Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-13
THE STORY RETOLD.
-0oount Of tn, Asa ,sinltion Of Liucoln as
Told in the O,utury."
Graphic Description Of tho Scene In ForPs
Theatre at ths Awful Momsnt-rhe Leap
Of this Assassin. His Flight and tbs Pur-
suit

Aehoe Va VIC PhCCC saAs 'WOAe
uttered that night the last Abraham
Lincoln heard upon earth. Tho whole
performance romans in the memory
Of those who hoard it u v.yie paan-
specters. The awful tragedy In the
box makes everything else seem pal Q
and unreal Here were five human
beings in II narrow space the greatest
man of his time. in the glory OF the
most stupendous success in our history,
the idolized chief OF nation already
mighty, with ilimitab.e vistas of
grandeur TO come; his beloved wife,
proud and hrppy; 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 ~ Endymion upon Latmos,
the pct OF his little worll. The glitter
of fame, happiness. aud ease was upon
the entire group. but in an instant
everything was TO be- Oh NIGEL with
the binding swiftness OF enchantment
Quick death was to come on tho CEN
trail figure OF that company-the CEN
"O pOlACNOb WI tuo REOtSb
and good men OF the century.
Over all the rest the BLACKLIST
fates lowered ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 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
curse OF the world upon his name, with
a price set upon his head. in frightful
physical pain, till he died dogs death
in burning barn; the stricken wife
w to pass the rest OF her days in
melancholy AMI madness; OF those two
young lovers. one was TO Stay the other
aud then end his life raving mln-
lac.
The murderer seemed 70 himself to
be trking part in n play. The fumes
Of brandy and OF partisan htte had for
weeks kept his brain in amorbid state.
He felt as if he were playing B.utus oil
the boards; he posed, expecting APP
plause. Holding a pistol in one hand
and knife i'm 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. q I'd when Major RIthbone
sprang to sieze him he struck savagly
at him. Major Rathbone re ;eived the
blow on his left arm, suffering wide
and deep wound. Booth. ru shing for
ward. then vaulted lightly over to the
stage. 1t WAS high leap. but nothiI g
TO such u trained athlete. He was in
the habit OF introducing what actors
call sensational leaps in his plays. In
Macbeth where he met the weird
sisters, he leaped from u ro%S twelve
feet high. He would have got safely
away but for his spur catching in the
folds of the Union Il g with which the
front OF the box was draped. He fell
on the stage. the torn dag trailing on
his spur, but instantly rose rs if he had
received no hurt, though in fact the
fall had broken his leg. turned TO the
audience. brandishing his dripping
knife and shoutin the State motto of
Virginia, Sic Semper Tyrannis.' and
He'd rapidly across the sttge and out OF
sight. NJ jor Rathbone hal shouted.
stop himr The cry went out, he has
shot the President From the audi
ence, 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 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 curse the
call 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 grevious
hurt, rushed TO the door OF the box to
summon aid. He found it barred and
on the outside some ono was beating
and clamoring for entrance. He OPEN
ed the door; young officer named
Crawford entered one or two army
surgeons soon followed, who hastily
examined the wound. 1t was at once
seen to be mortal. Ii was afterwards
ascertaiued that large derringer
bullet had entered the back Of the
head on the left side, and. passing
through the brain. h I'd lodged just
behind the left eye. BY direction OF
Rathbone and Crawford. the President
was carried to Il house across the
street and laid upon bed in small
room at the rear OF the hall. on the
ground floor Mrs. Lincoln followed,
half distracted, tenderly cared for by
Miss Harris. Rathbone, exhausted
by loss OF blood, tainted, and was car
ried home. Messengers were sent for
the members of The Cabinet for the
SUPERINTENDENT. for DIR. Stone, the
Presidents family physician n crowd
OF people rushed instinctively TO the
White House aud. bursting through the
doors. shouted the dreadful news to
Robert Lincoln and Major Hay, who
sat gossiping in an upper room. They
ran down st IRIS Finding a carriage
at the door. they entered IL to go to
Tenth street As they wore driving
away. friend came uD and told them
that Mr.. Sewart aud most OF the Cabi-
net 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. agi-
tated by tumultuous excitement, they
were prepared for the worst In a few
minutes all who had been sent for. and
many others, were gathered in the
littlo chamber where the Chief OF the
State Law In agony His aon was met