The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-07-04
ABRAHAM LiNC0LN.


The True SIOrJ "t :ha h'ApSsinniiOu. ~
Told Tor the y r-I Time by thr MAN
ngcr Of the 1bNa.cr.
Baltimore Special to Cinclraali Elquiler
The impression has long prevailed that
Mr.. John I. Fold, who was manager OF
Ford's Theater at the time the Booth
Lincoln Assassination occurred, was fa,
miliar with facts in connection with the
matter that had never appeared in print,
and he was approached bya Gazette re-
uOrter end asked ii such was the case
Mr.. Ford remarked that he had frequent
ly 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.. FOrds permission,
we print. II threws some light on the
great tragedy. Mr. Ford said:
John Wilkes Booth was trained from
earliest infancy to consider the almost
deifed assassin BIutus iust az Shakespeare
immortalized him. His father was named
'Junius Brutis." His brother is now the
bearer OF that surname, The great Booth
frequently appeared in the play Of
" Julius Gear" and not latter than
| Gi three of his sons acted the three
leading characters Of the play to al
audience that appIauded the sentiments
OF " Brutus" to the echo.
Now trace the assassination OF Lincoln ::
On the morning OF April II, 1868, Booth,
who had conspired for six months pre-
vious TO abduct President Lincoln and
convey him a prisoner to the south, was
the last guest at hreak'as at the Ma.
tional Hotel in Washington The surr
render at Appomatox had ended all
chance for him TO carry out his original
conspiracy. He lett the hotel after | |
o'clock that morning, and walked up
Sixth street to II, and stopped at the
Surratt House, where he met the widow
who kept it returning from the religious
services of Good Friday, and then iu the
act OF gOirg to her former country place
(the vehicle to convey her alresdy at the
door, to collect some money due her, 80
as to pay what was due by her to the
Calvert estate.
Booth, when informed of her intended
Vi it, requested her to get some articles
belonging to him that he had left at the
country tavern, and then, bidding heI
adieu, he walked up RI street to Tenth
and down Tenth to the theater.
When he reached there il was about
or probably a little later than twelve
O'Clock, midday. There he heard for the
irst me that both President Lincoln
and General Grant were TO visit the the
alher that night. The private box wai
in process OF decoration. The White
House messenger had been there an hOu
before to secure its Use. believe, snC
all reliable written or oral testmOn!
confirms that belief, that then and Their
the terrible thought of the assassination
q rst suggested itsoll. 1t came like this
"If failed 10 serve the South in N,
conspiracy to abduct, | can now lie ne
| Brutus."
This thought fastened on his brain
and led him TO 20 from the theater 10
ward the KirkWOod House to have
conference with some oi his old cOnspifa
tors. John Surratt WAS away, . Laugh
lin WAS in Baltimore. and Arnold was II
a suffers store at FOrtress Monroe. Thel
knew the al alduction C, nspiraty had beei
abandoned, but Payne, AIzerodt AMI
Herold were in Washington. The sc lat
ter he got together, and c,nspired will
them TO kill The President, the yiCb bIiOu
general. and some OF the ,binst. II,
must nave written between the TIM
3, when he parted with his co-con'pirator-
and the hour he again sppeared at th
theat. r, a lengthy statement for publica
ton, excusing his intended crime b,