River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-21
THE MURDER OF LINCOLN.

THE MURDER OF LINCOLN.
OF the actual murder Of Abraham Lin
coin, ough 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 a pleasant one throughout the whole
land; the moral atmosphere was pleasant,
too the long storm, so dark, so fratrici-
dial, full Of blood and doubt and gloom,
over and ended at last by the surprise Of
such an absolute national victory and M
ter breakdown of SecessIon-we almost
doubted our own senses Early heritage,
early flowers were in bloom. ] remem-
Der where | was stopping at the time
there We're many lilacs in full bloom. BY
one Of those caprices that give tinge to
events without beng at all part of them,
| find myself always reminded Of the
great tragedy of that day by the sight
and color of these blossoms.
But | must not dwell on accessories.
The deed hastens. T popular after
noon paper of Washington, the little
hceniag star, had spattered all over its
third page, divided among the advertise
menis in a sensational manner, in hun
dred different places, ''The President and
his lady will be at the theatcr this even
ing.
Lincoln was fond of the theatre. /
have myself seen him there several times
| remember thin ing ow funny il was
that he, in some respects the leading ac-
tor in the stormiest drama known to his
tory's stage through centuries, should sit
there and Ge SO completely interested and
absorbed in those human iackstraws,
moving about with their silly little ges-
lures, foreign spirit and flatuent text.
On this occasion the theatre was crow
ded, many ladies in rich and gay cos
tunes, officers in their uniforms, many
"ell-known citizens, young folks, the
usual cluster of gasig Is, the usual mag
netism of 50 many people, cheerful with
perfumes, music of violins and flutes
and over all and saturating all that vast
vague wonder, Nictmy-the nations vic
tory, the triumph Of the Union-filling
the air, the thought, the sense, with ex-
hiliIauons more than all the music and
perfumes.
The Pres dent came betimes, and with
his wife witnessed he play from the large
stage-boxes ON the second tier, two thro@n
into one and profusely draped with the
national flag.
There is a scene in the play represent
ing modern parlor, in which Two I'M
precedented English ladies are informed
by an impossible Yankee that he is not Il
man of fortune and therefore undesirable
for marTiage-catching purposes; after
which, the comments being finished, the
dramatic trio make exit, leaving the
stage clear for moment
Through the general hum following
the stage pause, with the change Of pc
sitlOns. came the muilied sound Of q
pistol-shot which not more than one
bundredth part Of the audience heard
at the me; and yet a moment hush,
somehow, surely vague, startled thrill
and then through the ornamented
draperied starred and striped space-way
Of the Presidents box sudden figure
raises himself W it'll ands and feet, stands
a moment on the railing, leaps below to
the stage, falls out OF position, catch
ing his boot-hool in the eopious drapery
of the American nag, falls on enc knee,
quickly RECEIVERS himself, rises as ii moth
/ ing had happened, and 50 the figure,
dressed in PLAIN black br0adclotl, bare
headed, with a full head OF glossy raven
hair, and his eyes like some mad AMI
mails flashing with light and resolution,
vet with certain calmness, holds alott
! IN one hand q large knife, walks along
not much back from the tootlights, turns
fully toward the audience his face
OF statuesque beauty, lit up by those
basilisk eyes flashing with desperation,
perhaps insanity, launches out in firm
and steady voice the words Sac sempe
tyrannss," and then walks with neither
slow nor very rapid pace diagonally
across to the back OF the stage and dlsap-
pears as if this terrible scene had all been
rehearsed by Booth.
A moments hush--a scream the cry
of Murder" Mrs Lincoln leaning out
of the box with ashy cheeks and lips,
with involuntary cry, pointing to the re-
treating figure, He has killed the Presi-
dent"
And still moments strange, incredu-
lous suspense, and then the deluge -
then that mixture Of horror, noises I'M
certainty (the sound, somewhere back,
of horses hoots gathering with speed.
The people burst through chairs and rail
ings and break them up. The noise adds
to til. queerness Of the scene.
There is inextricable confusion and
terror women faint; quite feeble per
sons fall and are trampled on, many cries
of agony are heard, the broad stage is
sud- emily llled to suiiocation with a
dense aud motley crowd like some horri-
Bile carnival, the audience rush generally
upon it, tat least, the strong men do,1 the
actors aud actresses are all there in their
play-costumes and painted faces With
mortal fright showing through the rouge
some trembling, some in tears. The
screams and calls, confused talk-Iedou-
bled, trebled; two or three manage to
pass up water to the Presidents box;
others try TO Chamber up.
In the midst OF all this the soldiers Of
the Presidents Guard with others sud
denly drawn to the scene, burst in some
two hundred altogether They storm the
house through all the tiers, especially the
upper ones. inflamed with fury, literally
charging the audience with fixed bay
onets, muskets and pistols, shouting,
Clear out! clear out! you Such the
wild scene, or a suggestion Of II rat4er,
inside the playhouse.
Ana in that night pandemonium Of
senscloss hate, inluriuted soldiers, the au-
diencc and the crowd. the stage and all
IFS actors aud actresses, its paint-pots, /
spangles and gas-hghts the life blood
from those veins, the best and sweetest of
the land, drips slowly down, and death
Ooze already begins its little bubbles on
the lips. Walt WhttnsaR.
SnubDing Two Young Snobs.