The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-20
LINoOLN,s ASSASSINATION.
statement OF Mr.. John t. Ford, OF
Baltimore.

QuO
Mr.. John 7. Ford, Of Baltimore, who
was manager Of the theatre in Wash
ington in which Mr.. Lincoln Wu assas.
sinated BY John Wilkes Booth, expresses
the opinion, In 4 conversation reported
in the Baltimore Gasetso Of Saturday, that
it vas not until noon Of the day Of the
commission Of the crime that Booth de-
cided upon It. As 1t is we'll known, he
had for six months been = party TO 4 con.
spiracy 10 abduct Mr.. Lincoln, but the
surrender at AppomAttOx had ended all
chance Of accomplishing this. On the
morning Of April Il, 1855, says Mr.. Ford,
Booth breGkilsted At the National Hotel,
and sauntering out about II O'Clock, went
frat 10 the surratt House, where he
found Mrs. surratt, who had just
returned from the Good Friday re-
lisious services, about 10 drive out TO
the Calvert estate. BE asked her to get
him some small articles that be had left
at the country tavern, and went on down
10 the theater. Mr.. Ford continues:
There be heard for the first time that
both President Lincoln and Gen. Grant
were to visit the theater that night. The
private box was in the process Of deco.
ration. The White House messenger had
been there an hour before 10 secure il
use. belieye-And all reliable written
or oral testimony confirms that belief
tina, then and there the terrible thought
Of assassination first suggested itself. 1t
came like this: "If I failed to serve the
South In my conspiracy to abduct, l can
now be her Brutus.' This thought fasten.
ed on his brain-led him 10 60 from the
thea,er toward the KirkEood House
10 have . conference with some Of
his old eonspirators. John Surratt
was awsy-0Laughlin WG in Bal
timore, and Arnold was in s suffers store
at Fortress Monroe. They knew the alb.
duction conspiracy had been abandoned,
but Payne, Alzerodt and Harold we're in
Washington. These latter he got toeeth.
er, and ~eonspired with them TO kin the
President, the victorious General and
Of the Cabinet. He must have writ.
ten between the time when be parted with
his co-conspirators and the hour he again
appeared al the theatre 3 long statement
for publication, ~eIcusing his intended
crime by Roman precedent When dying
he referred TO 1t for Justification. BE
gave on the evening Of the l4th q package
70 an actor, directing iB delivery the next
day 10 the National [ahLiSeae9. The act.
or confesses that be, frightened At the
risk he ran, broke tee seal, read the
incloted matter, and.At midnight burned
il. II that package had been pre-.
served It would have revealed the decla-
ration that until noon that day its writer
had not premeditated murder, but feeling
deeply the humiliation Of the South, TO
the people Of which be bore all the love
that Brutu. ever felt 10 Rome, he would
strike down that night the leading men
Of the victorious hosts Who were then
shouting their psans Of triumph. When
dyipg-wi,h his face Lit up with the
blaze Of the burning barn upon the Gar.
ret farm, justAt the break Of day on the
morning Of April 9th, he muttered some
words, a soldier bent over him and caught
them from his fast ebbing breath. First,
8 message for his mother, Tell her
I did il IS I thought for the best,
and then be said, Tell others that the
communication I wrote, addressed TO
the National Lntolissaoer. will explain
why l did what 1 did, During the con.
uniranv trial at the Ansenal. Hon. Joseph
Holt the Judge Advocate, called John F.
Coyle, then The publisher Of the National
Inialiseaesr, and asked if that comuunica.
ton had ever been received. His reply
was no. Il WA, continued Mr.. Ford,
burned in the CRATE Of q chamber Of s
boarding house, and & Catholic priest
now living in Washington had the fact
confessed 10 him o afterWard. l had
the occurrence revealed to me-with the
added information Of the coniession-by
the party who was the custodian Of the
packags.n