New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-19
WHY WILKES BOOTH CHANGED hio Mi-'p'
AN INCIDENT OF PRESIDENT LINCoLNS sECoND
INAUGURATION DAY.


To thc Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: shortly after the assassination OF PcN"e".
Lincoln there appeared In The Washington |"''"'''
think, something Ike TINS
John WILKES Vo0th observed to stanu VI !"
bowder about midway In the excava,ed baIlh Ut ''''
north end of the Capitol. on the morning Oh '"''" -
nt the inauguration, awaiting the coming caNa'
H. is believed that he Intended to shoot President LIN
coin there throw himself into the arms Of his ireno'
below, and escape in the ensuing CONFUSION. bu' H'"
some unknown cause he changed his mind.
A,,or,nr the above suppositioa 70 be true, know
,rhot ~ changed his mind Having never witnessed
such a spectacle looked about me for the bes' pace
attanable from which to view tho coming proceS''o'
Standing on top Of the aforementioned Da'h sp'"
the bowlder. part way down the bank ana near ''o
roadway. Its top was bare. about TWO lcct a''o''
and ~ could reach II IL would place me also o"' Vi
earshot Of unpleasant secession" remarks OF some
women who were beside me. TO reach III WIS u h'''0
awkward, for must dig my heels into the art o".
opcc mvscf with nv hands behind me and perhaps roll
dirt and small stones npon the people below. but
tried II. When had carefully worked my way GOWN
nearly 20 the stone. ncd my eye 70 lo'a'c II cA.
and saw from under the visor OF NY cup Il PoS"'O
boot placed upon the STONE below me- lhis WIS "'
lacked for and necessltated my going down the bank
rs IL WINS too steep TO turn readily anu 'li"l0 o
put about four or FIVE feet dagonnly down inc pahh
ohsorved another stone about eight inches across
ct ON this and then looked TO who had supplanted
me. ,,,
A medium-sized man. faultlessly drcsseu' WI" "
d,st,nrue appearance was looking NJ NE WV"
soro e.rceness A moment or two aftcr"hrn '"'
toward him again to find him gazing upon nv 90
,ort,v a. before now thought him detective W'' su9
nocted TINT he had before him some one WHOM ;. i'
~ dorob,e n arrest wished him to understand t'v
orsidsrcd myself us good lie was 80 iV'Nu nan
- With az much defiance as was aoe' anu "'0'
,r,od from him soon | turned again 10 H"u ','"
a,, ove gazing at me with such intensity Un''
,h, him insane and was then little afralu Oh mn a.,
iut Overcoming this feeling, hONeu nun oI" .hn,gh
,n owe IN he for the first time turned a"ay I'm
onIv FOR an Instant ! no" !ookeo mn tnt-rc an
pa, IN foot slowly and carefully, as II mn ri,
,c Inventory Of every thing he wore IN ~ I s
i a ~ as coud command aud then back rom 'ov
Ia bood in the same manner. teH uI"pP. 49, 49, - T
a. hIs and held IL there I'LL he uirhcu iO'n -. b,,n
trru,d my face the road ana did hut r''H $3.50
again till several minutes lah e!al 81 e. Ido,rall
,,aro that he was descending to the side"alh una
Xprarently he whispered WORD or t"o ~ ,aoi,nd
men there who turned with quick ea'oe a" h h,r,V
az me lie passed diagonay across the nis" Ia
down hlu then across the opposite sluo"uHin 80 ~
'rod M, On tho small bank OF soil at the sac Oh ~
nrrpu r "r and locked at me For few second,
We cazed nj one another lntently, whcn ne IN t'"
and wcnt down the hill nothVard' olt 81 n,d hs
Nben John Wilkes Booth was beng huhucu ino
nbofr cranh was shown me. and rer"Eh,'u '"o - ~
rrri,h whom had thus fought an eve ducl. II Nv
tr,n,dcd to shoot Pre- idcnt Lincoln from tlcrc ne
or policeman, and feared his chauccs i9r e.. " "''
- At that time ~ co. F.. l4th ~ /. Ar'l'o'''
Wntcftown, y. T.. March D. lsV-