Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-30
The Assassination of Lincoln.


velOpment.
The Assassination of Lincoln.
From the History of Lincoln" by
Nicolay and Hay, now drawing to a close
In The Century, we quote the following
mo one, not even the comedian on the
stage, could ever remember the last words
of the piece that were uttered that night
the last Abraham Lincoln heard upon
earth. The whole performance remains In
the memory of those who heard it a vague
phantasmagOria, the actors the thinnest of
specters. The awful tragedy in the box
makes everything else seem pale and I'M
real. Here were five human beings In a
narrow space-the greatest man of his
time, in the glory of the most stupendous
success in our history, the idolized chief
of nation already mighty, with IL
limitable vistas of grandeur to come; his
beloved wife, proud and happy; a pair of
betrothed lovers, with all the promise of
felicity that youth, social position and
wealth could give them; and this young
actor, handsome as Endymion upon Lat
mos, the pet of the little world The gilt
ter of fame, happiness, and ease was upon
the entire group, but In an instant every
thing was to be changed with the blind
ing swiftness of enchantment Quick
death was to come on the central figure of
that company-the central figure, we be-
lieve, of the great and good men of the
century. Over all the rest the blacklist
fates lowered menacingly-fates from
which mother might pray that kindly
death would save her children in their in
fancy. One was to wander with the stain
of murder on his soul, with the curses of a
world upon his name, with a price set up
on his head, in frightful physical pain,
till he died dogs death In a burning
| barn; the stricken wife was to pass the
rest of her days in melancholy and mad
ness; of those two young lovers, one was
to Stay the other, and then end his life a
raving maniac.
1.-The murderer seemed to himself to be
taking part in a play. The fumes OF
brandy and partisan hate had for weeks
kept his brain In morbid state. He felt
as if he we're playing Brutus off the boards;
he posed, expecting applause. Holding a
pistol in one hand and knife in the
other, he opened the box door, put the
pistol to the Presidents head, and fired;
dropping the weapon, he took the knife in
his right hand, and when Major Rathbone
sprang to seize him he struck savagely at
him. Major Rathbone received the blow
on his left arm, suffering wide and deeI
! wound. Booth, rushing forward, then
J placed his left hand on the railing of the
box and vaulted lightly over to the stage
! 1t was deep leap, but nothing to such a
trained athlete. He was in the habit OF
introducing what actors call sensational
leaps in his plays. In Macbeth, where
he met the weird sisters, he leaped from g
| Il f. L, H. i
safely away but for his spur catching IL
the folds of the Union flag with which the
front of the box was draped. He fell or
to the stage, the torn flag trailing on his
spur, but instantly rose as if he had re
broken his leg, turned to the audience
brandishing his dripping knife and shout
ing the State motto of Virginia, Sic Sem
per Tyrannis. and fed rapidly across thu
Stage and cut of sight. Major Rathbont
had shouted, Stop him! The cry wen
out, He has shot the President From
the audience, at first stupid with surprise
and afterwards wild with excitement anC
horror, two or three men jumped upon the
stage In pursuit of the flying assassin; bu
he ran through the familiar passages
| leaped upon his horse, which was In wait
ing in the alley behind, rewarded with {
kick and curse the call-boy who had helC
him, and rode rapidly away In the light o
the just risen moon.
The President scarcely moved; his heaC
dropped forward slightly, his eyes closed
Colonel RathbCne, at first not regarding
his own grevious hurt, rushed to the doc
of the box to summon aid He found i
barred and ON the outside some one wa
, beating and clamoring for entrance. HI
opened the door; young officer named
Crawford entered; one or two army sur
geons soon followed, who hastily examined
the wound. 1t was at once seen to b
mortal. 1t was afterwards ascertaineC
that large derringer bullet had entere,
, the back OF the head on the left side, and
passing through the brain, had lodge,
Just behind the left eye. By direction o
Rathbone and Crawford, the Presiden
was carried to house across the stree
and laid upon bed In a small room at tn
rear of the hall. on the ground floor. Mrs
Lincoln followed, half distracted, tenderl
cared for by Miss Harris. Rathbone, e2
hausted by loss of blood, tainted, and wa
! carried home. Messengers were sent fo
! the members of the Cabinet, for the Sun
geon- General, for DIR. Stone. the President
f family physician; a crowd of people rushe
D 1nSClncUlNely 10 IIe w lite HOUSE teuO
: bursting through the door, shouted tn
dreadful news to Robert Lincoln and Ma
E jor Hay, VINO sat gossiping in an uppe
! room. They ran downstairs. Finding
carriage at the door. they entered to go t
e Tenth street As they were driven away
e friend came up and told them that Nh
r Seward and most of the Cabinet had bee
5 murdered. The news was all so improl
o able that they could not help hoping it wa
S all untrue But when they got to Tent
: street and found every thoroughfare blocl
t ed by the swiftly gathering thousand
e agitated by tumultuous excitement, the
IS were prepared for the worst. In a fe'