The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-01-08
JOHN WILKES BOOTH.
from his Diary After
Assassinating Lincoln.
THINK L HAVE DONE WELL,
Though am Abandoned with the Curse of
Cain upon me-TO-night Try TO Escape
These BloOdhounds Once More.

Especial 10 THE HERALD-ExamIner Dispatchl
BALTIMORE, Jan. THE american re-
ceived last night from it's Washington cor
respondent the following extracts from j.
Wilkes Booths diary, found in his clothing
after his death. 1t is now in the posses
sion of the department of Justice: "April
II, Friday the ides.-Until today moth
ing was ever thought of sacrificing to our
country's wrongs. For six months we
have worked to capture, but our cause be
ing almost lost, something decisive and
great must be done. But it's failure was
owing to others who did not strike for
their country with a heart. 1 struck
boldly and not as the papers. say.
l walked with a firm step through thou
sands of his friends. I was stopped but
pushed on. A colonel was at his side. |
shouted sic sempsr before L fired In Jump
ing broke my leg. | passed all his pickets:
rode sixty miles that gat with the bone
OF my leS tearing The Il, 81 at every Jump.
can never rel ext IL, though We hated 10
XIII. Our country owed All her trOu bles to
MN, aud God simply made NE au Instru-
ment vi His punlsmeLt 4 his country is
not what IL was; this forced union Is not
what nave loved; ! care not what becomes
O1 NE; nave 10 desire to outlive my coun-
try. The night before the deed l wrote
long article and left ii for one of the edi-
tors OF the National Intelligence, in which 1
fully set out our reasons for our proceed
ing, we of the SOUTH
"Friday, 21.-After Eeiag, hunted like a
dog through swamps and woods, and last
night being chased till | was forced to re-
turn wet, cold and starving, with every
hand against me, am here in despair. And
for why: For doing what Brutus was hon
ored, what made Tell a hero, and yet | for
striking down greater tyrant than they
ever knew, am looked upon as a common
cutthroat. My act was purer than either
OF theirs. One hoped to be great himself,
the other had not only his country but his
own self to revenge. l hope for no gains
knew no private wrongs, [ struck for nv
country and for that alone. The coun-
try was ground beneath this tyranny
and prayed for this end. And vet
now behold the cold hand they extend to me.
Then God cannot pardon me if 1 have
done wrong, yet | cannot see any wrong,
except in serving degenerate people. The
little, the very little, L left behind to clear
my name the government will not allow to
be printed. For my country have given
up all that makes life sweet and holy,
brought misery upon my family and am
sure there IS no pardon in heaven for me
since man condemns me so. | have only
what has been done, except what L md my
self, which fills me with horror. May God
try and forgive me and bless my mother
Tonight L will once more try the river
with the intention to cross, though have
greater desire and almost mind 10 return
to Washington and in measure clear
my name, which l feel [ cannot do.
| do not repent the blow struck, ] may be-
fore my God, but not to man. L think [
have done well, though L am abandoned,
with the curse of Cain upon me, when, if
the world knew my heart, that one blow
would have made me great, though did
not desire any greatness Tonight try to
escape these Oloodhounds once more. Who
can read his fate! Goo's will be done. L
have too great u soul ~ die OH may He,
oh! may He spare NE Jhat, and let NE die
bravery. bless tie entire world. L have
never mated or wrong day one. This last
ID not wrong, uules, G III deems it 50, land
1t IS with dIm to damn Or b eso me. And
for this brave OoJ Harold with Inc, who
often prays, yes, before and siuCe. with a
true and sincere heart, was it crime in
him! if so, why can he pray the same! l
donot wish to shed drop of blood, but
must fight for the cause. 1t is all that is
left me''
These are the last words in the dairy,
and probably the last he ever wrote He
was shot very shortly after.