Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-04-18
Mr.. LlncOin's Assassination.


bENNhibEb d W ALI NhllAANs
Walk Whitman, the poet, lectured in
New York, on the evening Of the nth, the
anniversary of the killing of President Lin.
coin, by John Wilkes Booth. His subject
was "Recollections Of Lincoln. and in the
course Of it he thas graphically described
the murder
OF the actual murder of President Lin,
coin. though so much has been written
probably the facts are yet very indefinite in
most persons minds
The day, April IA, 1865. seems to have
been pleasant one throughout the whole
land, the moral atmosphere pleasant too.
The long storm, ~ dark, 50 fratricidal, full
OF blood and doubt and gloom, over and
ended at last by the sunrise OF such an absO-
lutte national victory and utter bresk down
OF Sccession-we almost doubted our own
senses Early heritage. carly flowers were
out. | remember where was stopping at
the time there were many lilacs IN full
bloom. Bg one of those caprices that give
tiuse 10 eveatS without being at all part of
them iini myself always reminded of the
! great tragedy of that day by the sight and
co!ur of these blossoms.
Bat must not dwell on accessories. The
deed hastcns. The popular afternoon paper
OF Washington. the little Er0ing Star, had
SCATTERED AL over its third page, divided
among the advertisements in "a sensational
manner in 4 hundred differelt places, 1.-The
| President and his lady will be at the theatre
this evening" Lincoln was fond of the
| theatre. | have myself seen him there
] ii a.. L.,
funny it was that he, in some respects the
leading actor in the stormiest drama known
to real history's stage through centuries,
should sit there and be so completely inter
estei and absorbed in those human Jack
straws moving about with their silly little
gestures foreign spirit and fatulent text.
On this occasion the theatre was crowded.
many ladies in rich and gay costumes, officers
in their uniforms, many well-known citizens,
young folks, the usual clusters of gas-lights,
the usual magnetism OF 80 many people,
cheerful with perfumes, music of violins and
llutcs-and over all and saturatng all, that
vast vague wonder, victory-the nations
victory, the triumph of the UniOn-filling
the air, the thought, the sense, with exhiiara-
ton more than all music and perfumes.
The President came betimes, and with his
wife witnessed the play from the large
stage-b1xcs of the second tier, two thrown
into one and proiusely draped with the ma
tional flag. There Is scene in the play
representing modern parlor, in which two
Unprecedented English ladies are informed
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 make exit, leaving the stage clear for
moment. Through the general hum follow
ing the stage pause, with the change of posi-
tons, came the mutiicd sound of pistol
shot which not one-hundrcth part of the
audience heard at the time and yet a mo-
ment'- hush, somehow, surely vague,
startled thrill-and then through the orna-
mcntcd, draperied, starred and striped
splce-way OF the Presidents box
a sudden figure raises himself with hands
and feet, stands a moment on
the railing, leaps below to the stage falls
out of position catching his boot-heel in the
curiOus drapery of the American flag, falls
on one knee, quickly recovsrs himself,
rises as if nothing bad happened, and 50 the
figure, dressed in plain black broadcloth,
bare-headed, with a full head of glossy |
raven HAIR and his eyes like some mad |
animals Fishing with light and resolution, |
yet with a certain calmness, holds aloft in |
one hand a large knife, walks along not |
much back from the fOOtlights, turns fully |
towards the audience his face Of statue>que |
beauty lit by those basilisk eyes flashing
with desperation, perhaps insanity, launches
out in a firm and steady voice the words
''>ic Spnper tgrdHuiS, and then walks with
neither slow nor very rapid pace diagOnally
across to the back of the stage and disap-
pears as if this terrible scene had all been
by Booth.
\ moments hush-a scfeam-thc cry of
Murder Mrs. Lincoln leaning out of the
box with ashy checks and lips, with inyol-
untary cry, pointing to the retreating figure,
He has killed the President"
And still moments strange, incredulous
suspense, and then the deluge then that
mixture of horror, noises, uncertain ty-
(the sound, somewhere back, of horses
hcois Gathering with speedy The
people burst through chairs and rail
lngs and break them up That noise
adds to the queerness Of the scene,
There is inextricable confusion and terror
women FAINT. quite feeble persons fall and
AiC tidln l4tu vi, Elinl cries OF agony arc |
heard, the broad stage suddenly fills to suf-
ocation with dense and motley crowd like
some horrible carnival, the audience rush
upon it lat least the strong men
io), the actors and actresses arc all there in
helr pay costumes and painted iaccS with |
Mortal fright showing through the rouge,
Jmc trembling, some in tears The screams
nd calls, confused talk-redoubled, treblcd;
wo or three manage to pass up water from
he stage TO the Presidents box, Others try
0 Chamber up-etc., etc.
In the midst Of all this the soldiers of the
residents Guard, with others suddenly
rawn to the scene, burst in - some two
undred altogether. They storm the house,
irough all the tiers, especially the upper
mes, inhamcd with fury, literally charging
ne audience with fixed bayOnets, muskets
I'd pistols, sh)uting, Clear out clear |
ut you ''-- Such the wild scene, or {
digestion Of it rather, inside tile play
DuSe. +
And in that night plndemonum of sense i
$ hate, Infatuated soldiers, the audience +
nd the crowd the stage and all its actors
nd ACTRESSES, its Paint-pots, spangles and .
liGe-boOd-frOm those veins,
c best and sweetest of the land, drips
Jwly down and deaths ooze ALREADY begins
: little bubbles On the lins A