Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-12-22
The fitst As5assinatio11.
BOOTHS BULLET.
A Graphic Recital of the unpublished Histo'
ry Of Lincoln's Murder.


ry Of Lincoln's Murder.
"
A staff correspondent of the Philadelphia
Press furnishes that paper with graphic &C.
count of the murder of Abraham Lincoln,
based upon interviews with living persons who
were on intimate terms with the assassin at
the time he committed the.deed. The story
as related by the correspondent throws new
light upon many features of this occurrence,
which proved so disastrous blow to the
South, and as containing many points not
hitherto published, will be read with interest.
After describing the Booth family burial lot
in Greenwood Cemetery, Baltimore, the wri-
ter proceeds:
THE FIRST ASSASSINATION.
A visit to this spot which contains the earth
remains of the departed members of this for
tunate and yet unfortunate family, naturally
gives rise to long train of thought, and the
mind goes back sixteen years and more and
rests upon the thrilling events which then
startled the world, and with which the name
of John Wilkes Booth is inseparably welded.
From here the City of Baltimore stretches out
to the waters Of the river which joins the
great Chesapeake Bay in carrying the COM
merce of busy port out to the sea. 1t
makes broad panorama Of busy life and it
was in the midst of this that John Wilkes
Booth was born, about forty.two years ago.
A look over the scene naturally recalls many
of the striking points of his early life, and
a glance toward the water of the basin where
in the ships lie, revives the story of the crime
for which he died. There upon one of the
wharves John H. Surratt, who Joined Booth
in his desperate scheme to kidnap President
Lincoln, now earns livelihood as clerk for
the Old Dominion line of steamships. He is
the only survivor of the conspirstors. Isaw
him but short time since, busy with his du-
ties He is rather tall, young-looking man
for his years, and of slender, wiry build. He
has not particularly striking face, but looks
like stirring business man. He has cold
and firm expression of countenance, with
strongly marked features. His face is rather
thin, and his restless blue eyes seem to be set
far back under his heavy eyebrows. A rath
ticularly to his appearance. His hair is quite
red, and he wears mnstache and goatee
which gives him something of a military
look. He is spoken of as quiet man who
rather shuns society, and never alludes to the
conspiracy with which his name and that of
his family is so closely connected. His sister
Annie, the poor girl who suffered so terribly
as to make her old while she was yet young,
also lives in Baltimore. She Is the wife of
Professor Tonry, its leading chemist.
While busy with the thoughts which visit
to the grave Of Booth would naturally invite,
gentleman evidently familiar with Balti-
more and acquainted with the history of this
family, approached. "This Booth Monu-
ment," said he, formerly stood in the old
Baltimore Cemetery where it marked the
resting place of Junius Brutus Booth only.
Toward the close of the war Edwin Booth
and his mother, who is still living, bought
this lot and removed the remains and the
monument to this spot. Later the remains
of the children were brought from the old
Booth homestead in Hartford county. As
soon after the assassination and the death of
John Wilkes as the family could get permis-
sion from the Government to remove the body,
his remains were brought here and buried
with the other children, and his name carved
upon the marble"
VISITORS TO BOOTHS GRAVE.
"Did his friends ever view his body after
death ?"
"Oh, yes, end quite number of people
have locks Of his hair cut from the head
after the body was brought to Baltimore.
There was great fuss made about the burial
of the body here at the time it was brought
over, but as this cemetery is free to any one
who may purchase lot here except colored
people, his burial could not be prevented
The remains of Richard Booth, whose grave
you see to the right, were also brought from
Baltimore Cemetery. The elder Booth, that
is Junius Brutus, moved into Hartford coun.
ty, short distance below Baltimore in the
early part of the present century, and nearly
all of the family were born there. The whole
of them have had queer and eventful his
tory. The elder Booth, when at home, was
in almost constant trouble with his neighbors
He was a most vindictive opponent of slave,
ry, and was often accused Of assisting runa'
way slaves and with advising the negroes to
seek their freedom He named the son who
killed Lincoln, and who, by the way, was the
only member Of the family who sympathized
with the Southern cause, after John Wilkes
the great English agitator. Indeed the whole
family, from Richard down, might be called
man. worshippers. The tragic characters Of
Shakespeare were their idols. Their study
their habits of thought, and their ambitions
sprung from dead heroes, and it is not at all
surprising, considering the passions engender
ed by the war, that this young man took up
on himself to enact the character of Brutus
whom he had been taught to revere
The Superintendent of the cemetery, Rev
Mr.. Heffner, coming up at this moment, | in
quired:
"Do many people visit Booths grave?'
"Not many. Now and then some actors
or theatrical people come"
"Do many ask for the grave of John Wilkes
Booth?"
"Now and then people ask to see it out o.
mere curiosity. Edwin Booth comes some
times-whenever he plays in this city | sup
pose. He was here with his wife once, a:
nice, little lady as you would want to see
l see she died recently. l like Mr.. Bootf
very much, and do you know that if you die