The Wilmingtonian., 1886-04-10
THE STORY OF THE ASSASSI-
NATION OF ABRAHAM LIN
COLIN RETOLD. ..s~
The Tragedy that Was Enacted In wash
ington on the Ifih of April, Twenty
one Years Ag0-A Tribute TO the
Memory Of Our Greatest Martyr.


The final victory was won The bitter war
for the Union was over. In the north the
tioy guns of peace had been fired, the bells
ruDg. Every flag was flying, every heart
beating high. The Federal army had enter
ed Richmond victorious, and the Stars and
Stripes at last waved over the Confederate
eapital. The silent soldier who now lies
buried at Riverside had directed the conclu-
ding operations of the long struggle. The
battle of Five Forks, fought on the lst Of
April, 1865, had been the dacsive one 1t is
known in history as the great military mas
tcr-piece Of Gen. Phil Sheridan. the back
bone OF the Confederacy was broken at last.
When Palm Sunday broke over our mangled
country it ushered in the reign of peace
Swords were sheathed and victorious palms
waved. The shackles Of 100000 slaves
were broken, and the light of liberty shone
from the north to the SOUTH The flag Of our
fathers tloated once more in serene triumph
over the land.
On the 18th of April, 1861, this flag was
first lowered at the bidding of the emmy,
and the war for the Union begun On the
same day, 1865, occurred the most tragic
event in our national history, the assassiua-
ticn of Abraham Lincoln. The exultation
of victory was suddenly changed to the lam
entations Of grief. .s...--
The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, made
for himself Infamous and endless notorety
when he murdered the man who had directed
our ship of state through the most tempes-
tuous waters it every encountered. An actor
himself, and the third son of the eminent En-
glish tragedian, Junius Brutus Booth, he
craved the repreh ,nsible fame that attaches
to bold and dramatically wicked deed.
Il has been said that Lincoln for years had
presentiment that he would reach high
place and then be struck down in some ira
gic way. This may or may not have been
true At all events, he took no precautions
to keep out of the way Of danger. So many
threats had been made against him that his
friends were alarmed, and frequently urged
him not to 90 out unattended. To all their
entreaties he had the same answer "lfthey
kill me the next man will be just as bad for
them. In q country like this where our bab-
its are simple, and must be, assassination is
always possible and win come if they are
determined upon it.
Whatever premonition Of his tragic fate he
may have had, there ) nothing to prove that
he felt the nearness Of the awful hour.
Doomed men rise and So about their daily
duties as uuoppressed, often, as those whose
paths know no shadow. On that never to
be forgotten 14th of April President Lincoln
passed the day in the usual manner, In the
morning his son, Capt. Robert Lincoln, break
tasted with him. The young man had just
returned from the capitulation of Lee, and
he described in detail all the circumstances
of that momentous episode oCthe close OF tht
war, to which the pres dent listened with the
closes. interest. After breakfast the pres
dent spent an hour with Speaker Coliax
talking about his future policy, about to be
submitted to the cabinet. Gen. Grant was pre-
sent. He spent the afternoon with Governor
Oglesby, Senator Yates and other friend;
from Illinois. He was invited by the mana
ger of Ford's theatre, in Washington, to at
tend in the evening performance ofthe play
/
as the leading lady. This play, now so wei
known to all play goers, and in which tn,
late Sothern afterward made fortune anc
fame was then comparatively unheard of
Lincoln was fond of the drama. Brought VI
in provincial way, in the days when thea
tres were unknown outside of the large
cities, the beautiful art Of the actor was fresl
and delightful to him. He had made a stud
of Shakespeare ,and never lost an oppoltun
ity OF seeing his characters rendered by til
masters of dramatic art. But on that eve
ming, it is said, he was not eager to go. TIL
play was new, consequently not alluring t
him but he yielded to the wishes of Mrs
Lincoln and went They took with ther
Miss Harris and Mai Rathbone, daughtc
and stepsou of Senator Harris, Of Ne'
: York.
The theatre was crowded AT $40 th
president and his party entered. The audenc
rose and cheered enthusiastically as the
0 passed to the estate box reserved for rthen
S Little did any one present dream that With
c the hour enthusiasm would give place
shrieks Of horror. 1t was 10 O'Clock whc
Booth came upon the scene to enact the las
= and greatest tragedy of the war. He ha
planned carefully, but not correctly
: good horse awaited him at the rear Of tt
a theatre, Oh which he intended to ride int
friendly shelter among the hills Of Marylan
He made his way to the Presidents box
double one in the second tier, at the left
of the stage. The separating partition hi
d been removed, and both boxes thrown in
n one.
j. Booth entered the theatre nonchalantl
glanced at the stage with apparent interes
= then slowly worked his way around into Il
outer passage leading toward tile box occ
+, pied by the president. At the end Of an
ID ner passage leading to the box door one
the presidents messengers" was station
to prevent unwelcome intrusions. Boo
presented a card to him, Stating that N
Lincoln had sent for him, aud was permit
TO pass. After gaining an entrance al
- closing the hall door, he took piece Of boa
~ prepared for the occasion and placed one e
he of it III an indentatiOn in the wall, abo
Lr. four feet from the floor, and the other agair
,e. the moldng panel a few inches higher, ma
ing it impossible for any Que to enter trt
without. The box had two doors. He b,
'4o ed a gimlet hole in the panel of one, rea
re- ing it out with lis knife, so as to .eave it