The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-07-14
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i H00AS09SVH UVvV W l1WOVAUs
To the tragedy Of Saturday the his
| tory of the country furnishes only on,
DiAllel-the murder Of President Lin
elm. The following grAphie accOun,
seAhat event IL from Walt Whitman
famous lecture:
Friday, April IA, 1896. seems to hav,
been Q pleasant one throughout tbs
wbole land-fbe moral atTnoepberl
pleasant, too-the long storm, % dark
80 fratricidal, full Of blood and doub,
and gloom, over and ended at last b.
the sunrise Of tuch an absolute nation.
sl victory, and utter breakdown Of
AeoeAipn-we almost doubted our.
selves! Early heritage. early flowers,
were out. II remember where I was
stop ping at the time, the season being
advanced, there were lilacs In full
bloom. BY one Of those caprices that
enter and give tinge to events without
being at all part Of them, find my
self always reminded Of the great
tragedy Of that day by the sight and
odor Of these blossoms II never fails J
But must not dwell ON occasions.
The deed hastens. The popular after
noon paper Of Washington, the little
Ers,ing I&Gy, had spattered all over
its third page, divided among its ad-
vertisements in sensational manner
In q hundred different pieces, 1.-The
President and his lady will be At the
theatre this evening" Lincoln WAS
fond of the theatre. I have myself
sren him there several times. ! re-
member thinking how funny IL WAS
that he, i'm some respects the leading
actor ia the stOrDiest drama known
to real histOry's stage through centu-
ries, should sit there aud be 40 COM
pletely interested and absorbed in
those human jack-straws. moving
about with their silly little gestures,
foreign spirit and fiatuient text.
On this occasion the theatre was
csOwdrd, many ladies In rich and gay
officers in their uniforms,
many well-knOwn citizens, young
folks, the usual magnetism Of 40 many
people, cheerful, with perfumes, music
Of violins and fiutss-and over al. aud
all, that vast vague wonder,
Victory, the Nations. the triumph OF
the Union, filling the air, the thought,
the sense. with exhilaratiOn more than
all music and perfume.
The president canseo betiInes, and,
with his wife, witnessed the play from
the large boxes Of the secOne tier, two
Iarown into one. aud profusely dfaped
With the American flag. There IA
Aeene in the play representing u mod
~ parlor. In which two unprecedent-
ed English ladies are informed by an
Impossible Yankee that he Is not q
HI or fortune, and therefore un,lesir-
able for marriage-catching purposes;
After which, the comments being fin
shed, the dramatic trio make exit,
eaviuK the stage clear for q moment.
At this period came the murder Of
Abraham Lincoln, Great rs thai WAS,
with all its manifold train, circiing
around II and stretching into the fu.
ure for many a century, In the poll
les, history, art, etc, Of the New
World, In point of fact the main thing,
be actual murder, transpired with the
lhiet aud simplicity Of any common
st occurance-the bursting Of q bud
" pod In the growth Of vegetation, for |
Instance. Through the general hum
the stage pause. with the |
hange Of positions came the muffied |
ouna % pistol shot, which not one
1.-THE time-vague, startled thrill-and |
hen, through the ornamented, drape-
led, starred and stripped spaceway
{ the Presidents box, q sudden figure,
man, raises himself with hands and
eet, stands a moment OH the railing, |
caps below to the stage u distance Of
'erhaps fourteen or fifteen feet, falls
ut of his position, catching his boot
leel in . copious drapery lthe Ameri-
an flag, falls Oh one knee, quickly
pcovers himself, rises as If nothing
ad happened The really sprains his
nkle, but unfelt then)-and 80 the
CURE, Booth, the murderer, dressed
4 plain black broadcl0th, bareheaded,
18th full head Of glossy raven hair,
nj his eyes like some mad animals,
ashing with light and resolution, yet |
18th certain calniness, holds aloff In
ne hand q large knife-walks along
OF much back from the foOtlights-
lrns fully toward the adience his face
statuesque beauty, liz by those basil
SIX eyes, flashing with desperation,
Rrhaps insanity-launches out i'm q
RIM and steady voice the words: Sic
eHl1lcr 2b,dnnis land then walks
It'll neither slow nor very rapid pace
agonally across to the back of the
age aud disappears. Had
Dt all this terrible scene-making the
iinic one prepOsterous-had il not
! been rehearsed. i'm blank by Booth,
,fOrehand
A moments hush-a scream-the
v of murder-Mrs. Lincoln, leaning
Il Of the box, with asl,y cheeks and
pa. with an involuntary cry, pointing
the retreat:ng figure: "He has
led the Presidenf." And still u
strange incredulous sus-
nse. and then the deluge !-rhen that 9
fixture Of horror, noises, uncertainty ;
the sound somewhere back, of
'rse's hoOfs Gathering with speed)-
. people burst through chairs and !
ilings and breaking them up; that
Use adds tn the qlleerness If tire q
enc; there il an inextricable cOnfu-
n and terror; women faint; quite I
sble persons fall and are trample,l on; Q
any cries Of agony are heard the
we fills To suff0catiOn with q dense J
ii molly crowd, like some horrible
trivial, the audience rush genemlly
IN il: at least the strong men do;
e actors aud actresses are all there q
their play costumes and painted
Ne, with mortal fright showing Q
rough the rouge, some trembling, .
me In tears; the screains and calls,
Infused talk redOubled, trebled two
three manage to pass up water from | =
E stage to the Presidents box, others
ring 10 Chamber up. etc. ~
In the midst III al this the soldiers !
the Presidents Guard with Others
drawn up tn the scene, burst
-sOfne No altOgether-they storm =
2 house, through all the tiers, espe-
lily the upper ones. Unframed with I
~, lit3fanS Charging che a6diehce
Ia hxea hayoneta, muakets and pis- Q
Ia, shouting: Clear out! clear 0vt
II SONS Of -" Such the wild q
pne. or q suggestion Of II rather, in
ie The playhouse.
And in that nights IzsnslenIpuiiin, .
senseless hate, infuriats Il soldiers,
e audienre and the crOwd--th. stage.
ID all its actors aud artress.s its
ilst.Pots. sl'angles aud gas lights
Q Afe-bl0oh from there veins. the
n and s~ertsst Of the land. drips
,Wly down, and deuth' s nDZr slrrs,,iy
gina its little bulsble ~, the lips.
NEW MATS F0a TINE sOl0IeRs. q
% Hsedy lHssiess q osvseNee's lsissA 8
in ea.Amsesss0n 0As2sl GnDSeesaAiAa |