaslights, the usual
magnetism OF so many people, cheerful,
with perfumes, music OF violins and
| futes-( ana over ell, and saturating all,
that vast vague wonder, Victory, the
Nations victory, the triumph Of the
Union, filling the air, the thought, the
sense, with exhtlaration more than all
perfumes).
The President came betimes, end, with
the large stage boxes Of the
second tier, two thrown into one, and
| profusely draped with the National flag.
The acts and scenes Of the ptece-one Of
| those singulariy witless compositions
which have at least the merit Of giving
entire relief to an audience engaged in
mental action or business excitements
and cares during the day, as it makes
not the slightest call on either the neral,
emotional, esthetie or spiritual nature
piece ("Our American Cousin'')
IA WnlCuS dmOuS OIuCI CndI dC-
ters, SO called, a Yankee, certainly
seen, or the least Like 1t ever seen in
North America, is introduced in Eng
land, with varied fol-de-rol Of talk,
plot, scenery and such phantasmagoria
as gUes to make up a modern popular
Edrama--had progressed through perhaps
. couple of It's acts, when in the midst of
this comedy, or tragedy, or non-such, or
whatever it is to be called, and to offset
it or 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 described at
ali for on the many hundreds who were
there it seems to this hour to- have left
little but passing blur, dream, q
Ebloteh land yet partially to be de-
scribed as now proceed to give it.
There is scene in the play represent
ing the modern parlor, in which two un-
tprecedented English ladies are informed
by the unprecedented and impossible
Yankee that he is not a man of fortune,
and therefore undesirable for marriage
catching purposes; after which, the
comments being finished, the dramatic
trio make exit, leaving the stage clear
for moment. There was a pause, a
hush as it We're. At this period came
the murder OF Abraham Lincoln. Great
as that was, with all its manifold train
Ecircling around it, and stretching into
the future for many century, in the
\ politics, history, art, ETC., af the New
w orld, in point of fact, the main thing,
the actual murder transpired with the
quiet and simplicity Of any commonest
occurrence-the bursting of q bud or pod
i in the growth of vegetation, for instance.
Through the general hum following
Il Unit 4, ha nj, nf mn
sitions, etc, came the muffled sound OF
a pistol shot, which not one-hundredth
Ipart of the audience heard at the time
and yet d moments hush-someliow,
surely vague, startled thrill-and then,
through the ornamented, draperted,
starred and striped space-way Of the
Presidents box, sudden figure, q man
Praises himself with hands and feet,
stands. moment on the railing, leaps
below to the stage IA distance OF per.
!. thaps fourteen or nfteen feeJ), falls
{ out OF position, catching his boot-heel
D in the eopious drapery (the Amsri
can flag), falls on one knee, quickly
frecovers himself, as il nothing had hap
pened Che really sprains his ankle, but
unfelt then land so the figure, Booth
the murderer, dressed in plain blacB
broadeloth, bareheaded, with a full head
of glossy, raven hair, and his eyes, like
some mad animals, flashing with light
: and resolution, yet with q certain
, strange calmness, holds aloft in one
:, hand a large knife-walks along moi
much sback from sthe' footlights-turns
fully toward the audience his face o.
! statuesque beauty, lit by those basilisE
, eyes, shing with desperation, perhaps
insanity--launches out in firm aBC
steady voice the words, Sic sensper tyrdn
t nis--and then walks with neiGner slow
nor very rapid pace dfagonally across tt
the back OF the stage, and disappears
l Chad not all this terrible scene--makrns
: the mimic ones preposterous-had it no
D all been rehearsed, in blank, by Booth
beforehand)!
i A momenns hush, fncredulous-'
8 scream-the cry Of murder Mrs. Lfncoli
leaning out OF the box, with ashy cheeks
land lips, with involuntary cry, pointing
0 to the retreating figure, ale has kille(
the President" And still moments
strange, incredulotis spense--and thei
n the deluge I-then that mixture Of hor
; ror, noises, Uncertainty the sound
. somewhere back, OF a horses hoofs clat
tering with speed )--the people burs
: through chairs and ratings, ant
break them up - that noise add
!. | TO the queerness Of the scene
there is inextricable confusion and ter
IFOT-WOul0u IdlHI-Vultc IceUlo pcISVH
:. fall and are trampled oIl--rlany cries o
agony are heard-the broad stage sud
denly fills to sufocation with dens
: and motley crowd, like some horrible
carnival-.the audience rush generall.
/. upon it--at least the strong men doth
, actors and actresses are all there Il
} their play costumes and painted faces
;, with moral fright showing through til
! Irouge-some trembling, some in tears
: the Screams and calls, confused tafk-
q fedoubled, trebled-two or three man
/ [age to pass up water from the stage tt
, the Presidents box-others try to clam
Der up-etc., ETC., etc.
;, In the midst Of all this the soldiers 9
the Presidents Guard, With others, sud
tdenly drawn to the scene, burst in-som
9 two hundred altogether storm til
house, through all the tiers, especiali
: the upper ones, inflamed With fury, III
teralIy Charging tile audience, WITH IKE,
: bayonets, muskets and pistols, shoutih
4 t9Clear out! clear out l-youso of b-l
Such the wild scene. or q suggestion q
? II rather, inside the playhouse tina
, Outside. too. in the atm5sphere 1
shock and craze, crowds of people
lhiled With frenzy, ready to seize an