Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-01-24
LLNCOLNS ASSASSINATION
Described by NicOIRy and Hay in the
Century HisIOry,

Century History.
No 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
| Inc whole performance remains in the
memory OF those heard it a vague phantas-
magoria, the actors the thinnest of spec
tres The awful tragedy in the box makes
| everything else seem pale and unreal
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 idOhzed chief of a nation al
ready mighty, with illimtable 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 Endy |
nion upon Latmos, the pet of his little |
world The glitter of fame, happiness and |
ease was upon the entire group, but in an |
instant everything was to be changed with |
the binding swiftness of enchantment.
Quick death was to come on the central fig |
ure of that company-the central figure,
we believe, of the great aud good men of |
the century. Over all the rest the black
est fates lowered menacingly 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 madness of
those two young lovers, one was to slay the
other, and then end his life raving maniac.
The murderer seemed to himself to be
t.lra Il
and partisan hate had for weeks kept his
brain in a morbid state. He felt as if he
were playing Brutus off the boards he
posed, expecting applause. Holding a pis-
tol 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 a wide and deep wound Booth,
rushing forward, then placed his left hand
on the railing of the box and vaulted light
" over to the stage 1t was a high leap,
but nothing to such a trained athlete. He
was in the habit of introducing what act
ors call sensational leaps in his plays In
Macbeth where he met the weird sisters,
he leaped from a rock twelve feet high
He would have got safely away but for his
spur catching in the folds of the Union flag
with which the box was draped He fell
on the stage, the torn flag trailing on his
spur, but instantly rose as if he had re-
ceived no hurt, though in fact the fall had
broken his leg. turned to the audience,
brandishing his dripping knife and shout
ing the state motto of Virginia, "Sic Sem
per Tyrannis,' ~ and fled rapidly across the
stage and out of sight. Major Rathbone
had shouted, "Stop him :" The cry went
out, "He has shot the President" From
the audience, at first stupid with surprise
and afterwards wild with excitement and
horror, two or three men jumped upon the
stage in pursuit of the flying assassin but
he ran through the familiar passages, leaped
upon his horse, which was in waiting in the
alley behind rewarded with kick and a
curse the cal-boy who had held him, and
rode rapidly away in the light of the Just
risen moon.
The President scarcely moved his head
dropped forward slightly, his eyes closed.
Colonel Rathbone at first not regarding his
own grievous hurt, rushed to the door of
the box to summon aid He found it barred
and on the outside some one was beating
and clamoring for entrance. He opened
the door a young man named Crawford
entered one or two army surgeons soon
lpllONei, WHO udSbllN examined lne wound.
1t was at once seen TO be mortal 1t was
afterwards ascertained that large der
ringer bullet had entered the back of the
head on the left side, and, passing through
the brain, had lodged just behind the left
eye. By direction of Rathbone and Craw-
ford the President was carried TO a house
across the street and laid upon a bed in a
small room at the rear of the hall, on the
ground floor. Mrs, Lincoln followed, half
distracted, tenderly cared for by Miss Har-
ris Rathbone, exhausted by loss of blood
tainted, and was carried home. Messen-
gers were sent for members of the cabinet
for the surgeon-general, for DR.. Stone, the
Presidents family physician crowd of
people rushed instinctively to the White
House and, bursting through the doors,
shouted the dreadful news to Robert Lin
coin and Major Hay, who sat gossiping in
an upper room. They ran downstairs.
Finding a carriage at the door, they entered
1t to go to Tenth street. AS they were
driving away friend came up and told
them that Mr.. Seward and most of the cab
met had been murdered. The news was all
so improbable that they could not help hop
ing it was all untrue. But when they got
to Tenth street and found every thorough
fare blocked by the swiftly gathering thou
sands, agitated by tumultuous excitement,
they we're prepared Tor the worst In a |
few minutes all who had been sent for, and
many others, were gathered in the little
chamber where the Chief of the State lay in
his agony. His son was met at the door by
DR.. Stone, who with grave tenderness in
formed him that there was no hope After
a natural outburst of grief young Lincoln
devoted himself the rest of the nigh. TO {
soothing and comforting his mother.
The President had been shot few min I
utes past ten. The wound would have
brought instant death to most men, but his I
vital tenacity was extraordinary. He was, {
of course, unconscious from the first mo
ment but he breathed with slow and reg
ular respiration throughout the night AS l
the dawn came and the lamplight grew {
pale in the fresher beams, his pulse began |
To fail but his face even then was scarce
ly more haggard than those of the sorrow =
ing group OF statesmen and generals around !
him His automatic moaning, which had l
continued through the night, ceased a ,
look of unspeakable peace came upon his |
worn features. Attwenty two minutes af- ,
ter seven he died. Stanton broke the 81 !
lence by saying, "Now he belongs 10 the !
ages DR., Gurley kneeled by the bedside ]
and prayed fervently The widow came
in from the adjoining room supported by !
her son and cast herself with loud outcry !
ON the dead body y-7he January Century ,
There is only one cure for a swelled head 6
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