Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-12-17
BOOTHS DEFENSE.
THE MOTIVE WHICH PROMPTED
THE ASSASSINATION or
LINCOLN.
Reproduction Of the Letter Written TO
the National lntelligenoer.

a hitherto unpublished and very II
tofeatillg story Of Libeoln's assassination
appears II, the Press tomorrow, and ID
eludes aets Of the assassin just proyiou
to shooting tho President, with hIs let
Ter Of Justification, ihirnstea TO job
Matthew'S, the actor, inst before th
decd, TO be delivered to John T. Coyle
editor of tho National Intelligepeer
me story IL told by John Z Ford. tb,
theatre manager, and Mr.. Matthsws
After stating TINT 1t 10 morally eertait
That Booth never thought Of the mnrde,
until tho day 1t was committed, Mr.
Ford snid
Until Booth ealne TO the theatre that
morning no Ind no knowledge thpt the
PRESIDENT intended visiting ths theatfe
III the evening. That afternoon he
wrote the letter justifying the assassit,n.
zion. This letter he gave TO John Mat
thews, who low Is engaged In New
YORK He WIS then playing ut my tho.
lstfe, The letter WIS intended 10 he
published tn the National fnteitigeueer,
md it was well toward night when he
gave 1t to- Matthews. He wa. riding
down Pennsylvania Avenue toward The
National Hotel, when he met Matthew'S
and handed him the letter Matthews
destroyed the paper immediately after
the shooting, and no one ever sI,w II Int
him. Finding that oil his plans for abb
daetIoh had failed, and the ens Of the
war was growing nearer aud nearer, he
w The very Inst moment determined to
take tho desperate chance Of assasaina.
6on Booth was very gifted young
man, md was u great iaYorite In society
~ Washington. He was engaged f.
was said, 10 II young lady Of hipb posi.
non and character, | understand That
She wrote to Edwin Booth after the ~
sassination telling him that she WINS his
brothers betr0tbed aud would MARIE
hith, even at the foot Of the scaaotd
My God My God / have 20 longer u
This IL The end Of constitu.
tioual liberty IN America These were
Che words spoken with startling empba.
,is Oh the evening Of the 18th Of April
1865, by john Wilkes Booth. IIe was
passing down Pennsylvania Avenue, in
washington, mud near the corner Of |
Thirteenth street had met John Mat. |
ihews, fellow-actor, and boyhood
Friend, whom be thus addressed
>" fie was pale as Il ghost when he ut.
erred those words, said Mr.. Matthew'S
. me day OF two since, There were
lutto number Of Confederate prisoners
'long the avenue ny he spoke, and when
le sald, This Is an end 10 constitutional
ibetty IN America he pointed feeling.,t
y toward tbcm. He Looked ut them d
moment, after they passed, aud was
hotghttul. He then turned 60 mo
nickly and said II want YOU TO do
Do iaYor' Anything il ttuy power,
oht, | replied. He thrust his hand
1to nus pocket aud drawing ont let.
81, said Deliver this to Mr. Coyle,
tho National Intetligencer, tonight
y II o'clock, unless | see yon before
mt III do, ] Gtnattend to IL MYSELF
TOOK the letter, saw that il was sealed. ,
nt IL INTO my pocket, and walked on.
Doth, who was on horseback, rode ran. !
iy down the street, and never saw
M again until ho jumped from the box
fords Theatre to the stage after y
footing the President. =
was then playing ut Ford's, tho 4
ece being "Our American Cousin" q
'ura keene was the star. Booth nj a
ost ran against me rs he leaped across h
g stage or his way to the door. There d
AZ, OF course, u great cemmotion, aud
Vt once went to my dressing-room md
cked up my wardrobe, passed under q,
stage out through the orchestra aud n,
auditorium to the street with the "
t'ence. My room was directly oppo- fo
Q, ut Dir. Peterson's, the house ut 81
itch Mr.. Lincoln died. ! walked b.
ickly across, locked the doors and bic. II,
n ut once to change my clothes. In do
king up my coat, tho letter Booth h,
I given me upon the street before the ~
'atre opened dropped out Of my pock- in
on the floor. had almost forgotten -
II my excitement. | quickly picked on
Up, tore open, and read it very care. pa
ly. "My Godw thought !. This
condemnation of my friend shall q
be found in my possession !" and | in
ew it into the fire, watched il until it 4,
ned to cinders, and then mixed the la,
ms with the coal ashes. In the ex. th
'ment and horror which followed the Nc