Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-11-30

A merchant of Allegheny has in hi,
possession the following note:
April, Il.
It will not be possible for me to keep the ap
polntment for this afternoon. I regret it much
but business interferes. J. W. B.
The note was written by John Wilkes
Booth in 1865, two days before Lincoln
was assassinated. In April, 1866, the
Allegheny merchant went to Baltimore
to endeavor to find some traces of his
brother, who had gone from Pittsburs
as a soldier in the early part of the
war. "The second day after my ar
rival in Baltimore" said the merchant
Il called at the house of Mrs.. The
family consisted of Mrs., her daugh
ter Estelle and Robert, boy about
twelve years old. Miss Estelle was be
tween eighteen and twenty years old
and was rather pretty. She was tall and
slender, and talked with great spirit
She was very graceful and quick witted
and sang well. When had told Mrs,
what my errand was in Baltimore
she expressed great deal of sympathy
for my mother, and insisted upon my
occupying the room which belonged to
her son who was III the army.
'Mrs. - told me that her daughter
had formed a fancy for man who did
not care for her, and who was an actor.
She said that nothing had ever come
out OF the matter, and she did not
think there was anything to fear but
she did not like the mans profession,
although she took pains to assure me
that he was q gentleman; had always
acted In the most honorable way, and
never seemed to notice that Estelle
cared for him, but talked to her about
music and the stage, and took an in
terest In her musical studies.
"One morning Miss Estelle and
were at the breakfast table, Mrs. -
having excused herself, as she had
some household duties to attend to.
The young lady's attention was evi-
IDENTITY preOccupied about something,
for she talked at random and seemed
to be thinking. At last she said, with
rather odd expression of face:
"'I expect friend to call on me this
afternoon. 1 think you will like him.
he Is very iona or music.
81 asked who he was, and she looked
rather disturbed at my question, but
replied:
"'He is my best friend. He is an
actor, and is coming over from Wash
ington.'
fI remembered what her mother
had told me and changed the topic of
conversation. In the afternoon about
4 o'clock, was sitting in the parler
with Estelle, when her brother Rob
came in with letter for her. When
she saw the handwriting on the envel-
ope she blushed and tore it open hasti-
ly. Then her expression changed and
she showed that she had been disap-
pointed. She read the letter two or
three times and then exclaimed:
"It's too bad. He isn't coming. I
think he might have written more than
that, don't your"
"She tossed the letter to me, and
turning around TO the piano, began to
play. [ absently folded and refolded
her note until I had it in a crumpled
little roll, and when she started to go
upstairs to dress for supper, the note
could not be found. She was little
vexed at my carelessness at first, but
soon recovered her temper and did not
allude to it again. Three days after
that I was to go home. got up early
to make arrangements and went out on
the streets, where | heard of the assas-
sination of Lincoln. When | returned,
Mrs. - and Estelle were awaiting my
return to sit down to breakfast. was
greatly excited, and exclaimed as en-
tered:
"' President Lincoln WAS murdered
in Washington last njghtP
'Both ladies screamed and looked
frightened, and Mrs. = cried out: Oh,
they will kill all of us who are friends of
the South! Who did it?'
"f A scoundrelly actor named Booth
John Wilkes Booth The words
were scarcely out of my mouth before
Estelle gave scream and fell forward
upon the table and from there to the
floor dragging the breakfast things
about her with a crash. The mother
seemed almost as much affected az
her daughter, but she loosened Estelle's
dress and lifted her up while l bathed
her head with water. I was terribly
confused, but suggested that should
go for doctor. Mrs. = at the mere
suggestion almost screamed.
No! no! No one must know it!'
"fKnow WHAT I asked.
"Why don't you know? Don't you
know that John Booth was the man ]
told you about the man she is In
love with"
"Tnen I remember the note and the
fact that it was signed y. w. B.
Estelle had not mentioned the name
that was why did not understand it..
Mrs. was wild with terror, and
feared that her daughter might be
suspected Of having some connection
with the plot of Booth and his com
panions. Estelle was Ill, and did not
leave her room, and | never saw her
after that awful morning, poor girl!
"On my way homeI found Booths
note in my pocket, where | must have
put it without knowing it after | had
it rolled up in q ball. [ kept it then
as a memento. The business Booth
refers to was evidently that Of the plot.
81 don't know whether E.telle j, liv-
ing or not. She vas when | was
in Baltimore two years ago. Her
mother was dead, and Estelle was liv-
ing with some relatives near Bowling
Green, Va, and not far from Garrett
farm, where the man she loved was
shot in barn twelve days after he
had murdered the president of the
United States.
An Odd Kind of q Show