River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-08-08
ringtailed ilode, and dieth like spotted
Jehoshaphat.
LINcoLN,s DEATH,

Facts G0itig to shOtc that the ASSASSINATION
Vas Premedffafed, aud Plans Carefully
Laid THEREFOR.
To the Editor of the Moline Review.
/ have seen many articles of late from
persons who pretend to know that j.. Wilkes
Booth conceived the idea of assassinating
President Lincoln on the 14th of April, 1865,
about noon, having been informed that the
President and Gen. Grant were to appear at
Laura Keene's benefit at Ford's Theatre that
evening. l oppose any such idea gaining
credenee, unless Booth had an army of an
sstants, and will briefly, with your permits
SION, state my reasons for thinking so.
reached Washington, with a piize cap
tired Ivy the United States steamer Mercury
under my commaiid, ON the 18th of April
1865, and was busily engaged with the prize
officers arranging for the condemnation of
the prize. Walking down Pennsylvania
avenue, and when near Ford's Theatre,-on
the night of the 14th,-I saw a squad of SOL
diers on the double-quick, and learned from
the commissioned officers in charge that
President Lincoln had been shot. / at once
fastened to the theatre, and found that the
President had been removed 10 the house of
Mr.. Peterson, across the street from the
theatre, there were only half-a-dozen lights
burning, and, seeing FL. b. Phillips, an actor
of my acquaintance and one of the company.
standing upon the stage, walked down the
centre aisle and got upon the stage. He re-
lated the whole story to me, and / paced the
distance from where Booth landed upon the
stage to his place of exit, where his horse
stood in charge of a boy, and found the dis
lance to be thirty-nine PAGES. | also cb-
served that the route selected by him to
escape was clear of all distractions, which
first impressed me with the idea that he had
assistance from the members of the company
or stage-bands, which proved to be the fact,
for Spangler, the stage-carpenter, was con-
victed and imprisoned as an accompiice In
the murder.
Returning to the stage, a man named
Ke',t; who had been engaged searching the
box, informed Us Upon the stage chat he had
found the pistol with which the bloody deed
was done. The actors requested him to sur
render it to my keeping, which he agreed to
do if / would core up into the box.
jumped off the stage and hurried up the
centre aisle, and, as ] came out by the ticket
office, saw Miss Laura Keene held by Mr..
Ford's brother with an arm around her
waist. She was gesticUlatlng and calling on
the crowd to search for Tooth, the murderer.
As / passed her 10 90 up stairs she caught
hold of my coat and endeavored to detain
me, and it was with some difficulty / sue
ceeded in getting away from her. Reaching
the dress circle, In few minutes was in the
Presidents box. where the bloody tragedy
had been enacted. Upon reaching the box,
| found Mr.. Kent (the gentleman who had
found the pistoD in the right hand corner
of the box; Mr.. Gobright, the agent of the
Associated Press; and an actor named Spear
If my memory serves me,--considerably
under the influence of liquor. A few mo-
ments later, the chief of the Washington po-
lice reached the box, and he requested me to
aid him in searching the box, to see what
could b6 found. The pistol, single barreled
Deringer, was placed In his hands, and, after
Spear had procured us candle, the search
began. The chief held the candle was
upon my knees, and Mr.. Copyright making
notes of our discoveries. The FIRST thing |
found was button, torn of of Booths coat
in his struggle with Maj. Rathburn, shirt
button, an empty opera-glass case. and the
Presidents silk hat heavily dressed in mourn
ing. While upon the floor, in looking up,
noticed hole through the panel of the first
box-door -as the gas was lit in the passage
leading from the dress circle to the stage
boxes. / at once expressed the opinion that
the bullet must have passed out there. The
microscope of the chief of police was at once
brought into into requisition, and 1T
was discovered that it was spy hole cut
from the outside, to cover the position
of the occupants of the box. We then went
outside in the passage-way, and found that
the door leading from the dress-circle had
been barricaded from the inside, by remov-
ing the plastering 50 that board could be
placed across to prevent any interference by
the servant who was stationed outside this
door. After getting into the passage the
door was barricaded, Booth, looking through
the hole cut in the first box-door (the
two boxes having been made one by
taking down the psrtition), could easily see
the position of the President. Opening the
inner door he passed behind the President
and shot him behind the left ear. Major
Rathburn underworld to hold the assassin;
but he stabbed the major in the arm with a
bowie-knife; and leaped upon the stage, and
succeeded in making his escape. Now, sir,
do the cleared stage for his exit, the hole cut
in the stage door, the barricade behind the
door leading to the boxes, show that 1t was
conceived in a moment, and done as prompt
" as conceived? think not. And the facts
/ have mentioned here, with others known
to me, would, | think, ampl' prove my
statement. WILLIAM Il. MORRIS.