Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-23
DUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD.

Written and compiled for the HERALD.
While things seem to be quiet in
Washington, there is a good deal
going on when one comes to sum 1T
up. In the interest OF labor, meet
ings are bein. Leld at which Con
wessmen preside, make speeches
and propose resolutions of Sympa-
thy with wage workers. In the
Senate the war on secret sessions
is going on, having been begun by
the Junior Senator from Connect
cut, Mr.. Plat. He considered the
question from all standpoints, and
held that the public and the press
demand the removal of secrecy from
all Senatorial proceedings.
I'm the House of Representatives,
appropriation billshave beenpassed
and others are pending; Interstate
Commerce has been discussed and
Frank lIurd, a Democrat from
Ohio. of free trade proclivites, who
has been hanging around the lob
bieS all winter, assuming to be the
possessor Of the seat occupied by
Congressman Romeis, has been re-
pudiated by some of his party as
Sociates, as well as by Republicans.
The Educational bill was taken mp
today 10y House committees, and
the Pan Electric investigation Is
dragging slowly along-the Attor-
ney.General being about the only
witness yet in reserve. There have
been some lively episodes IN con-
nection with this inquiry, which
lack OF space fOrbids me to note,
and for the same reason ! cannot
show YOU the tllmslness OF the
charges brought by Commissioner
Black of the Pension Office against
his predecessor.
Representative Reed of Maine,
after the vote in the House on the
Hurd contested election case, ac-
/ knowledged, although Hurd had
not the shadow of a claim to cleo.
ton. that the Democrats were a
little more generous in this instance
than he had given them credit for.
But these election contests, he said,
ought not to be settled by the
House of Representatives, because
it is utterly impossible for a body
of politicians to discard political
feelings, leanings and prejudices.-
They ought to be decided in the
District Courts.
1t is Just twenty-one years ago
last Friday that Abraham Lincoln
died by the aSsassin's bullet, in the
/ little brick house on Tenth street.
Thereturn of theanniversary brings
with it recollections of the jubilee
of peace which followed the surren-
der of Lee, changed to horror by
the tradegy of Lincoln's death
The excitement here was intense.
No man was without SUSPICION
! Conspiracics were thought to fill
the air. With the other attempted
assassination and the wild demand
for vengeance, it seemed that chaos
had come again.
On the Nth of April, 1860, John
Wilkes Booth, a handsome young
man with a classical face, was walk
| ing the streets of this city and call
inc on his friends. He was consid-
cred little eXcentric, but nothing
unusual was noticed in his manner
that day, though naturally enough
after the murder, those who had
met him a few hours previously
came to the imaginative conclusion
that he had acted nervOusly. He
was not dOwncast and sOmbre as is
usual with those who contemplate
some dreadful deed, but confident,
alert and full of jest. He regarded
himself as the head OF a great and
well planned conspiracy. lie had
mimicked tradegy and was now
really to enact it.
He sauntered into FOrd's old
theatre and was told that President
Lincoln and General Grant would
be at the evenings performance
Harry Ford laughingly added that
he would have those two dlstln-
guished gentlemen in box on one
side of the theatre, and General
Lee in box on the opposite side.
Booth then burst into an angry de-
nunciation of Lee for having given
up the sword which he promised
never to surrender
When he came to the theatre
that evening, he walked up to the
box office and chatted for few
minutes. rhc play was "Our Amer
lean Cousin" and Laura Keene was
taking the leading part. About
$3.50 o'clock "a shot was heard
Those in the box Office thought it
was the accidental discharge of the
pistol which one of the characters,
Sir Edward Trenchard, in the pro-
gress of the play, puts to his head
with suicidal intent. Fora few sec
onds after the shot there was per
feet silence. The curtain was down
and there was no sign Of any one
who had used a pistol. Then a 1.-the
form, wearing spurs, sprang on the
stage from the box in which Lin
coin was. it was Booth. One OF