The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-06-29
LINCOLN'S ASSASSINATION.

LINCOLN'S ASSASSINATION.
THE FIRST TRAGEDY IN THE
OLD FORD THEATRE.
How Abraham Lincoln Came to His
Death at the Hands of John Wilkes
BO0th---The Affair Recalled by the
Recent Fatal Collapse of the Build
ing.
The collapse of the old Ford theatre
building calls to mind that other
awful tragedy which occurred within
its walls and which made the place
historic-the assassination of President
Abraham Lincoln by Wilkes Booth.
The assassination was on the even
ing President Lincoln was invited
by the manager of Ford's theatre, in
Washington, to attend performance
of the play, " Our American Cousin"
with Laura keene as the leading lady.
This play, now SO we'll known to all
play goers, in which the late Sothern
afterwards made fortune and fame,
was then comparatively unheralded.
The play was new, consequently not
alluring to him, but he yielded to the
wishes of Mrs. Lincoln and went.
They took with them Miss Harris and
Major Rathbone, daughter and stepson
of Senator Harris, of New. York.
The theatre was crowded. AT 9:2o
the president and his party entered.
The audience rose and cheered enthu
siastically as they passed to the state
box reserved for them. Little did any
one present dream that within the
hour enthusiasm would give place to
shrieks of horror.
1t was 10 O'Clock when Booth came
upon the scene to enact the last and
greatest tragedy of the war. He had
planned carefully but not correctly. A
good horse awaited him at the rear of
the theatre, on which he intended to
ride into friendly shelter among the
hills of Maryland. He made his way
to the presidents box, double one in
the second tier, at the left of the stage.
The separating partition had been
removed, and both boxes had been
, thrown into one.
Booth entered the theatre noncha-
lantly, glanced at the stage with
apparent interest, then slowly worked
his way around into the outer passage
leading towards the box occupied By
the president.
At the end of an inner passage lead
ing to the box door one Of the presi
denl'* messengers was stationed to
prevcr.g un welcome intIusions. Booth
pre>e.,cd card to him, stating that
Mr.. Lincoln had sent for him, and
was permitted to pass. After gaining
an entrance and closing the hall door,
he took piece of board prepared for
the occasion, and placed one end of it
in an indentation in the wall, about
four feet from the floor and the other
against the moulding of the door panel
a few inches higher, making it i'm
possible for any one to enter from
without. The box had two doors.
He bored a gimlet hole in the panel
of one, roaming it out with his knife
SO as to leave it little larger than a
buckshot on the inside, while on the
other side it was big enough to give
his eye wide range. Both doors had
spring locks. To secure against their
being locked, he had loosened the
screws with which the bolts were fas-
tened.
So deliberately had he planned that
the very seats in the box had been ar
ranged to suit his purpose by an &C
complice, one Spanglar, an attache to
the theatre. The president sat in the
left hand corner of the box, nearest
the audience, in an easy armchair.
Next to him, on the right, sat Mrs.
Lincoln.
A little distance to the right oil
both, Miss Harris was seated, with
Major Rathbone at her left, and a
little in the rear of Mrs. Lincoln, who
intent on the play was leaning for
ward, with one hand resting on her
husbands knee. The president was
leaning upon one hand, and with the
other was toying with portion OF the
drapery. His face was partially
turned to the audience, and wore a
pleasant smile.
The assassin swiftly entered the box
through the door at the right, and the
next instant fired. The bail entered
just behind the presidents left ear
and, though not producing instanta.
neous death, completely obliterated all
; consciousness.
Major Rathbone heard the report,
and in an instant later saw the muir
derer, about six feet from the presi.
dent, and grappled with him, but his
grasp was shaken off. Booth dropped
hi. pistol and drew long. thin,
deadly looking knife, with which he
wounded the major. Then touching
his lett hand to the railing OF the box
he vaulted over to the stage, eight OF
nine feet below.
in that descent an unlocked for and
curious thing happened which foled
all the plans of tn: assassin and was
) the means OF bringing him to bay a,
last. Lincoln's box was draped with
the American flag, and Booth caugh,
his spur in its folds, tearing it down
and spralning his ankle. He crouched
as he fell fainting on one knee, but soon
Strengthened himself and stalked theat.
rically across the stage, brandishine
his knife and shouting the state motto
OF Virginia, "Sic semper tyrannis'
} afterwards adding, "The South is