Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-06-26
BOOTH AND BOB LINCOLN.
Were j. Wilkes Booth and Robert Lin
coin Rivals in Their Loye-makings---A
Virginian's Story of Booths Insane
jealousy OF Young Lincoln.

l.
Jealousy OF Young Lincoln.
Alexander Hunter writes in the
OCCASIONAL paper published at Ports
mouth, Va, what purpOrts to be true
narrative of the startling events IN the
life of J. Wilkes Booth just previous to
the assassination of President Lincoln.
The story is given as told to the author
by Mrs. Temple, one of the circle of
friends at the National hotel In Wash
ington during the last years of the war.
In this circle were Senator Hale, his
wife and daughter, Bessie, and J. Wilkes
Booth Mrs. Temple was Booths
friend and confidante, and she insists
that Booth knew Lincoln well, and that
Lincoln knew Booth and often spoke of
him. This is the story as Hunter puts
it into the mouth of Mrs. Temple:
Among all of Bessie Hales admir-
ers. Booth was the most ardent and de-
voted, distancing all competitors except
one, and that was the presidents eldest
son, Robert Lincoln, who was madly in
love with Bessie. He courted her again
and again, and wouldn't take no for his
answer. He had a heavy backing, for
both the senator and his wife, aware of
the match, urged their daughter to
marry Robert Lincoln, and queen it at
the White House, which in those days
was like the palace of royalty itself.
She would have given in [ am confident
but for Booth, who, with his charm of
person, manner, and intellect, carried
the day, and won her heart, but not her
hand; for her parents frownedy down
and most emphatically vetoed the in
timacy between their daughter and the
actor Indeed. both father and mother
considered it great piece of presump-
ton for the player to make love off
the scenic stage. John Wilkes Booth
they considered divine in the princely
role of Hamlet, or wearing the slashed
doublet and habilim ents of the half
prince, half-peasant Melnotte; but as q
son-in-law to. the first senator in the
land there the charm ceased, and they
commanded the daughter never to
think of him.
How much
RESSIE HALE
really cared for Booth. none OF us knew;
probably not even he himself could tell
No one was aware of the absorbing,
true, devoted affection that Bessie had
for him-a love great in its purity and
singleness, firm in its attachment, as
true as death itself, and stronger than
life and death combined. Only in the
fearful trial, and the awful times of
menace and of peril, did this love
shine out in all its brightness, lighting
the iurid darkness with its beams, even
rs the rays of the lighthouse CLEAN out
across the waste of angry waters.
Bessie Hale was passionateiy fond
of seeing Booth assume the character
of Hamlet the Dane, and often would
make him repeat the famous sohoquv
in the parlor.
Booths was the most jealous tenn
permanent [ ever knew: he was insane.
sometimes, it seemed tc me, and when
Bessie accepted any attention from any
other man, Booth would act like a pa
tient just out of Bedlam One night
| can never forget it-there was large
mop at our hotel, and the saloons were
crowded with the wealth, the beauty,
the bravery, and the talent of the land.
The bench, the bar, trade, and the SOL
der were all represented, and the scene
IN the ballroom was one calculated to
excite the imagination and dazzle the
eye. [ we'll remember the night; it was
IN the late winter Of '65. A series of
heavy skirmishes had taken place be-
fore Richmond with heavy loss to our
side, and there had been a hard battle
before Atlanta, and the telegraph told
us of the blood that had been poured
out like wafer. Though throughout the
whole length and breadth of the land
i wall of sorrow could be heard, yet
society never was more gay nor given
away more utterly to the abandon of
mlrth. The means of the bereaved,
the grOans Of the MAIN ed and wounded
the measured tread of the funeral cor
tege, the plaintiye strains of, the dead
march, and the beat of the muff1ed
drum, were stif1ed and lost in the mad
shout of revelry and the light laughter
of careless hearts. Wars are terribly
demOraliZing, and we in Washingtos
lived as if there were no future, and
that the present, was all there was to
exist for. ] really believe that not even
IN the French revolution, when men
worshipped the Goddess OF, Reason, was
there 3. more mad rush after wild ex-
element, and ali plunged into the vortex
and joined the whirling throng.
MR.. LINCOLN CAME VERY EARLY TO THE
RECEPTION
that night. He never liked to, attend
these gay gatherings: especially during
the season of doubt and despair, when
the very air. came laden with the sul-,
phurous smoke of the battlefield He
never came except as q duty, and to
carry himself high before his people.
The president came into my private
parlor, and sat for an hour or SO talk
ing; he was unusually sad, and seemed
buried in deep thought He then turn
ed and commenced to speak of the
war. Mr.. Lincoln was a man of broad,
generous nature, and his heart was
tender and soft as that of woman.
He spoke of the rivers of blood that
were always flowing from thousands of
veins, and, turning to me. said, with a