The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-07-03

sophical yet heroic republican,
"the noblest Roman of them ALL"
The striking similarity between
two Of the greatest tragedies that
history records prompted a represen
tative of the Gazette to revive the
story of the Presidential assassina-
tion,i and endeavor to ascertain the
real motive of Booth in taking Mr..
Lincoln's life. The impression has
generally prevailed,hat MIR. John T.
Ford, who was the manager of Ford's
Theatre at the time'the tragedy oc,
Cured, was familiar with facts in
connection with the matter that, had.
never appeared ID print, and he was
approached blythe writer yesterday
and asked it such was the case. Mr..
Ford remarked that he had frequently
been requested to give expression to
his views on the subject, but had de-
clined. A general conversation. on
the subject, however, ensued, the
substance Of which, with Mr., Ford'sf
permission, we print. II throws
some new light on, the great tragedy.
and will doubtless be. found Of. gen
ral'interest. Mr.. Ford said: g
John Wilkes Booth was trained
from earliest infancy to consider the
almost deifed assassin Brutus, just
as Shakespeare immortalized, him.
His father was named AJunius Brul
tus;" his brother is now the bearer,
ofthat surname The great Booth
frequently appeared in the play Of
Julius C@zar, and no later than.
1854, three Of his sons acted the
three leading characters. of the play
to an. audience that applauded the
sentiments of Bruins to the echo.
Now trace the assassination of Lin
coin. Ga the. morning Of April IA,
1866, Booth, who had .conspired for
six months previous TO ,abducti Pres
ident Lincoln and convey him to the
South, was the last guest at the Ma
tional Hotel in Washington. The
surrender at Appomattox had ended
all chance for him to carry out his
original conspiracy. He left the ho-
tel after II o'clock that morning and
walked up Sixth street to H, and
stopped e: the Surratt House, where
he met the widow who keptit, return
ling; from the religious service of
Good Friday, and then in the act Of
|going to her. former country place
1.-THE vehicle to convey her already at
the door J tc. collecs,some money due
her, SO as to pay what was due BY
her to the Calvert estate. Booth,
when informed Of her intended visit,
requested her to get some articles
tbelonging to; him that he had left at
the. county tavern; and then bidding
her adieu, he walked up II street 10
Tenth, and down Tenth to the thea.
tire. When hel reached there it was
about; or probably little later than
LIZ o'clock, midday. There he heard
for the first time that both President
Lincoln and Gen. Grant were to visit
1.-THE theatre that night. Tie private
| box was in the process of decoration.
The White House messenger had
been there ali hour before to secure
| its use. - I believe-and ali reliable
written or Oral testimony confirms
that belief-that then and there the
terrible thought Of assassination first
suegested itself. 1t came like this;
of i failed to serve the South in my
conspiracy 70 Iabdpct, / can. now. be
Finer Brutus."A ~ txdf1 G8S tallI,
This thonght fastened On his brain
led him to 60 from the theatre to.
ward the Kirkwood House to have 9
conference with some of his old con.
|spirators. John Surratt was away
OLoughlin was in Baltimore, and
Arnold was in suffers store at For
tress Monroe. They knew tue alb
duction conspiracy had been aban
doned, but Payne, Atzerodt and Har
old were in Washington. Theredat
er he got together and conspired
with them to kill the President, tbs
I
victorious General and some of tht
Cabinet. He must have written, be
| tween the time when he parted with
his co-conspirators and the hour b.
again appeared at the theatre, /
lengthy statement for publication
excusing his intended crime by Ro
/; man precedent. When dying he re
ferred to it fopshis justification. H,
gave on the evening Of the 14th, Z
package to an actor, directing its de
livery the next day to the Nationa
Intelligencer. The actor confessel
=