The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-22
how Carefully Booth Posed in ais Last
Trarely,

1idSCIyt
Il have never been able to see the
play called The American Cousin, y
said General Hamin, Though | had
several times made engagements to 90
and see it, and / have never vet seen it
fully performed, so that have a sort of
superstition about the piece The night
that Mr.. Lincoln was murdered, OBJ
served that The American Cousin was
to be played, and took my sister, who
ls now deceased, and another lady to
the theatre. We had seats far down to
the front, only few seats from the
stage. Mr.. Lincoln came in and pro-
ceeded to his box, which was the upper
one on the right, but he was not visible
to the audience where he sat, having a
place back 10 the box, from which he
could the better see the stage. Indeed,
from where | sat, | could see no peo-
pie in the boxes. Not long before Mr.
Lincoln was shot there was a change OF
scenes, during an act, and it seemed to
me that it was the longest time required
to change scenes that | ever observed
in Il theatre. 1t was so noticeably long
that | afterwards wondered in connec-
ton with the murderer if there might
not have been some irres0luiion or per
pleXlty on that stag. Not long after
there was sound something like the
slapping of your hands together, sharp,
yet not very loud, but loud enough to
make me turn my head and wonder
what could have made it, and whether
it was a pistol, and | reelected that |
had never heard of a pistol being fired
during The American Cousin.
The next thing l saw was Booth get
ting ont of that box had seen Booth
play on two occasions, and knew his
face perfectly well. There never was a
more deliberate thing than his stepping
out on the sill of that box, and leapin9
from it. He made as pretty jHmp as
ever saw If he had practiced that
leap it could hardly have been more
elegant. He alighted in crouching po-
sitiOn. like one who had brought his
body down to break the shock of the
fall. While it was good jump in
eight, it was not dangerous one at
all, perhaps from where he leaped to
the stage was nine or twelve feet His
| spur tore flag. and that seemed to
bring him around somehow so that he
| alighted with his face turned more to
| the audience than would have been the
case had he merely hoped directly
| downward. His face was marble pale.
In his right hand he held knife, and
in q theatrical way he stretched it up
ward and distinctly said the words: Sic
semper tyrannis.' Then in very sta
gey stride, still pale, serious and intense
he went right across the stage and out.
Many people at this stood up, and near
me was a naval officer, whose name /
still remember, who. hearing someone
exclaim, The president has been shot,
lifted himself up, sailor fashion, to the
woodwork and decorations of the pri-
vate box below, and climbed into the
| box above, and he came down the
same way in the audience, and he had
upon his hand little piece of the brain
of Mr.. Lincoln, with blood attached,
which he said he was going to keep
/ ''Of course the audience was dismissed
and as | was going to the street few
minutes afterward, | met friend in
the service who said to me- This is
terrible news. Mr. Stanton and (hcre
l forgot the officer mentioned by Gen.
HamiltOn) Mr. Seward, we fear, have
been MORALLY wounded At this
went Immediately to my Office, and took
the responsibility, as chief of the stat
of the artillery, of ordering out the iield
batteries we had in the forts around
Washington. feared the next thing
would be some kind of rebel rising il
I Washington, and summoned the artil
lery to come down at once. and put
them in positions to fire upon the towr
and clear the main avenues if there was
to be any more violence. "-GeOrge al
| fred IOUnScHd.