The Osceola times., 1878-06-29
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
The Trae STORY Sf the AssHssinasiop. as
Told TOR the F,rst Time by th~ Man
ager of the 7 1heater.

niger OF the ] lhenter.
Baltimore Special to Cincinnati Euqui,erJ
The impression has long prevailed that
Mr.. John I. Ford, who was manager OF
Ford's Tbeater at the time the Bao,h-
Lincoln Assassination occurred, was fa>
miliar with facts In connection with the
matter that had never appeared in print,
and he was approached by y Gazette re-
porter and asked ii such was the case.
Mr.. Ford remarked that he had frequent.
ly been requested to give expression tn
his views on the subject, but had de-
clined. A general conversation on the
subject, however, eusued, the substance
OF which, with Mr.. Ford's permission,
we print. 1t thraws some light on the
great tragedy. Mr. Ford said:
John Wilkes Booth was trained from
earliest infancy to consider the almost
deifed assassin Brutus just a. Shakespeare
immortalizsd him. His father was named
"Junius Brutus." His brother ia now the
bearer OF that surname. The great Booth
frequently appeared in the play of
Julius Cesar" and not latter than
l "a three of his sons acted the three
leading characters of the play to an
audience that applauded the sentiments
OF " Brutus to the echo.
Now trace the assassination Of Lincoln !:
On the morning OF April II. 1865, Booth,
who had conspired for six months pre-
yious to abduct President Lincoln and
convey him a prisoner to the south, was
the last guest at breakfast at the Ma.
tional Hotel in Washington. The sur>
render at Appomatox had ended all
chance for him tn carry out his original
conspiracy. He lett the hotel after II
o'clock that morning and walked up
Sixth street TO II, and stopped at the
Surratt House, where he met the widow
who kept it returning from the religious
services of Coed Friday, and then ia the
act OF going to her former country place
(the vehicle to convey her already at the
door, TO collect some money due her, no
rs to pay what was due by her to the
Calvert estate.
Booth, when informed OF her intended
vi it, requested her TO get some articles
belonging to him that he had left at the
country tavern, and then, bidding her
adeu, he walked up Fl street to Tenth
and down Tenth TO the theater.
When he reached there il was about,
or probably little later than twelve
o'clock, midday. There he heard for the
first me that both President Lincoln
and General Grant were TO visit the the.
a,ber that night. The private box WAS
in process Of decoration. The White
House messenger had been there an hour
before to secure its use. believe, and
all reliable written or oral testimony
confirms that belief, that then and there
the terrible thought Of the assassination
fret suggested iiself. 1t came like this
"If failed to serve the South ia my
conspiracy 10 abduct, ] can now be her
Brutus."
This thought fastened on his brain,
and led him TO go from the theater to
ward the Kirkwood House to have g
conference with some OF bis old conspira,
tors. John Surra,t was away. o Laugh.
| lin was in Baltimore. and Arnold was in
a suffers store at Fortress Monroe. TDey
knew the abduction conspiracy had hep
abandoned, but Payne, Alz-rodt and
Herold were in Washington Ths Ne lat.
ter he got together, and c'nspired with
them to kill the President, the vict Driou,
general, and rome OF the c,binst. lie
must have written between the time
T, when he parted with his CO. conspirators
snd the hour he agsin appeared at the
theattr, lengthy statement for publica-
] ton, excusing his intended crime BY