Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-11-16
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
As Attempt Upon Ills Life I'm 1864 -ras
kidnapping ConspIIacy.

kidnapping Conspiracy.
81 am reading with great deal of inter.
- Nicolay and Hays life of Lincoln"
-,id Mr.. John w. Nichols. x.Presidcnt OF
he Omaha Fire Department, 10 Wheel
ng CIV. Na.). correspondent. The chap
.ers that will most interest me will be
hose relating TO his career from lsG2 %
1865, and particularly the history Of the
assassination. 1t is not generally known
hat more than one attemptupon Lincoln's
life was made in Washington, but such is
Inc fact.
Mr. Nichols statement interested me
somewhat, and | asked him TO explain
He then went on and told me substantially
The following story In August, 1862.
Company X, One Hundred and Fifth
Pennsylvania Volunteers, of which MIR.
Nichols WAS member, was detailed az
body guard of President Lincoln. Up 10
1864, owing to the vigilance Of the guards.
Mr.. Lincoln escaped all attempts at vio'
cnce The back Of the Coniederacy was
broken, good feeling pervaded all Wash
ngton, and vigilance was considerably re.
aXcd. 10 was then ccuspiracics were
Matched and Confederate, ran the city I'M
molested The President and his family
spent the Summer months at the Soldiers
Home, about three miles north of the city.
whittier the body guard accompanied
them. II was the custom of the President
10 remain late at the War Department, and
after his work was concluded he would
ride on horseback 10 the Home. That
Summer he had porsisteutly refused an
escort, imagining himself perfectly Sc
cure.
One night about the middle Of August
Mr.. Nichols was doing sentinel duty at the
large Sate TO the grounds of the home,
About III o'clock he heard a rifle shot, and
shortly aftcrward Mr.. Lincoln dashed up
10 the gate on horseback The President
was barchcaded, and as he dismounted he
said referring 10 ;he horse: ''IIe came
pretty near getting away with me, didn't
he? lie got the bit in his teeth before !
could draw the rein" Mr.. Nichols asked
him where his hat was, and he replied that
somebody had fired a gun oil at the foo!
of the hill. and that his horse had becLme
scared and jerked his hat oil.
Thinking the affair rather strange said
Mr.. Nichols "a corporal and myself went
down the hill TO make an investigation.
At the intersection Of the driveway and
main road we found the Presidents hat
plain silk one--and upon examining Il
ne discovered a bullet hole through the
crown. The shot had been fired upward
and ii was evident that the person Who had
fired the shot had secrcted himself close by
the roadside The next day | gave Mr..
Lincoln his hat and called his attention TO
the bullet-hoe. He remarked rather I'M
concernedly that it was put there by some
foolish gunner aud was not intended for
him. He said, however, that he wanted
the matter kept quiet, and admonished US
to say nothing about it, We felt confident
that il was an attempt to kill him, and
well-nigh successful one, too. The affair
was, of course, kept quiet in compliance
with the Presidents request. After that
the President never rode alone.
Mr.. Nichols then went on 10 relate the
circumstances of a kidnapping conspiracy
which was attempted 10 be carried out neXl
fall This plan was unknowngly frus.
rated by the body guard, EASse quarters
were Immediately in front OF the south
porch of the Executive Mansion, equi-dis.
tant be ween that building and the Treas
ury, State, War and Navy Departments.
Just TO the cast of the quarters was the
guard tent, where a portion Of the guard
remained on duty. Fo reasons then IN.
known TO the guard lhe tent was moved tc
the west end Of the gravel walk, in the
rear of the War 'partment. Shortly
ihe very night the tent was moved plar
had been bid TO capture the President "a
he should pass along the walk and carry
bim 10 the house of ne Green a notorious
Rebel, on the bank of the Potomac, back
Of the White House grounds, and thence.
when the opportunity offered, he was 10
be carried to Richmond and held as u hos.
tage. 1t was always believed that the
guard tent 70 the west end of the walk
frightened the conspirators and thwarIcd
their design.
At another time, not long before this in
cldcnt, BouTke, the veteran cOachman,
who had served through two admiuistra.
tons at the White House was taken sick
A stranger from Baltimore applied for the
place and succeeded in securing 1t in the
absence Of Rourke He did not hold the
place very long, however rs lie becam.
so dominecring and important that he
was intolerablc. 3ourke was reinstated.
One night, no; long after he had been dis.
mi ,sed, the discharged coachman was dis
covered sneuking about the stable, which
was soon observed TO lie on fire. The
whole guard was called out, and by great
cXertions saved the Presidential coach and
team, but Tad LinColn's pony and Col
Hays carriage team persisted. II was be-
HtNCu llldJ Il pan nad been formed fof
this man 10 fire the stables, and during
the excitement conspirators were TO rush
into the White House and murder the
President. Mr.. Lincoln, however, rushed
out with the the rest 10 the l.au, of the
fire, and thus frustrated any 1pt at
assassination. "What made t.u pear
more evident, said Mr.. Nichols, was
the fact that after the inccndiary vas
arrested he produced several witnesses who
were employed at Ford's theater, anG who
testified that lac 0he discharged coachman)
was down in the city during the whole
evening on which the tire occurred These
were the persons who in my opinion, laid
the final conspiracy tina! brought Abraham
Lincoln W his grave.
An Eccentric Will.
lalA lrr 1 l..