Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-02-18
THE GAS MAN AT FORBES.
THE PART HE WAS TO PLAY IN
LINCOLN 8 ASSASSINATION.
Arranging to Plunge the Theatre
Into Total DarkneSS-The Plan
SDOiIed Tx a Trivial Incident.

Theatre, Washington. would have Played
an important part in Iincoln's a-si>lna
ton but for a trivial incident which
spoiled the well arranged scheme. Nr.
Fits saws: The man referred to was tho
gas man Of the theatre. such a person
is an important factor behind the scenes.
He has sole charge Of the apparatus, and
at the signal Of the -managc low
rs apd raise, the lights, tlitn Of and
lights up the gas, etc. All this is donc
nowadays by merely touching different
electric buttons: but at Forls the
clumsy system Of that day was in Use.
Turn cocks were attached TO the pipes
N A chest set well back on the sta e.
ont Of sight. The cas- man kept the
key, and he alone had access TO the
chest.
1t is a mistake to regard Booth rs 2
Desperate, bent on executing his scheme
even at the sacrifice Of his own life. The
public manner Of the assassination, a"'i
his leap to the stage in full view Of 2oa1
people, was an afterthought, adopted o II
the pressure Of the moment. when h
own carefully maturcd schcmchad o'a
defeated. Much as he wanted to XIII IL"
President, he never wantcd to be known
as the assassin.
His plan was simple, and its very sim
pllcity seemed to insure lis success. Tho
Presidents party having been seated in
their box, at a given signal the gas was
to he turned off. lcavin~fhc whole house
in darkness. Booth, having marked the
exa"t position Of his victim at the instant,
aud having acccs, to the box. would
promptly do the murder in the dark. 50
great would be the confusion aud uproar
in the immense audience that hacked the
h,usc, over the mere fact o; total dalk
ness, that the horrible t"ra-ciy lust Sc
cretly and successfully accomplished
could not be made known for some time
! SO that it could be understood. tn" -as
man would have locked the chest aad
quietly departed with tue key III hi,
pocket probably en- route Tor canada, j.
might be half an hour before the house
could bcrclighted. In the meantime the
commission of the crime had been per
tectly hidden by the darkness. 1t would
not be a question in the case Of the IS
cape of the assassin; for although Booth
had taken tn" prccautlon to have a sad
die horse ready in the alley "utsi le. he
deemed it amerc prctaution. There would
be no proof, nothing more than suspicion
against HIM if his plot succeeded.
The signal tor the turning oil of the
gas was thought to be the master stroke
of the plot. None but a man with i
strong dramatic <instinct could have
chosen it.
Let the reader recall the time. The
fall of Richmond Sanl Petersburg and
the pursuit and surrender of Lee had fol
lowed in quick succession, occurring bat
a few days before. The North was in u
transport Of 10Y; Washington wa fulf
OF soldiers; a thousand of them would
be ct Ford's Theatre that night. and it
vas known that the President " nd at
tend The manager saw that something
besides the rather tame play Of 'a'ur
American Cousin must be presented 10
satlsfy the patriotic ovcrliowing of mems
hearts. So il was made part Of the pro
gramme that, wlcn the PRESIDENT, party
was seated, several maie 4uartette,
should take the st e, and SING the
anthem, My Country, lis of Thee
the house naturally lnining III. A dcs-
ignatcd line Of this anthem was to fur
nlSh the signal for the gas nan. With
the last short line of the first ~star<a,
"I,t free i"m ring
the whole theater. WAS to be plunged in
darkness, and the murder would swiftly
follow.
nownto a time possibly not NOR, than
enc minute preceding the singing If IN,
fatal line. events seemed t. march straight
OF to the contamination of the tragedy
exactly rs planucI. The overture was
done; the President, Mrs. Lincoln,
MAJOR Rathbone and Miss Harris had ar
r;.al 90. ,. " -
Of the house; the singing Of "Amclica.'
from the stage had commenced. Booth
ut the box door, one hand on the knob.
the other on his pistol the "a mm lie
hlnt the scenes Went to his chest. And
!, then
1t WIS the great Iallcvrani. | believe.
who >hid that from the sublime t. the
ridiculous is but ! stop" The truth Of
the saying WAS meyer proved y II w11 II
that moment
An actor<-of The company had f.,
: several day been on what in tar-c lly-
r i commonly known ~ "a rlek,t.' lie
vas lingering about the WINS on thi.
! evening III II book condition. when tire
manager caught sight 81 Inn and pro
cerdci t. give hlm "a Ni-~in-.' To It.
, So more AZ ease he pumped the H..
, l,nqucnt down on the gu chest and
9 took 4 SCAT beside h3m. The ua~ man
! anne up, and saw At One that the cue
could not be given. He did not dare I,
draws attention II his pro eoin-, ~
requesting The manager 10 move /,
: b" watched was 10 insure him III,
seaifoii,
. The anthem Went on. ~ u Fl. ION
rin-' vas >enorou~ly roll,,l through iii