The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-06-20
LINCOLN's ASSASSINATION.
The First Tragedy I'm the Old Theater
Recalled by the Recent Accident.

The First Tragedy I'm the Old Theate
Recalled by the Recent Accident.
The collapse of the old Ford theate
building calls to mind that other aw fu
tragedy which occuraed within its WALL
and which made the place historic-th,
assassination of President Abraham
Lincoln by Wilkes Booth.
The assassination was on the evening
OF the l4th of April, 1865. On thai
evening, President Lincoln was invited
by the manager of Ford's theater, il
Washington, to attend in the evening
performance of the play, "Oul
American Cousin" with Laura Keene
as the leading lady. This play, nov
SO welpknown to all play-goers, in which
tho late Sothern afterwards made fol.
tune and fame, was then comparativel,
unheralded
The play was new, consequently not
wishes of Mrs. Lincoln and went. They
took with them Miss Harris and Maiol
Rathbone, daughter and stepson of Sen.
ator Harris, of New York
The theater was crowded. At g:2C
the president and his party entered
The audience rose and cheered enthusi.
astically as they passed TO the state
box reserved for them. Little did any
one present dream that within the,houl
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 ut the rel, of
the theater, on which he intended to
ride into friendly shelter among the
hills OF Maryland. He made his wav
TO the presidents boXf a double one in
the second tier, at the left of the stage.
The separating partition had been re-
moved, and both boxes had been thrown
| into one.
Booth entered the theater nonchal-
antly, glanced at the stage with appar-
ent interest,". then slowly worked his
way around into the outer passage lead
president.
AT the end of an inner passage lead
ing to the box door one of the presi.
dents messengers was stationed to
prevent unwelcome instrusions. Booth
presented 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
lndentation in the wall, about four feet
from the floor and the other against the
moulding of the door panel few inches
hlgher, making it impossible for any
one to enter from without. The box
had two doors.
He bored gimlet hole in the panel
OF one, raining it out with his knife
SO as to leave it IL 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 ac-
compilce, one Spangler, an attache of
the theater. The president sat in the
lett 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 of both
MISS Harris was seated, with Major
Rathbone at her left, and q little in the
rear Of Mrs. Lincoln, who, intent on
the play, was leaning forward, with
one hand resting on her husbands knee.
The president was leaning upon one
hand, and with the other was towing
with portion of the drapery. His face
was partially turn to the audiance, and
wore pleasant smile.
The assassin swiftly entered the box
through the door at the right, and the
next instant fired. The ball entered
just behind the presidents left ear,
and, though not producing instanta-
neous death completely obIiterated all
| consciousness
Major Rathbone heard the report
and In an instant later saw the mur-
derer, about six feet from the president.
and grappled with him, but his grasp
was shaken off. Booth dropped his
pistol and drew long, thin, deadly
looking knife, with which he wounded
the major. Then touching his left
hand to the railing of the box, he
vaulted over to the stage, eight or nine
| feet below.
In that descent an unlocked for and
curious thing happened which fOiled
all the plans of the assassin and was
the means of bringing him to bay at
last. Lincoln's box was draped with
the American flag, and Booth caught
his spur In its folds, tearing it down
and spraining his ankle. He crouched
rs he fell fainting on one knee, but
soon Strengthened himself and stalked
theatrically across the stage, brandish-
ing his knife and shouting the state
motto OF Virginia, "Sic semper tyran-
mis- ]" afterwards adding, "The South
IL avenged l." He made his exit on the
opposite side of the stage. passing Miss
keene as he went out. A man named
Stewart, tall lawyer of Washington
was the only person with presence OF
mind enough to spring upon the stage
and follow him, and he was too late.
1t had all been done so quickly and
dramatically that many in the audience
were dazed, and could not understand
that anything not part of the play
had happened. When at last, the aw-
ful truth was known to them there en-
sued scene, the like of which was
never known in u theater before. Wo.
men shrieked, sobbed and tainted.
Men cursed and raved, or were dumb
with horror and amazement. Miss
keene stepped to the front and begged
the frightened and dismayed audience
to be calm. Then she entered the
presidents box with water and stimu.
lants. Medical aid was summoned and
came with flying feet, but came toe
late. The murderer's bullet. had done
its wicked work we'll The president
had hardly stirred in his chair, and
never spoke or showed any signs OF con
seriousness again.
They carried him Immediately tc
the house of Mr.. Peterson, opposite the
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