Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-24
L1NcoLN,s DEATH.
Facts Going to S1so,c that the Assassination,
Vas Pre,neeittated, aud Plans Carefully
Ltaid Therefor.

LINCoLN,s DEATH.
Facts Going to Slso,o that the Assassination,
Vas Pre,neditated, aud Plans Carefully
Latd Therefor.
To the EDITOR of the Moline Review.
have seen many articles of late from
persons who pretend to know that j. Wilkes
Booth conceived the idea of assassinating
President Lincoln on the 14th of April, 1865,
about noon, having been informed that the
President and Gen. Grant were to appear at
Laura Keene's benefit at Ford's Theatre that
evening. I oppose any such idea gaining
credence, unless Booth had an army of as
sistants, and will briefly, with your permits
sion, state my reasons for thinking SO.
reached Washington, with plize CAPT.
tured by the United States steamer Mercury, |
under my command, on the 18th of April, |
1866, and was busily engaged with the prize
officers arranging for the condemnation OF
the prize. Walking down Pennsylvania
avenue, and when near Ford's Theatre,-on
the night of the 14th,-Isaw squad of sol
diers on the double-quick, and learned from
the non com missioned officer in charge that
President Lincoln had been shot. at once
| fastened to the theatre, and found that the
President had been removed to the house of
a Mr.. Peterson, across the street from the
theatre, there were only half-a-dozen lights
burning, and, seeing II. B. Phillips, an actor
of my acquaintance and one of the company.
standing upon the stage, walked down the
centre aisle and got upon the stage. He re-
lated the whole story to me, and paced the
distance from where Booth landed upon the
stage to his place of exit, where his horse
stood in charge of boy, and found the dis
lance to be thirty-niDe PAGES. l also OBJ
served that the route selected by him to
escape was clear of all distractions, which
first impressed me with the idea that he had
assistance from the members of the company
or stage-hands, which proved to be the fact,
for Spangler, the stage-carpenter, was con-
yicted and imprisoned as an accomplish IN
| the murder
Returning to the stage, a man named
Kent, who had been engaged searching the
box, informed us upon the stage that he had
found the pistol with which the bloody deed
was done. The actors requested him to sur
render it to my keeping, which he agreed to
do if I would come up into the box. |
jumped off the stage and hurried up the
centre aisle, and, as came out by the ticket
Office, I saw Miss Laura Keene held by Mr..
Ford's brother with an arm around her
l
the crowd to search for Booth, the murderer.
; AS passed her to go up stairs she caught
hold of my coat and endeavored to detain
me, and it was with some difficulty / sue
ceeded in getting away from her. Reaching
, the dress circle, in few minutes was in the
Presidents box, where the bloody tragedy
had been enacted. Upon reaching the box,
/, found Mr.. Kent (the gentleman who had
found the pistoD in the right-hand corner
. of the box; Mr.. Gobright, the agent of the
Associated Press; and an actor named Spear
if my memory serves me,-conslderably
under the influence of liquor. A few mo.
ments later, the chief of the Washington po-
lice reached the box, and he requested me tc
aid him in searching the box, to see what
: could be found. The pistol, single barrelec
: Deringer, was placed in his hands, and, aftel
Spear had procured us candle, the search
!. began. The chief held the candle; wa:
!. upon my knees, and Mr.. Gobright making
!: notes of our discoveries. The first thing
i; found was button, torn off of Booths Goa
! in his struggle with Maj Rathburn, shir
J, button, an empty opera-glass case. and tn
!; Presidents silk hat heavily dressed in mourn
q ing. While upon the floor, in looking up,
: noticed a hole through the panel of the frs
/. box door -as the gas was lit in the passag
:, leading from the dress circle to the stag
d boxes. at once expressed the opinion tina
!. the bullet must have passed out there. Th
). microscope of the chief of police was at one
!, brought into into requisition, and
> was discovered that it was spy hole Gu
. from the outside, to cover the position
/. of the occupants of the box. We then wen
:, outside in the passage-way, and found tina
(. the door leading from the dress-circle hat
}. been barricaded from the inside, by remov
:; ing the plastering so that a board could b
= placed across to prevent any interference b
:. the servant who was stationed outside .thi
:, door. After getting into the passage tn
); door was barricaded, Booth, looking throug
l; the hole cut in the first box-door 9TH
!; two boxes having been made one b.
;; taking down the psrtition), could easily Sc
: the position of the President. Opening tn
> inner door he passed behind the Presiden
i and shot him behind the left ear. Majo
=; Rathburn endeavored to hold the assassin
but he stabbed the major in the arm with
bowie-knife; and leaped upon the stage, an
succeeded in making his escape. Now, si1
r. do the cleared stage for his exit, the hole Gu
& in the stage door, the barricade behind til
- door leading to the boxes, show that it wa
- conceived in moment, and done as promp
ly as conceived? / think not. And the fact
- have mentioned here, with others know
II to me, would, I think, ampl, prove m
y statement WILLIAM It. MORRIS.