The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-04-16
THE COLUMBIAN AND DEMOCRAT. B

Tue neck. lie was carried out OF tne
barn and laid upon the grass, and there
died about four hours afterward. Be-
fore his misguided soul passed into the
silence of death he whispered some
thing which Lieut.. Baker bent down
to hear. "Tell mother die for my
country he said, family. Reviving
a moment later he repeated the words,
and added, 81 thought | did for the
best
His days of hiding and fleeing from
his pursuers had left him pale, ,haggard,
dirty and unkempt. Ee had cut off his
moustache aud cropped his hair close
TO his head, and he and Harold both
wore the Confederate gray uniform.
Booths body was taken to Washing
tor and post mortem examination of
it held on board the monitor Montauk,
aud on the night of the 9th of April
it was given in charge of two men in
rowboai, who it s claimed, disposed
of it in stcresy--how none but them
selves know. Numerous stories have
been told of the final resting place of
the assassin. Whoever knows the
truth of it tellsit not
1t was soou known that the murder
of Lincoln was one result of conspir-
acy, which had for its victims Sec
retary Seward, and, probably, Vice
President johnson, Secretary Stanton,
Gen. Grant and perhaps others. B 9th
had left q. card on Mr.. johnson the day
before, possibly with the intention Of
killing him. Mr. Seward received
wounds from which he soon recovered.
Grant, who was TO have accompanied
Lincoln to the theatre on the night of
the assassination, and did not, escaped
uuassailed. The general conspiracy
was poorly planned and lamely execui.
ed. 1t involved about twenty-five per
sons. Mrs. Surratt, DavidG. Harold,
Lewis Payne, Edgar Spangler, Michael
McLouchlin, j. W. Atzerodt, Samuel
Arnold, and DIR. Samuel Mudd, who
set Booths leg, which was dislocated
by the fall from the stage box,
were among the number arrested
Five of the conspirators were tried,
and three, Payne, Harold and Mrs.
Surratt, were hanged The execution
of Mrs. Surratt is now generally be-
lieved to have been undeserved. DR..
Mudd was sent to the Dry Tortugas
for period of years, and there did
such good work among the yellow
fever sufferers during an epidemic that
he was pardoned and returned to this
country. He died only about two
years ago at his home in Maryland, near
Washington. Atzerodt was sent to
the Dry Tortugas also, and died there
years ago. John Surratt fled to Italy,
and there entered the Papal guards
He was discovered by Archbishop
Hughes. and by the courtesy of the
Italian government, though the extra
dition laws did not cover his case, was
delivered over to the United States for
trial. AT his first trial the jury hung
at the second, in which Edward Pierre
pont was the government counsel,
Surratt got off on the plea of limlta-
tions. He undertook to lecture, and
began at Rockville, Nd. THE Evening
Star, of Washington, reported the
lecture, which was widely copied, and
was of such feeble character that it
killed him as a lecturer. He went to
Baltimore, where, it is said, he still
lives. Spangler, the scene shifter, who
was an accomplce of Booth, was sent
to the Dry Tortugas, served out
his term and died about ten years ago
Mclaughlin, who was arrested because
of his acquaintance with the conspira.
tors, was sent to the Dry Tortugas and
there died.
Ford's theatre was never played in
after that memorable night. Ten or
twelve days after the assassination
Ford attempted to open it but Stanton
prevented it, and the government
bought the theatre for 100000, and
converted it into medical museum.
Ford was southern sy mpathizer. He
ran two theatres until within a few
weeks, one in Washington and one in
Baltimore. He left Washington quite
recently. Alison Naylor, the livery
man who let Booth have his horse,
still lives in Washington. Maj. Ra,h-
bone, who was in the box with Lincoln
when ne was shot, died within the last
two years. Stewart the man who
jumped on the stage to follow Booth,
and announced to the audience that he
had escaped through the alley, died late.
ly. Strange, but very few persons can
now be found who were at the theatre
that night. Laura Keene died a few
years ago.