The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-07-14
LINco1Ns ASSASSINATION.
Vivid Description Of It by Walt
Wk.tne7.

da, already published, written at The
time on th, spot. and revised FIRE
quently and finally since.
The day, a ri IA, 1865, seems to
have been a Pheasant one through
out the whole land-the u raj at
mosphere pleasant, too-the long
storm. so fratricidal, so iull OF
blood and doubt aud gloom, over
and ended at last by the sunrise OF
such an absolute national vivoory,
such an absolute break DOM f Sc
cession-we almost dodb ouf own
sensesi Early IA rhagc. ea.iy How
ers wereo out. | RENE l,hei shere l
was stopping at tne time. tne season
being advanced, there wcIe manl IL
lacs In full bloom. BY one Of those
caprices that enter and give tinge
to events without being at ali u
part OF them, l find myself always
reminded ol Tie great tragedy of
that day 10y the sight and odor of
those blossoms. IL never fails. }
But | rlust not dwell on accesso-
ries. The iced hastens The pop
ular afte noon paper of Washingtop,
the little Evening Star, had spat-
tered all over its third page, divi
deG among the advertisements IN Il
sensational manner in hundred
different places:. .sHhe President
and his lady will be at the theater
this evening" Lineolp was fond
of the theater. / had myself seen
him there several stimes. l remem-
ber thinking howIfanny it was he,
in some respects the leading actor
in the stormiest drama known to
history's stage through centuries,
should sit there and be completely
interested and absorbed in those
human jack-straws, moving about
with their silly gestures, foreign
spirit and 1atulent text.
On this occasion the theater was
crowded, many ladies in rich and
gay costumes, officers in their uni
forms, many well known citizens,
young folks, the clusters of gas
lights, the usual magnetism of so
many people, cheerful with per-
fumes, the music Of violins and
flutes-and over all and saturating
all, that vast, vague wonder, victory,
the triumph of the union, filing the
air, the thought, the sense, with eX-
hilaration more than all music and
perfumes.
The President came betimes, and
with his wife witnessed the play
from the large stage-boxes of the sec
ond tier, two thrown into one and
profusely draped with the national
flag. There is a scene in the play
representing modern parlor, in
which two unprecedented English
ladies are informed by an impossi-
BILE yankee that he is not a man of
fortune, and therefore undesirable
for marriage-catching purposes; af
ter which, the comments being fin
ished, the dramatic trio made exit,
leaving the stage free for a mo-
ment. At this period came the
of Abraham Lincoln. Great
as that was, with al it's manifold
train circling round it and stretch
ing into the future for many a cen
tury, in ~the politics, history, art,
etc, of the new world, in point of
fact the main thing, the actual mur.
der, transpired with the quiet and
simplicity of any common occur
rence-the bursting of a bud or
pod in the growth of vegetation, for
instance.
Through the long hum following
the stage pause with the change of
positions came the muffled sound
of a pistol-shot, which not one-hun
dfedth part of the audience heard
at the time-and yet moments
hush-somehow, surely vague,
startled thrill-and then, through
the ornamented, draperied, starr
striped spaceway OF the Presidents
box, a suddenrfigure, a man raises
himself with hands aud feet. stands
a moment on the railing, leaps be-
low to the stage (adistance OF. four
teen to fifteen feet, falls out of his
position, catching his boot-heel in a
coplous drapery (the American
flag }, falls on one knee, quickly
RECEIVERS himself, rises as if nothing
had happened-he really sprains
his ankle, but unfelt then--and
so the figure, Booth, the murderer,
dressed in plain black broadcloth,
full suit, bareheaded, with a full
head OF glossy raven hair, and hrs
yes, like some wild animals, flash
ing With light and. resolution, yet
with certain caImness holds alOit in
one hand large ,knife-walks 5
along not much hack from the foot
fully towarSl the audi
ence his face of statuesque beauty,
lit by those eyes flashing with des-
peratioh, perhaps with insanity
launches out IN steady. voice the
words " Sic seDlper tyroReiS and
then walks with neither slow nor
very rapid pace diagonally across to
the back of the stage and dlsap
pears. (Had not all this terrible
scene-making the mimic ones silly
had it not all been rehearsed, in
blank, by Booth beforehand?)
A moments hush-a scream-.he
cry of murder-Mrs. Lincoln lean
ing cut of the box, with ashy
chicks and lips, with an inyolunta-
~ cry, pointing to the retFeating
figure. "He has killed the Presi-
identr' y And still O
moments S strange, incredulous sus-
pense-and then the deluge then
that mixture OF horror noises, un-
certainty-the sound, somewhere
back, of horses hoofs clattering
with speed-the people burst
through the chairs aud ratings, and
break them up-Jhat noise adds to
the queerness Of the scene-there is
ineXtricable confusion and terror
women iaint-quiet, feeble persons
fall and are uampled on-many
cries Of agOaT ase heard-the
broad stage su enly ills TO suio-
cation with a.s.ense and motley
crowd like some horrible carnival
the audience rush upon it, At leasl
the strong men do--the actors aRC
actresses are there in their play cos,
tunes and painted faces, with mora
~ brNnrh tho rnuera