Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-08
ringtaaed Mode, and dieth like spotted
JehOshaphat. .,,.
LtNCOLN's DEATH.
Facts Going to Sh0sU that tie Assasststatt0N
Was Prenasdttateol,f asd Plans Carefully

Facts Going to Sho.U that tie AssasststattoN
Was P,e'nedttatetl,f and Plans Carefully
Laid THEREFOR; .-.
To the Eaitor of the Moline Review.
have seen many articles of late from
persons who pretend to know that J. Wilkes
Booth conceived the idea of assassiuatine
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 ut Ford's Theatre that
evening. ! oppose any such idea gaining
credence, unless Booth had an army of az
sistants, and will briefly, with your permits
sion, state my reasons for.thinking 80.
reached Washington, with q plize cap
tured by the United States steamer Mercury,
nnder my command, on the 18th of April,
1856, and was busily engaged with the prize
officers arranging for the -condemnation of
the prize. Walking down Pennsyl vania
avenue, and when near Fordh Thestre,-on
the night of the 14th,-fsaw . squad of SOL
diers on the double quick, and learned from
the non-commissioned officers in charge that
President LINCOLN had been shot II at once
hastened to the theatre, and found that the
President had been removed to the house of
q Mr.. Peterson, across the street from the
theatre, there were only half-a-dozen lights
burning, and, seeing H. 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 l 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-nine PAGES. I also OBJ
served that the route selected by him to
escape was clear of all obstructions, 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-
victed and imprisoned as an accomplice in
the murder. ':',
Returning to the stage, q 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 l would come up into the box. l
jumped off the stage and hurried up the
centre aisle, and, as I came out by the ticket
office, I saw Miss Laura Keene held by Mr..
Ford's brother with an arm around her
waist. She was gesticulatlng and calling on
the crowd to search for Booth, the murderer.
\
holdof my coat. and ,endeavored to detain
me, and It was with some difficulty 1 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 considerably
! under the influence of liquor. A few mo-
ments later, the chief of the Washington po-
lice reached the box, and he requested me to
aid him in searching the box, to see what
could be found. The pistol, a single barreled
Deringer, was placed in his hands, and, afte,
Spear had procured us candle, the search
began. The chief held the candle; was
upon my knees, and Mr.. Gobright making
notes of our discoveries. The first thing
found was button, torn off of Booths coat
in his struggle with Maj. Rathburn, shirt
button, an empty opera-glass case, and the
Presidents silk hat heavily dressed in mourn
ing. While upon the floor, in looking up,
noticed hole through the panel of the first
box-door-as the gas was lit in the passage
leading from the dress circle to the stage
boxes. I at once expressed the opinion tina,
the bullet must have passed out there. The
microscope of the chief of police was at once
brought into into ; requisition, and il
was discovered that it was spy hole cut
from the outside, to cover the position
! of the occupants of the box. We then went
outside in the passage-way, and found thai
the door leading from the dress-circle ha6
! been barricaded from the inside, by remov-
| ing the plastering so that board could bt
placed across to prevent any interference b,
the servant who was stationed outside THU
door. After getting into the passage tn.
door was barricaded, Booth, looking through
the hole cut in the first box-door 9TH,
two boxes having been made one b,
taking down the psrtition), could easily SCI
the position of the President. Opening tn
inner door he passed behind the Presiden
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, ant
succeeded in making his escape. Now, sir
do the cleared stage for his exit, the hole Gu
lin the stage door, the barricade behind tn
Edoor leading to the boxes, show that it wa
Econceived in moment, and done as prompt
ly as conceived? I think not. And the fact
I have mentioned here, with others know
to me, would, I think, amply prove m,
statement. WILLIAM G. NORRIS.
| A City III Two states.