Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-02-15
A Sorrowful Romance.
The S.cFy of Love Affair in which President
Jinooln's Assassin Was One Of the Principals

the Pittsburg Telegraph. 1t is as fol-
lows:
A merchant OF Allegheny has in his
possession the following note:
April, IL.
1t will not be possible for me 10 keep the APP
pointment for this afternoon. regret it
much, but business interfcres- J. w. Is.
The note was written by John Wilkes
Booth in 1865, two days before Lincoln
was assassinated. In April, 1860, the
Allegheny merchant went to Baltimore
to endeavor to find some traces Of his
brother, who had gone from Pittsburg
as a soldier in the early part of the
war. The second day after nv ar
rival in Baltimore" said the merchant,
II 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, aud talked with great spir-
it. She was very graceful and quick
witted, aud sang well. When | had
told Mrs. -- what my errand was in
Baltimore she expressed a great deal of
sympathy for my mother, and insisted
upon my occupying the room which be-
longed to her son who was in the army.
Mrs. -- told rue that her daughter
had formed fancy for a man who did
not care for her, and who was an actor.
She said that nothing had ever come
out of the natter, 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
II gentleman; had always acted in the
most honorable way, and never seemed
to notice that Estele cared for him, but
talked TO her about music and the stage,
and took an interest in her musical
studies.
Gone morning Miss Estelle and
were Mt the breakfast table, Mrs. --
having excused herself, rs she had some
household duties to attend to. The
young lady's attention was evidently
preoccupied about something, for she
talked at random and seemed to be
thinking. At last she said, with rath-
er odd expression of face:
al expect friend TO call on me this
afternoon. | think you will like him.
He is very fond of music
II asked who be 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.'
II remembered what her mother had
told me, and | changed the topic of
conversation. In the afternoon, about
4 o clock. | was sitting in the parlor
with Estelle. when her brother Rob
came in with letter for her. She
blushed when she saw the handwriting
on the envelope, and tore it open hasti-
". 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.
think he might have written more than
that don't you2'
"Shc tossed the letter to me, and
turning around to the piano, began
playing. l absently folded and refold-
ed her note until had it in n crumpled
little roll, and when she started to go
upstairs to dress for supper, the note
could not be found. She was little
vexed ut my carelessness at first, but
soon recovered her temper and did not
allude to it again. Three days after
that / was to 60 home. l got up early
10 make arrangements and went out on
the street, where l heard of the assas-
sination of Lincoln. When returned,
Mrs. -- and Estelle were awaiting my
appearance to sit down to breakfast
was greatly excited, and exclaimed rs l
entered:
president Lincoln was murdered in
Washington last nightn
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 it2
"a scoundrelly actor named Booth
John Wilkes Booth The words
were scarcely out of my mouth before
Es.elle gave scream and fell forward
upon the table and from there to the
floor, dragging the breakfast things
about her with crash. The mother
seemed TO be almost as much affected
as her daughter, but she loosened Is
telo's dress and lifted her up while |
bathed her head with water. Twas ter
rbly confused, but | suggested that |
should 90 for doctor. Mrs - at
the mere suggestion almost screamed.
%" No! no! No one must know it"
"'Know what? | 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"
"Thcn | remembered the note, and
the fact that it was signed j. w. 81
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 su,-
pected of having some connection with
the plot Of Booth and his companions.
Estele was i'll, and did not leave her
room, and | never saw her after that
awful morning, poor girl!
ION my way home | found Booth i,
note in my pocket, where | must have
put it without knowing it after | bad
rolled il up in n bali. | kept it then as
n memento. The business Booth refers
to was evidently that Of the plot.
Il don't know whether Estclle is liy-
ff,or tt-l.. I IN,