Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-01-09
Lincoln's Assassination.

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 ii vague phantasma- |
goria, the actors the thinnest of specters. |
The awful tragedy in the box makes |
everything else seem pale and unreal. |
Here were five human beings in a |
narrow spaee-the greatest man of his |
time, in the glory of the most stupen-
dous success in our history, the idolized |
chief of a nation already mighty, with
illimitable 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 Yoang actor. handsome as
Endvmion upon Latmos. the pet of his
little world. The glitter of fame, happi-
ness, and ease was upon the entire
group, but in an instant everything was
TO be changed with the binding swift
ness OF enchantment. Quick death was
TO come on the central figure of that
c0mpany-thec central figure, we believe,
of the great and good men of the cent
ury. Over all the rest the blacklist fates
lowered neutrality-suspicious. from which
a mother might pray that kindly death
would save her children in their infancy.
One was to wander with the stain of
murder on his soul, with the curses of
world upon his name, with price set
upon his head. in frightful physical
pain, till he died 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 Stay the other, and then end
his life raving maniac.
"The murderer seemed to himself TO
be taking part in play. The fumes of
brandy and partisan hate had for weeks
kept his brain in morbid state. He
felt as Il he were playing Brutus off the
boards; he posed, expecting applause.
Holding 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 Rothbone sprang to seize
him he struck savagely at him. Major
Rothbone received the blow on his left
arm, suffering q wide and deep wound.
Booth. rushing forward, then placed
his left hand on the railing of the box
and yaulted lightly over to the stage.
1t was high leap, but nothing to such
a trained athlete. He was in the habit
of introducing what actors call sensa-
tional leaps in his plays. In Macbeth,
where he met the weird sisters, he leap
ed 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 front of the box was
draped. He fell on the stage, the torn
flag trailing on his spur, but instantly
rose as if he had received no hurt,
though in fact the fall had broken his
leg, turned to the audience, brandt
shing his dripping knife and shouting
the State motto of Virginia, Sic Semper
Tyrannis. and fled rapidly across the
stage and out of sight. Major Rath-
bone had shouted, Stop himn The cry
went out, He has shot the President.
From the audience, at first stupid with
surprise and afterwards wild with eX-
element 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 i'll the alley behind,
rewarded with kick and curse the
call-boy who had held him, and rode
away in the light of the just risen moon.
1.-The President scarcely moved; his
head dropped forward slightlF,, his eyes
closed. Colonel Rathbone, at firsts not
regarding his own grievous hurt, rush
ed to the door of the box 10 summon
aid. He found it barred and on the
outside some one was beating and
clamorng for entrance. He opened
the door; Young officer named Craw-
ford entered; one or two army surgeons
soon followed, who hastily examined
the wound 1t was at once seen to be
mortal II was afterwards ascertained
that large darringer 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 Crawford,
the President was carried to house
across the street ard laip upon bed in
a small room at the rear of the hall on
the ground floor. Mrs Lincoln fol-
lowed, half distracted. tenderly cared
for by Miss Harris. RathbOne, ex,
hausted by loss of blood. tainted, and
was carried home. Messengers were
sent for the members of the Cabinet,
for the Surgeon-General, for DR.. Stone,
the Presidents family physician; a
crowd of people lshed instinctively to
to the White House and, bursting
through the doors, shouted the dread
fu news to Robert Lincoln and Major
HAY, who sat gossiping in au upper
room. They ran down stairs. Finding
a carriage at the door. they entered it
to drive to Tenth street. As they were
driving away, friend came up and told
them that Mr. Seward and most of the
Cabinet had been murdered. The news
was all so improbable that they could
not help hoping it was all untrue. But
when they got to Tenth street and found
every thoroughfare blocked by the
swiftly gathering thousands, agitated by
tumultuous excitement, they were pre-
pared for the worst. In few minutes
All who had been sent for, and many
others, were gathered in the little cham
Der where the Chief of the State lay in
his agony. His son was met at the door
by DIR. Stone, who with great tenderness
informed him that there was no hope.
After natural outburst Of grief young
Lincoln devoted himself the rest of the |
night to soothing and comforting his |
mother.
"Fhe President bad been shot few
minutes past ten. The wound would |
have brought instant death to most men,
but his vital tenacity was extraordinary |
lie was, of course, unconscious from |
the first moment; but he breathed with |
slow and regular respiration throughout |
the night. As the dawn came, and the |
lamplight grew pale in 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;
look of unspeakable peace came upon
his worn features. At twenty-five |
minutes past seven he died Stanton
broke the silence by saving, Nov he
belongs to the ages Dr. Gurlev kneeled
by the bedside and prayed fervently |
The widow came in from the adjoining |
room supported by her son and cast her
self with loud cutlery on the dead body
SOUTHWESTERN POINTS
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