The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-26

| when 20 that quiet wood
/ ased 10 nee.
| LlNCOLN's AssAssINATlON.
- n Dsscstbed ~ His Privsse sscre-
tartea.
| From the Lie Of Lincoln. In the Century 1aga-
| zine. By Nicoiay and Hsy.l
No one. not even the comedian on the
stage. could even 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 il vague
| phAntasmakoria, the actors the thinnest of
| specters. The awful tragedy in the box
| makes everything else seem pale and I'M
real. Here were i've human beings in .
| narrow space-the greatest man OF his time
| in the glory Of the most stupendous sue
cess In our history. the idolized chief Of ;
nation already mighty, with iilimitable
vistas of \ grandeur to come: his beloved
wife. proud and happy; . pair of be-
trothed lovers, with all the promise
and wealth could give them; and
this Young actor, handsome as Endym-
ion upon Latmos, the pet Of his little world.
was upon the entire group, but in m in
slant everything was to be changed with
the binding swiftness OF enchantment.
Quick death Was TO come on the central
figure Of that company, the central figure.
we believe. Of the great and good men Of
the century. Over all the rest the blacklist
faies lowered menacingly --fates from which
mother might pray that kindly death
would save her children in their infancy.
One was to wander with the stain of muir
der on his soul, with the curses OF world
upon his name, with price set upon his
head, in frightful physical pain, till he died
a dogs death In . 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. snd then end his life . raving
maniac.
The murderer seemed to himself 70 be
taking part in play. The fumes OF brandy
and partisan hate had for weeks kept his
brain in q morbid state. He felt Is il he
were playing Brutus of the boards; he
posed. expecting applause. Holding 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 seiss him he struck savagely at him.
MAJOR Rathbone received the blow on his
left arm. suffering wide and deep wound
Booth, rushing forward. then placed his
left hand on the railing OF the box and
vsnlted lightly over to the stage. Il was .
high leap. but nothing 10 such trained
athlete. He was in the habit of introduce
ing 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 have got safely
away but for his spur catching in
the folds Of the Union flag
with which the front OF the box was
draped. He fell on the stage. the torn flag
trailing on his spur, but instantly arose as
II he had received no hurt-though in fact.
the fall had broken his leg--turned to the
audience, brandishing his dripping knife
and shouting the state motto of Virginia
''sic semper Tyrannis." and fed rapidly
across the stage and out OF sight. Major
Rathbonc had shouted, stop him," The
cry went out, He has shot the president !"
From the audience. at first stupid with
surprise, and afterward wild with excite
ment and horror. two or three men jumped
upon the stage In pursuit o. the flying as
sassin; but he ran through the familiar
passages. leaped upon his horse. which was
in waiting in the alley behind. rewarded
with kick and q curse the call boy who
had held him. aud rode rapidly away in
| the light of the just risen moon.
The president scarcely moved: his head
drooped forward slightly. his eyes closed
Maj. kathbone. at first not regarding his
| own grievous hurt. rushed to the door OF
/ the box to summon aid. He found il barred
| and on the outside some one was beating
| and ciamoring for entrance. lie opened
| the door. young officer named Crawfo
entered: one or two army surgeons soon
/ followed, Who hastily examined the wound.
| 1t was al once seen to be mortal. Ii was
| Afterwards ascertained that large der
| ringer bullet had catered the back of the
head on the left side, and. passing through
| the brain. had lodged just behind the left
l eve. BY direction OF Esthbone and Craw-
/ ford the president was carried To a house
across the street aud laid uron q bed in a
small room AZ the rear of the hall. on the
| ground floor Mrs. Lincoln followed half
distracted. tenderiy cared for hy Miss
| Harris. Eatheone, exhausted by loss of
| blood. tainted, and Was carried home
| MF.SFtktss ANSS SSsis Attf the members of
/ the cabinet. for the sgrgeon-gensrai. aud
/ for nr. Stone. the presidents family phy-
stefan: eFusd OF people rushed instinct
/ lively e. the White House, and bursting
| through the doors. shouted shs dreadful
news 20 Robert Lincoln and Major Hay.
who sat gossipplng in an UPPER room.
| They ran down stairs. Finding earriag.
al the door, they entered II to 10 20 Tenth
| street. As they were driving away. a
friend came up and Told them that Mr..
Seward and most Of the cshine. had been
| murdered. he news WAS al 50 isnpraahle
/ that they cogssa uos help hoping il was all
! Gntgae, Ras whea they got To Tenth
| stree; sud found every shoroShfsse blocked
| BY ;hexwilsly gathering thousands. axsss.s.i
| hy iamal;uoas excitement. they wers nre-
pared for the worst In iew minutes all
/ Who has been sent for. and many Others
! acre gathered in the lsilc chamber where
The chief OF the sts;s las in hss agony. His
son VAS met ss the deer BY nr. stone. who
with grave tenderness informed hina thai
! there MAS no hope. After = natural out
| burst al grief Young Lincoln devoted him
! sell the rest II the night "a soothing and
( comforting his mother.
The president as1 keen shot few ssir.
/ cites r&sa le. The woana wcaid have
brought instant death "a most men, bar his
vital tsnac.ty was extraordinary. He wax
/ 81 course. unconscious frona the frss mo