The state chronicle., 1893-06-17
LINCOLN,s ASSASSINATION.
The First Tragedy In the Old Theatre
Recalled by the Late Accident.

LINCOLN'S ASSASSlNAA1ON'
The First Tragedy In the Old Theatre
Recalled by the Late Accident.
Exchange.
The collapse of the old Ford the
atre building calls to mind that
other awful tragedy which occurred
within its walls, and which made
the place historic-the assassina-
ton of President Abraham Lincoln
by Wilkes Booth.
The assassination was in the |
evening. President Lincoln was
invited by the manager of Ford's
theatre, in Washington, to attend in
the evening a performance of the
play, "Our American Cousin" with
Laura Keene as the leading lady.
This play, now so well-known to all
play-goers, in which tae late Soth-
ern afterwards made fortune and
fame, was then comparatively un-
herslded.
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, daugh-
ter 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 enthusiastically as they
passed to the "state box" reserved
for them. Little did any one pres
ent dream that within the hour the
enthusiasm would give place to
.. shrieks of horror.
It 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
1 him at the rear of the theatre, on
which he intended to ride into
9 friendly shelter among the hills OF
Maryland. He made his way to the
j. Presidents box, double one in the
second tier, at the left of the stage.
o The separating partition had been
Z, removed, and both boxes had been
1 thrown into one.
8 Booth entered the theatre non.
g chalantly, glanced at the stage with
IL apparent interest, then slowly
n worked his way around in the outer
9 passage leading towards the boz
n occupied by the President.
u At the end of an inner passage
q leading to the box door, one of tht
q Presidents messengers was sta
q toned to prevent unwelcome intru
sions. Booth presented q card t.
q him, stating that Mr.. Lincoln hat
l. sent for him, and was permitted tt
9. pass. After gaining an entrance
Is and closing the hall door, he took {
B. piece of board prepared for the oc
Is casion, and placed one end of it il
g. an indentation IN the wall, abou
g four feet from the floor and tn
o1 other against the moulding of tn
30 door panel a few inches highe,
10 making it impossible for any one t.
N enter from without. The box hat
ia two doors.
us He bored a gimlet hole in tn
Z panel OF one, roaming it out wit
a. his knife so as to leave it littl
IL larger than a buckshot on the in
se side, while on the other side it wa
Is big enough to give his eye wild
'H range. Both doors had spring locks
To secure against their being locked
he had loosened the screws wit
70 which the bolts we're fastened.
oe So deliberately had he planne
he that the very seats in the box ha
as been arranged to suit his purpos
II by an accomplice, one Spanglar, a
:. attache of the theater. The Pres
- dent sat in the left hand corner (
le' the box, nearest the audience, in O
,rs easy armchair. Next to him, on tt
ID. right, sat Mrs. Lincoln.
M A little distance to the right
,m both, Miss Harris was seated, wit
asst Maj. Rathbone at her left, and Ii
he tie in the rear of Mrs. Lincoln, VIII
of intent on the play was leaning TO
Re- ward, with one hand resting on b.
30 husbands knee. The President VI
I'VE leaning upon one hand, and wi
the the other was toying with a porti'
his of the drapery. His face was pa
ing TALLY turned to the audience, al
ad- wore a pleasant smile.
Vel The assassin swiftly entered t
box through the door at the rig]
and the next instant fred. The b
of entered just behind the Presiden
-, left ear, and, though not producil
'ou instantaneous death, completely c
ma liberated all cons ciousness.
major Rathborne heard the
ons port, and in an instant later saw t
,or murderer, about six feet from t
~ president, and grappled with hi
uo- but his grasp was shaken {
to Booth dropped his pistol and DIR,
long, thin, deadly looking kni
hiss with which he wounded the mai
. Then touching his left hand to t
railing of the box, he vaulted o,
mes to the stage, eight or nine feet |
low.
NV In that descent an unlocked
i'y' ard curious thing happened VIII
foiled all the plans of the assas
and was the means OF bringing b
Co. to bay at last. Lincoln's box v