Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-07-05
The AssassinatIOn Of Lincoln.

JOHN T. FoRD's EFSIINIsCESCE OF THE GREAT
TRAGEpY-wILKEs BOOTHS IDEA OF BEcoM-
ISG THE BEUIUs OF THE SOUTH.
Shakespeare's tragedy of Julius Caesar"
is about to be produced in Baltimore The
striking similarity between two of the great
est tragedies that history records prompted
representative OF the Baltimore Gdzete to re-
vive the story of the Presidential assassina-
ton and endeavor to ascertain the real mo-
tive Of Booth in taking Mr.. Lincoln's life,
and the following is the result The in
preston has generally prevailed that Mr..
John 4. Ford, who WAS manager of Fords
Theatre at the time the tragedy occurred,
was familiar with the facts i'll connection with
the matter that had never appeared in print,
and he was asked ii such was the case. Mr..
Ford remarked that he had frequently been
requested to give expression to his views on
the subject, but had declined. general
| conversation on the subject, however, ensu-
ed the substance of which, with Mr.. FoId's
permission, We print 1t throws some new
light on the great tragedy. and will doubtless
be found of general interest. For Ford
said
John Wilkes Booth was trained from ear
| liest infancy to consider the almost deified
assassin Brutus Just us Shakespeare immor-
| talized him. HIS father was named .'Junius
| Brutus his brother is now the bearer Of
| that surname The great Booth frequently
| appeared III the play of Julius Caesar, and
not later than 1864 three Of his sons acted
the three leading characters Of the play TO an
audience that applauded the sentiments OF
| Brntus to the echo. Now trace the assassin
alton Of Lincoln. On the morning of April
| H. lsGj, Booth, who had conspired for isiY
months previous to abduct President Lin
coin and convey him prisoner to the South,
] l. lraa
al Hotel in Washington The surrender at
Appomattox had ended all chance for him to
| carry ont his original conspiracy. He left
| the hotel after II o'clock that morning and
| walked up Sixth street to ii. and stopped ut
the Surratt House. where he met the widow
| who kept it, returning from the religious ser
vices OF Good Friday, and then in the act OF
going to her former country place (the yehi-
! Gle 10 convey her already ut the door to col
lcct some money due her. 30 as to Iay what
was due 10y her To the Calvert estate Booth
| when informed of her intended visit request
ed her to get some articles belonging to him
that lac had LETT at the country tavern. and
then, bidding her adicu. he walked up Il
street to Tenth. and down Tenth to the
theatre When he reached there it was about
or probably II little later than II o'clock mid
day There he heard for the first time that
both President Lincoln and Gen Grant were
to visit the theatre thut night. The private
box was III the process OF decoration The
| White House messenger had been there an
| hour beior, Ito secure its use. | beleye-and
all reliable written or oral testimony con
firms that belief that then and there the ter
ribc thought Of assassination first suggested
| itself 1t came like this ''If | failed 10
serve the South IN my conspiracy to abduct
| can now he her Brutus. This thought
fastened on his brain led him to go from
the theatre toward the Kirkwood House to
have II conference with some OF his old con
spirators. John Surratt was away. O'Lough-
In was IN Baltimore aud Arnold was IN n
sutler store Mt Fortress Monroe. They knew
the abduction conspiracy had been abandon
ed, but Payne, Atzerodt and HerOld were in
Washington. These latter he got together
and conspired with them TO kill the Presi-
dent the victorious General aud some Of the
Cnbnes. lie must hnve written between the
time when he parted with his co-conrpirators
and the hour he again appeared at the theatre
II lengthy statement for publication, excusing
his intended crime by Roman precedent.
When dying he referred to 1T for his justifca-
ton. lie gave, on the evening Of the lith a