Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-06-29
LincOIn'S Brutus.
New York Herald.

Shakespeare's tragedy of "Julius
Caesar" is about to be produced in
Baltimore. The striking similarity
between two of the greatest TRACE
dies that history records prompted
a representative of the Baltimore
Gazette to revive the story of the
Presidential assassination, and en-
deaVOr to ascertain the real motive
of Booth in taking Mr.. Lincoln's
life, and the following is the result:
The impression has generally pre-
vailed that Mr.. John T. Ford, who
was manager of FOrd's Theatre at
the time the tragedy occurred, was
familiar with facts in connection
with the matter that had never APP
peared in print, and he was asked
if such was the case. Mr.. Ford re-
marked 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's
permission we print. 1t throws
some new light on the great TRACE
dy, and will doubtless be found of
general interest. Mr.. Ford said:
ADMIRATION OF BRUTUs.
John Wilkes Booth was trained
from earliest infancy to consider
the almost deified assassin Brutus
just as Shakespeare immOrtaliZed
him. His father was named "Ju-
MUS Brutus :" his brother is now
the bearer of that surname. The
great Booth frequently appeared in
the play of "Julius Caesar" and not
later than 1861 three of his sons
acted the three leading characters of
the play to an audience that APP
plauded the sentiments Of Brutus to
the echo. Now trace the assassina-
ton of Lincoln. On the morning of
April If, 1865, Booth, who had con-
spired for six months previous to
abduct President Lincoln and con-
vey him prisoner to the South,
was the last guest at breakfast at
the National Hotel in Washington.
The surrender at AppomattOX had
ended all chance for him to carry
out his original conspiracy. He
left the hotel after eleven O'Clock
that morning and walked up Sixth
street to II, and stopped at the Sur
raft house, where he met the widow
who kept it, returning from the re-
ligiOus services of Good Friday, and
then in the act of going to her former
country place (the vehicle to convey
her already at the door to collect
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 belonging to him
that he had left at the country tav-
ern, and then, bidding her adieu, he
walked up IL street to Tenth, and
down Tenth to the theatre. When
he reached there it was about or
probably little later than twelve
O'clock midday. There he heard
for the first time that both PreSi-
dent Lincoln and General 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 its use. | believe
and all reliable written or oral testi-
mOny confirms that belief-that
then and there the terrible thought
of assassination first suggested itself.
1t came like this: elf | failed to
serve the South in my conspiracy to
abduct, | can now be her BrutuS."
BOOTHS DECLARATION BURNED.
This thought fastened on his
brain-led him TO go from the thea
tire toward the Kirkwood House to
have a conference with some of his
old cOnspiratOrS. John Surratt was
away, O'LOughlin was in Baltimore
and Arnold was in a sutler store ut
Fortress Monroe. They knew the
abduction conspiracy had been
abandoned, but Payne, Atzerodt
and Herold were in Washington.
These latter he got together and
cOnspired with them to kill the
President, the victorious General
and some of the Cabinet. He must
have written between the time
when he parted with his cocoon
spirators and the hour he again APP
peared at the theatre a lengthy state
ment for publication, eXcuSing his
intended crime by Roman prece-
dent. When dying he referred to it
for his Justification. He gave, on
the evening of the 18th, a package to
an actor, directing its delivery the
next day to the National Intelli-
gencer. The actor confesses that he,
frightened ut the risk he ran, broke
the seal, read the inclosed matter
and at midnight burned 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