Sharp County record., 1881-08-25
WHY LINCOLN WAS ASSAS-
SINAIED.

4 QaShlnG, chlNalrOus young man
named john Y. Bcai, whose home
was in the Shenandoah valley not
far from Winchester. Damon and
Pythias were. not more attached to
each other than were Booth ana
Boal. Beal was southern in his
sympathies, aad planued raids on
northern cities, and at last was cap
tured at or near Buffalo, tried FOR
piracy on Northern lakes, and SEN
fenced to bo hanged on BcdIoe's
Island.
Ono afternoon, in the city Of
Washington, while Beal was under
sentence OF death, there aIightcd
from carriage two men, who
walked into the room occupied by
Washington Mclean, OF CIncincin-
natl, who was at the time in Wash
ington in the interest Of his bust
ness. These men who called were
Senator Hale, of New Hampshire,
and John Wilkes Booth. Booth
was anxious to save the life Of Beal,
his chum and confidential personal
friend. He had interested Mr.. Hale
in his behalf.
They importuned Mclean to 60
with them to the president, as a
democrat-as friend Of Booth
as q man who had much influence.
with Mr.. Lincoln, and to vouch with
Mr.. Hale for any promises Booth
might make in return for this favor
to him. After protracted inter-
view Mclean accompanied Hale
and Booth in a carriage to the resi-
dence Of John W. Forney, who was
. then in bed, the hour being late.
Forney was awakened from his
sleep and told the object of the call,
lis sympathies were enlisted, as lie
was always ready to serve his
friends.
It was an hour or moro past mid
night when Hale, Forney, Mclean
and Booth were driven to the White
House. The guard, at the request
of Fsrney, admitted the carriage to
the grounds. Mr.. Lincoln was call
ed from his sleep, and there, in the
dead Of night, he sat and listened to
the prayers Of Booth and the en-
dorsementS Of those who came with
him to ask the favor of Executive
clemency.
This interview lasted till in the
morning. 1t was one Of tears,
prayers and petition. There was
not a dry eye in the room, as Booth
knelt at the feet Of Lincoln, clasped
his knees with his hands, and beg
ged HIM to spare the life of one
mana personal friend, who, in
serving the ones he loved, had come
to the door of death.
Booth told all. He told now, long
before, IN fit Of passion to do some
noble deed, he had joined in a con-
spracy to abduct the president and
to hold him as a hostage for the re-
lease Of certain military prisoners
who were Booths friends, and who,
it was thought, were to be shot. He
told Of the meetings they had held
at the house Of Mrs. Surratt, and
that all of that plan had fallen to
the ground long before. He offered
his services at any time and in any
place or capacity, free of cost or
fearless Of consequences. The emf
nent gentlemen who were there
with him joined in the request that
the prayer Of Booth be granted, and
that Beal should be pardoned,
At last President Lincoln, with
tears streaming down his face, took
Booth by the hands, badc him rise
and stand like a man, and gave him
his promise that Beal should be par
doned. He asked the party to de-
part, that he might gain rest for the
work of the morrow, and said that
the official document that they asked
for should be forwarded at once to
the United States marshal, Robert
Murray, in New York, and through
him to the officers charged with the
execution of Beal.
After breakfast Lincoln informed
Seward, secretary of state, what he
had done or promised to do. Sew
ard said that it must not be; that
public sentiment in the North de-
mandcd that Beal should be hung.
lie declared that to pardon Beal
would discourage enhstments, pro-
long the war, and insult the senLi-
ment that called for blood. He
chided Lincoln for making such
promises without asking the advice
of his cabinet, or advising with
Seward on state policy. As the ar
gument grew contentious, Seward
declared that if the conduct of the
war was to be triHed with by appeals
for humanity, he should 90 out of
the cabinet and use his influence
against the president, and should
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