Connecticut western news., 1878-06-27
THE. ASSASSINATION OF LINCOLN.
A statement Made by John T. Ford, of - BRItimOre.

Baltimore.
 :John T. Ford, of Baltimore, who was
 manager of the theatre in Washington
 in which MT. Lincoln was assassinated
 by John Wilkes Booth, expresses the
 opinion, in 8 conversation reported in
 the Baltimore Gazette, that it was not
 until noon of the day of the commission
 of the crime that Booth decided upon it.
 As is well known, he had for six months
 been party to conspiracy to abduct
 Lincoln, but the surrender at Appomat-
 tox had ended all chance of accomplish
 ing this. On the morning of April IA,
 1865, says MT. Ford, Booth breakfastsd
 at the National Hotel, and, sauntering
 out about eleven o'clock, went first to
 the Surratt House, where he found Mrs.
 Surratt, who had just returned from the Good Friday religious services, about to
 drive out to the Calvert estate. He
 asked her to get him some small articles
 that he had left at the country tavern,
 and went on down to the theatre. MT.
 Ford continues: "There he heard for
 the first time that both President Lin
 coin and Gen. Grant were to visit the
 theatre that night The private box was
 in the process of decoration. The White
 House messenger had been there an
 hour before to secure it's use. I believe
 and all reliable written or oral testi-
 mony confirms that belief-that then
 and there the terrible thought of assas-
 sination first suggested itself. It came
 like this : If failed to serve the South
 in my conspiracy to abduct, I can now
 be her Brutus.' This thought fastened
 on his brain-led him to go from the
 theatre toward the Kirkwood House to
 have conference with some of his old conspirators. John Surratt was away, I O'Loughlin was in Baltimore, and Ar
 mold was in sutler's store at Fortress
 Monroe. They knew the abduction con-
 spiracy had been abandoned, but Payne,
 Atzerot, and Herold were in Washing
 ton. These latter he got together, and
 conspired with them to kill the Presi- dent, the victorious General, and some of the Cabinet. He must have written
 between the time when he parted with his co-conspirators and the hour he again appeared at the theatre long statement for publication, excusing his intended crime by Roman precedent When dying he referred to it for his jus tifcaion. He gave on the evening oi the 14th package to an actor, directing it's delivery the next day to the Nationa I1atelligeacer. The actor confesses that he, frightened at the risk he ran, broke , the seal, read the inclosed matter, and al midnight burned it. If that package had been preserved it would have re vealed the declaration that until noo1 that day it's writer had not premeditated . murder, but feeling deeply the humilia tion of the South, to the people of whict he bore all the love that Brutus ever fell for Rome, he would strike down tha . night the leading men of the victorious
 hosts who were then shouting theil poaans of triumph. When dying, just a , the break of day on the morning of Apri / "A, he muttered some words; soldie. s bent over him and caught them from hi : fast ebbing breath. First message fo d his mother, 'Tell her I did it as ? thought for the best, and then he said d sTel others that the communication - wrote, addressed to the National Z1ate1 - Ggencea, will explain why I did what + did During the conspiracy trial at tn ]. Arsenal, Hon. Joseph Holt, the Judg r Advocate, called John F. Coyle, then tn t publisher of the National Intellige,acer d and asked if that communication ha' t ever been received. His reply was No. r It was,'' continued MT. Ford, "burned i d the grate of chamber of 8 boarding r house, and Catholic priest now livin e in Washington had the fact confessed t J. him soon afterward. had the occu1 o renee revealed to me-with the adde !" information of the professionally tn :, party who was the custodian of tn d package"