Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-06-26

81 cannot tell you how we passed
that fearful evening-much, no doubt,
as the rest; we laughed. talked, and
of the impending awful event fell upon
us. The hours sped swiftly by, until 10
o'clock struck, and then our little circle
broke up. AS [ kissed Bessie good
night, couldn't help saying to her,
8 My dear you look exquisitely lovely
to-night-sweeter and prettier than l
ever saw you She only smiled and
left the parlor.
q went to my own room, and being
tired, undressed and went to bed 1t
seemed as if [ had been asleep but
minute when / was aroused by an indie
Enable noise that served to wake, but
was not loud enough to startle one.
Doors were slamming all ove~ the house,
and murmur Of voices was heard. [
thought at first that some one was sick,
and that doctor was being hurriedly
sent for: but the noise still continuing.
[ imagined that there must be fire in
the vi Unity This idea caused me to
Jump up at once and open the window
and heard the sound Of many horses
feet striking the pavement in a full run,
but no fire bells or alarms; but still the
inexplicable sounds continued.
"The rebels have stormed the city
was the next impression, and with that
[ hastily threw on my wrapper and
hurried to my parlor. There was no
one there, and | kept on until 1 got to
the grand salon, and there [ found a
crowd of people-mostly like myself,
guests of the hotel and Ell dishabille.
"To our scared looks and frenzied
interrogations Of What has happened p
the reply came in hushed, awful ac-
cents that President Lincoln had been
murdered by Booth while he sat in his
box in the theatre.
By BOOTH I incredulously asked !;
by John Wilkes Booth J.! Oh, no that
is IMPOSSIBLE
AS the crowd surged to and fro in
uncomfortable excitement, Bessie Hale
came in, and as she heard the dreadful
news she screamed. and then, before
any one could reach her, fell prone
upon the floor. She was carried uD to
her room.
That night of horror seems like a
frightful dream to me now. None Of
us retired, but sat in the parlor in a
kind of dumb terror. Our gentleman
friends were out all night, and the
ladies sat close clustered together in a
piteous condition, and not until the
gray dawn came stealing in did we re-
tire. sick at heart, and with heavy, wet
eyelids; for we then knew the worst
the President dying, the Secretary
fatally wounded, and our favorite flying
from Justice with the burden of a
mighty sin upon his guilty soul.
During the whole time Of the pur-
suit of Booth we awaited, in a dreadful
state Of suspense, the end. A thousand
rumors were flying about, and people
seemed nearly crazed with all the
startling events that followed so rapid
ly each other in succession.
{" In all these hours Bessie Hale kept
in her room, and none but her mother
and physician was admitted to see her.
A day or two after the assassination
a never-to-be.forgOtten day-the re-
port came, substantiated, that John
Wilkes Booth had been captured and
was being brought back to Washington.
1t was told Bessie. and she came into
my room in fearful state of excite
ment, and the proud, naughty, cold
woman seemed to have lost all control
over herself.
81 did the best [ could to calm her,
and finally succeeded. She wrote let
ter to Booth telling him she loved him,
and concluded by saying she would
marry him even at the foot Of the scat
fold. At last the news came of his cap
ture and death, and finally all Wash
ingtOn turned out to view the remains,
though but few men were allowed to look
upon the corpse. On the 9th Of April
small boat received the remains OF
the actor, and they carried the body off
into the darkness, and from that dark
ness it will never retarn. ....... "a,
Robert Lincoln never met Bessie Hale
afterward, but, ere long, married a
daughter Of Senator Harlan, Of Iowa.
Bessie never recovered from the
shock. The shadows of the past, full
Of mingled sweetness and pain, and of
ecstatic dreams and abhorred reminis-
cences, left its imprint on mind and
brain, and like one touched by Ithurieps
spear, sheshivered, covered, and chang
ed in an hour from a happy, radiant
maiden into q, sad, silent, pale woman.
who lived in a live world while she her
self was dead. The Senator carried her
to Europe. hoping the change of scene
would make her forget the past. Vain
faith! [ saw her years ago, and the
fair, sweet, though pain drawn, face,
the hollow eyes, the , sad, patient smile
haunt me like a dream"
"But, Mrs. Temple" I said, that
was years ago. What has become of
her now?gI saw a marriage of Miss
Hale announced in the papers a few
days ago. Was it Booths Bessie Hale? ?"
Yes" she said, lit was. But if I
were to write her future life, do you
know what would denominate it?'' .
F" / cannot tell"
-, 81 would call it "A DEAD WoMAN's
LIFE" g r-1a = .H 'slH cas- - IF .s-
Another Way to Tell Mushrooms. Il.