The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-09-16
Assassination Of Lincoln.

Written for the Messenger by J. b. Arnold
Mr.. Lincoln, Maj. Rathbourne, Mrs.
Lincoln and young Miss Harris, niece of
Mrs. Lincoln, were seated upon reserved
seats on:the first floor to the right of
the stage. In rear Of the place where
Mr.. Lincoln and party were seated, was
a narrow passage or aisle extending
half the length Of the whole building,
turning abruptly. to the right describing
an angle Of $50 degrees. his narrow
passage separated the interior wall of
the building and just in rear Of Mr..
Lincoln's head was n small window.
Up this passage the assassin came. un-
observed, save by the few. by whom he
might chance to be seen while passing
these windows, and on reaching the
above said window he drew a small
derringer, and fired, the ball taking cf-
feet in the back part Of the head, near
the brain. Whereupon Booth passed
rapidly mp this passage looking out a
place Of exit. Finding q convenient
means Of escape by leaping from the
box down upon the stage. he waved aloft
a fearful dagger. crying sic semper
tyrunis. and Immediately disappeared
from public view, behind the curtains
just at this moment the gas was shut off
and the light partially extinguishcd
-whereupon the whole audience arose
to their feet, calling out, catch him =!
catch him Up to this moment the
"hole audience was completely dazed
by the overwhelming surprise. They
had all fallen into TIE delusion TINT
what was Transporting, was a part Of the
scene that was being enacted on the
stage. The play was one Of those
founded on mn ilnpnssioned and sensa-
sional love story. The interest was in
tense and many thought that the shot
that rang through the room and the fly-
ing actor were a part.of the play.
1t was just the time for the dastaraly
assassin to come up and accomplish his
hcllish purpose. There sat Mr., ILL.,
Going, lookin. down upon the ..pcople
whom he imagined thatl,c had saved, y
tering into their feelings md joy over
the speedy ending of the war, and elee.
trio sympathies seemed to flash from
people to ruler and back again. Indeed
it seemed to have been the moment
when he had reached the goal If his
ambition. Encircled bysa people loyal
to the government he represented, bask-
ing in the smiles of fnir women and the
kindly glances of brave men. he seem
ed about to reap his reward of earthly
fame when the terrible hand Of the as
sassin hurled him into eternity. Heart
rending and piteous shrieks of Mrs.
.tincoln soon revealed the true state of
affairs. Mr, Lincoln was Immediately
carried tothe nearest comfortable quar-
tiers, where he fingered until seven
O'Clock the ext morning and died.
just AZ his almost ~lifeless body was be-
ing borne from the scene OF the late
tragedy. news came that Secretary Sc
wards throat had been cut, and k,., Sa.
ward was thought TO be dying. But on
reaching the Seward mansion he was
found OBJ bleeding profusely though
not dead. Doctor Barnes had been
summoned and was. engaged in sewing
up his wound 1t being an incised wound
near the lsrynn. One. Louis Payne had
entered the Seward mansion, by stating
TO Fred Seward, son Of the late Secrets-
~, that Doctor Barnes had sent him
with SUBSCRIPTION for his Esther, who 1t
will besrsnepabered had q few days pre-
vious bsen thrown from his buggy, the