New-York tribune., 1890-01-03
HOW LINCOLN DIED.
An AUTHORITATIVE DESCRIPTION.

From The Century.
No one, not even the comedian on the stage, could
ever remember the last words of the piece mat
uttered that night-the last Abraham Lincoln heard
upon earth. Tie whole performance remains In the
memory of who heard IL vague phantasmagorla,
the the thnnest Of specters The awful tragedy
I'm the box makes everything else seem pale and unreal
Here were 500 beings in narrow space-the greatest
man of his tme in the glory OF the most stupenaous
already mighty with fllimabe visas Of grandeur TO
come: his beloved wife, proud and happy pair OF
ber0hed lovers Wltn al the pT4nee d It le enc be S
IatmHs the net of his little world The glitter OF
fIme happiness and ease was upon the entire group,
The biindng s%iftness of enchantment. Quick death
was TO come on the central figure Of that company.
the central figure, we believe OF the great ana good
men Of the century over all the rest the DIacheSs
might pray that kindly death would save her cmdren
In their infancy. one was to wander with the staln
Of murder on his SOUL with the curses Of world uPOa
his name, with price set upon his head In trghtfui
physical pain till he died dogs death In burning
barn: the stricken wife to pass the rest OF hcP
days in melancholy and madness of those two young
lovers, one 10 say the other, and then end MS
The murderer seemed to himself to be taking part g
play The fumes Of brandt and partisan hate had i0r
he were playing Brutus of the boards; he posed,
expecting applause. Holding pistol in one hana
the pistol to the Presidents head, and fired dropping
the weapon, he took the knife in his right hand ana
when Major Rathbone sprang to seize him he struck
savagely at him. Major Rathbone received the blow
his left arm, suffering wide and deep wosHu, % ~
the railing of the box and vauted lightly over to the
stage. It was high leap, but nothing 70 snch a
what actors call sensational leaps in his plays. In
Macbeth where he met the weird sisters. he leaped
from rock twelve % feet high He would n a. haye iSds got OF
the Union flag with which the 'front.' OF tae DoA MAS MAS
draed He fell on the stage the torn pr ma nag rsceyeS se
no hurt though in fact the fall had broken his leg
turned to the audience brsndisalng lis dripPng Enns
Tyrannisp and fled rapidly the stage and out
Of sight Major Rathbone had shouted stop nm nn y
The cry went out He has shot the President" From
the audience at first stupid with surprise ana after
ward wild with excitement and horror, two or three
men jumped upon the stage In pursuit OF the nylng
assassin but he ran through the familiar passages,
eaped upon his horse. which was in waiting IN h the
call-boy who had held him, and rode rapidly away IN
the light of the just risen moon. ,,;- ,ooa snoonoa
forward slightly, his eyes closed. Colonel Rathbone,
al first not regarding his own grievOus huIt rused 70
the door of the box To summon aid He found ii barred
and on the outside was beating and clamor'
ing for entrance. He opened the door; young ocer
named Crawford entered one or two Ar Army Surgeons
was at seen to be mortal II was afterward as
ceriained that large delnger bullet had entered the
back Of the head on the left side and passing through
the BRAIN had lodged just behind the LETT eye: by
carried to house the street ana laid upon
he'd in . small room at the rear OF the NAIL on ule
gr0nnd floor Mrs Lincoln followed. haIf-disl acted,
tendey cared for bv Harris. Ra hbone. exhausted
by loss of blood tainted and was carried home Mes.
sengers sent for the members OF ne Caonet ior
family physician: crowd Of people rushed instnc-
lively to the White House and, bursting through INC
doors shouted the dreadful news to Robert Lincoln and
Major Hay who sat gOssiping in upper room Ihey
ran downstairs. Finding carriage at the door, they
entered II to 10 Tenths As they were DRIVING away
o friend came up and told them that Mr.. Seward ana
most Of the Cabinet had been murdered. The news
was all 50 improbable that they could not help
hODng il was all untrue. But when trey got 10
Tenhst and found thOrOuChfare blocked by tho
swiftly gathering thousands. aCtated by tumultuous
excitement they prepared for the worst In few
minutes who had been sent for. and many others,
were gathered in the little chamber where the Chef
Of the state lay i'm his His son was met al the
door nv DR. stone who with tenderness informed
him that there was no hope. After natural out
hurst OF grief young Lincoln devoted himself the rest
of the night TO soothing and comforting his mother.
The President had been shot few minutes past 10.
The wOund wouid have brought instant death TO most
men hut his vital tenacity extraordinary. He
was of course. unconscious from the first moment;
hut he breahed with slow and regular respiration
throughout the night. As the dawn came. and tho
iampIlght grew pale I'm the fresher beams. his pulse
began TO fail: but his face. even then was scarcely
more haggard than those OF the sOrrOwing group OF
statesmen and generals around him. His automatic
moaning which had continued through the night.
ceased a look Of unspeaSabe peace came upon his
worn features. At 30 he died stanton broke the.
silence bv saving Now he belongs 10 the ages DIR.
Curcy kneeled by the bedside and PRAYED ferventlv.
Tho widow came in from the adjoining room sup
ported bv her and cast herself with loud outcry
an ha dead hOdV.