The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-19
LINCOLN'S MURDER.
Story Of the Great Tragedy Of the
Century.
Some Unpublished Hfstory-Innocence
Of Mrs. Surratf.
baltimore Gazette.l

lba4JlhOre 0aItlte.l
The announcement made of the coming
play OF Julius Cesar recalls the great trag
edy in Washington in 1866, when John
Wilkes Booth assumed a role somewhat sim
liar to that of Brutus, in the assassination
OF the president of the United States. The
actors great crime startled the world, and
although IL years have elapsed the circum-
stances connected with the thrilling tragedy
are still fresh in the public mind, and the
subject will never cease to excite painful
interest. Brutus, il will be remembered,
according to Shakespeare, struck down the
noblest man that ever lived In the tide of
times" To those loyal then TO government
Brutus was but IAN migrate and an assassin"
most perfect model of "a mild, contempla-
tive and philosophical, yet heroic republic
c;n"-"the noblest Roman of them all. !"
The striking similarity between two of the
greatest tragedies that history records
prompted representative of the Gazette to
revive the story of the presidential sasassina-
ton, and endeavor to ascertain the real mo-
tive of Booth in taking Mr.. Lincoln's life.
The impression has generally prevailed that
Mr.. John I. Ford, who was the manager of
Ford's theater at the time the tragedy oc-
Cured, was familiar with facts in connec-
ton with the matter that had never appeared
IN print, and he was approached by the
case. Mr.. Ford remarked that he had fire.
quently been requested to give expression to
his views on the subject, but had declined.
A general conversation on the subject, how
ever. ensued, the substance of which, with
Mr.. Ford's permission, we print. 1t throws
some new light on the great tragedy and
will doubtless be found of general interest.
Mr.. Ford said:
John Wilkes Booth was trained from earli-
est infancy to consider the almost defed
assassin Brutus Just as Shakespeare immortal
lied him. His father was named "Junius
Brutus;" his brother is now the bearer of
that surname. The great Booth frequently
appeared in the play of ulius Cesar, and not
later than 1864 three of his sons ac.ed the
three leading characters of the play to an
audience that applauded the sentiments of
Brutus to the echo. Now trace the assassina-
ton of Lincoln. On the morning of April
IA, 1865, Booth, who had conspired for six
months previous To abduct President Lincoln
and convey him prisoner to the south, was
the last guest at breakfast at the National
hotel in Washington. The surrender at
Appomattox bad ended all chance for him
to carry out his original conspiracy. He
left the hotel after III o'clock that morning
and walked up Sixth street to III, and
stopped at the Surratt house, where he
met the widow who kept it, returning
from the religious services of Good Friday,
former country place (the vehicle to con-
yey her already at the door, to collect some
money due her, in order TO pay what was
due by her to the Calvert estate. Booth
when informed of her intended visit, re-
quested her to get some articles belonging
to him that he had left at the country
tavern and then, bidding her adieu, he
walked up H street ID Tenth, and down
Tenth TO the theater. When he reached
there it was about or probably little later
than IL o'clock midday. There he
heard for the first time that both President
Lincoln and General Grant were to visit the
theater that night. The private box was ia
the process of decoration. The white house
messenger had been there an hour before to
secure its use. / belieye-and all reliable
written or oral testimony confirms that be-
hef-that then and there the terrible thought
OF assassination first suggested itself. 1t
came like this: IF failed TO serve the south
in my conspiracy to abduct, / can now be
her Brutus."
This thought fastened on his brain-led
him to go from the theater toward the Kirk
wood house to have a conference with some
of his old conspirators. John Surratt was
away, 0'LOughlin was in Baltimore, and
Arnold was in a suffers store at Fortress
Monroe. They knew the abduction con-
spiracy had been abandoned, but Payne, At
zerodt and Herold were in Washington
These latter he got together and conspired
with them to kill the president, the vIc'Or-
ious general aud 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 theat,r
lengthy statement for publication excusiug
his intended crime by Roman precedent.
When dying he referred to it for his justif-
cation. He gave on the evening of the 14th
package to an actor, directing its delivery
the next day to the National Intelligencer
The actor confesses that he, frightened at the
risk he ran, broke the seal, read the enclosed
matter, and at midnight burnt it. If that
package had been preserved. it would have
revealed the declaration that until noon that
day its writer had not premeditated murder.
but feeling deeply the humiliation Of the
south, TO the people of which he bore all
the love that Brutus ever felt for Rome he
would strike down that night the leading
men of the victorious hosts who were then
shouting their p9ans OF triumph. When
dyiDg-with his face lit up with the blaze of
the burning barn upon the Garrett farm,
just at the break OF day on the morning of
April "a, he muttered some words, soldier
bent over him and caught them from his
fast ebbing breath. First, message for his
mother, Tell her l did it as / thought for
the best" and then he said, Tell others
that the communication l wrote addressed
to the National IntellIgencer will explain
why did wba. l did. During the con-
spiracy trial at the arsenal, the Hon. Joseph
Holt, the judge advocate, called john +.
Coyle, then the publisher of the National
Intelligencer, and asked If that communica-
ton had ever been received. His reply was
mo" 1t was, continued Mr.. Ford, burnt
in the CRATE of chamber of a boarding
house, and Catholic priest now living in
Washington hal the fact confessed TO him
soon afterward. / had the occurrence re-
vealed to me-with the added Information
of the confess:on-by the party who was the
custodian OF the package This fully sus-
tains my theory that John Wilkes Booth
had not contemplated the assassination of
President Lincoln when he met Mrs. Surratt
at midday, and he never met her again.
In order TO demonstrate that his brain was
turned by the poetic and dramatic glamour
which transmitted the story of the Roman
assassination, said Mr.. FORD, it is but Just to
describe him at this time. In person he was
remarkably handsome, with a face of singu-
lar manly beauty, in perfect health, less
than 26 years of age and almost idolized by
h,o frfaoH, Ao on actor ba a0nld earn a