Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-23
wednesday evening. Aprli %. 1879.
The Murder OrAbraham Lincoln.

The day, April IA, 1865, seems t.
have been a pleasant one Throughout
the whole land-the moral atmospheru
pleasant, too-the long storm, so dark
so fratricidal, full of blood and dOub
and gloom, over aud ended at last b,
the sunrise of such an absolute ma
tional victory, and utter breakdown
of secessiOn-we almost doubted on
own senses. Early heritage, earl
flowers, were out. Il remember where
| was stopping at the time; the season
being advanced, there were many
lilacs in full bloom. By one of those
caprices that enter and give tinge to
events without beng at all a part Of
them, | find myself always reminded
of the great tragedy of hat day by the
sight and OdOr Of these blossoms. 1t
never fails).
But | must not dwell on accessories.
The deed hastens. The popular after
noon paper of Washington, the little
Evening Star, has spattered all over
its third page, divided among the ad-
yertisements in a sensational manner
in a hundred different places, 1.-The
President and His Lady Will Be at
the Theater This Evening" (Lin-
coin was fond Of the theater. | have
myself seen him there several times.
] remember thinking how funny it was
that he, In some respects the leading
actor in the stormiest drama known
to real history's page, through centu-
ries, should sit there and be so com
pletely interested and absorbed in
those human jackstraws, moving about
with their silly little gestures, foreign
spirit and fatulent text.
On this occasion the theater was
crowded, many ladies in rich and CAV
costumes, officers in their uniforms.
many well known citizens, young folks,
the usual clusters Of gaslights. the
usual magnetism of so many people,
cheerful, with perfumes, music of VIC
Inns and futes-(and over all, and
s%aturating all, that vast, vague won
der, Victory, the Nations Victory,
the triumph of the Union, filling the
air, the thought, the sense, with ex-
hilaration more than all music and
perfumes).
The President came betimes. and,
with his wife, witnessed the play from
the large st~age-bOxes of the second
tier, two thrown into one, and pro-
fusely draped With the national flag.
There is a scene in the play represent
ing a modern parlor, in which two un-
precedented English ladies are in
formed by an impossible Yankee that
he is not a man of fortune, and
therefore undesirable for marriage
catching purposes after which, the
comments being finished, the dramatic
trio made exit, leaving the stage clear
for a moment. At this period came
the murder of Abraham Lincoln
Great as that was, with all its mani.
fold train circling round it. anC
stretching into the future for many Z
century, in the politics, history, art
etc, Of the New World, in point Of
fact, the main thing, the actual muir
der, transpired with the quiet anC
simplicity Of any commOnest occur
rence-the bursting of a bud or poe
in the growth Of vegetation, for in.
stance. Through the general hun
following the stage pause, with th,
change of positions came the mufieC
sound Of a pistol shot, which not on,
h%undredth part Of the audience hearC
atthe time-andyet moment hush
somehow, surely a vague startled
thrill-and then, through the orna
mented, draperied, starred and stripef
spaceway of the Presidents box.
sudden figure, a man raises himself
with hands and feet. stands a momen
on the railing, leaps below to the stag
Ia distance of perhaps fourteen o
fifteen feet), falls out Of his position
catching his bootheel in a copiou
drapery (the American fag), fails o
one knee, quickly RECEIVERS himselI
rises as If nothing had happened (h
really sprains his ankle, but unfe.
then)-and so the figure, Booth, tn
murderer, dressed in plain black broaC
cloth, bare-headed, with q full head {
glossy, raven hair, and his eyes lik
some wild animals, flashing with lial
aud resolution, yet with a certai
ealmness, holds aloit in one hand
large knife-walks along not mucI
back Of the footlights-turns fully tc
ward the audience his face of stat
uesque beauty, lit by those basilis
eyes, flashing with desperation, pei
llaps insanity-launehes out in a irI
and steady voice the words. Isl
sehiper %tyrannis and then walk
with neither slow nor very rapid pao
d%iagonally across the back Of the stag
and disappears. (llRd not all tn
terrible scene-makingthe mimic onC
preposterous-had it not all been n
hearsed, in blank, by Booth beioFI
handO
a moments hush-a a I'll
cry of Murder-Mrs. Lincoln leaniI
out of the box, with ashy cheeks an
lips. with involuntary cry, pointing
the ~retreating figure, he has killt
the President. y y And still
moments strange, iacredulous su
-pense-and then the delage the
that mixture of horror, nOissg. NJ
certainty - tbe sound, somewhe'
back, Of 0 horses boots clatterin
with speed the people burr
through chairs and TailiRgs, an
break them up-that noise add ~ tb
q~ueerness of the scene-tbeFe il "