The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-11-22
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
THE REAL CAUSE OF HIS AS
SASSINATION.
Booth Killed Him to Avenge the Death
OF His Friend Capt. Beall-Another
Chapter in This Terrible Tragedy
The Thrilling Story of DIR. Geo. A.
FoOte, of Warrenton, n. 6.

|
time there have been hints that there !
was motive for John Wilkes Booths
assassination of President Lincoln, and |
that the motive was revenge. A /
strange story, now told for the first
time, shows that these surmlseS were /
we'll founded, and that Booths horrid |
crime was not simply the work of a
mailman, but was committed because
of the execution, under military law,
of his friend, Capt. Beall, of the Con-
federate army.
The story is secured from DR..
George A. Foote, of Warrenton, n.
c., we'll known physician, who was
in the Confederate service as a sur
geon, and who was for long time a
prisoner at Fort Columbus, New York
harbor Here is the narrative just as
given by DR.. Foote, who was inter
viewed here:
Capt. Beall was a noted Conteder-
ate officer, and was SO quick and so
secret in his movements, that he was
a terror to the Federal commanders in
and near New York. He figured Ill
the famous St. Albums raids in 1868
"a, and his exploits at that time gave
his name sort Of romantic sound IN
the South, while he caused consterna-
ton in the enemy by his daring. But
he was caught at last after his bold
and active work had drawn away from
) Gen. Grants army of the Potomac
20 900 men to quell the border trou-
bles which Beall and his followers had
caused.
Beall was tried by court martial IN
prison at Fort Columbus and sentenced
to be hanged as spy, though 1t was
} argued in his defense that he was no
, SPY, but a brave and open foe. Efforts
to save his lite were made by many
persons, among them the distinguished
Governor Andrews, of Massachusetts,
: but all were to no purpose.
} Iohn Wilkes Booth had been a COL
!. lege room mate of Beall, and they
were in every way the most devoted OF
friends Booth tried in every possible
7 manner to secure Beall's escape from
prison. He was in New York almost
constantly in the winter OF 1904, ana
1 kept in communication with Beall and
his friends in some mysterious way
while he tried to secure his pardon or
Z escape. DR.. Foote occupied a cell
? adjoining Beall's, and with him and
, Booth and his friends were in regular
) communication, DR.. FoOte agreeing &c
1 render any assistance in his power
The plan first agreed upon was tina
DR.. Foote should endeavtr to chloro
form the guard at night, and, 1t wa
, ALLEGED, thai if this succeeded, tht
, way to escape was open, BOAT o
s, skiH being in readiness to receive
{ Beall and carry him across the river
{ DR.. Foote was carelessly bold Il
I approaching Beall's cell too closely
. and, this arousing suspicion, the guar'
J was doubled that very night, whlc
! caused delay. The next plan wa
that a crowd of bold men should pas
IN into the barracks or prison, oVerpowe
| the guard Of five or SIX, and pas
Beall through. To this plan some
the outer guard had agreed, havln
~ been bribed with gold.
But in some way news OF this pla
leaked out in New York city tn
afternoon or evening before the nlgl
when the daring attempt was to |
made. This prevented any poss'blll'
of escape and President Lincoln
General Dix had Beali executed Will
- oul any delay.
~, As soon as Booth di>covert
through DIR. Foo;c, who kept conSta
observation of all that went on, al
who was informed himself by one
the guards, who had also been bribe
that there was no chance OF escape /
&C Capt. Bea!l, he went to Washnst'
.hs and on his knees implored Preside
~ Lincoln and Secretary Seward
.;ra pardon, or at least respite, bea
Mr.. LiAColn agreed to respite al
. Booth at once telegraphed the JOY
=. news to Beall's mother, who was
y Brooklyn, n. Y. But that very ns
the prison commandant received
nc teegraphic order to hang Beall
'uS' next morning at 10 o'clock. /
aps, order was executed and Beall
land hanged within thirty yards OF oerges
lg of Foote's window and inside f.
inor Columbus and not at Johnson S lslal
lpJD as has frequently been reported,
nat Booth, for what he termed
with per,idv of President Lincoln 10 u
himself and his friend Beall, at OF
swore to avenge his friends death
killing both Lincoln and Seward.
II did not intend to shoot Lincoln IN
III. theatre but the contemplated OPP
tuni,y did not offer itself elsewhere.
But for the fact that Booths
M caught in the curtain that fatal nj
Ill., he would have escaped at least 10
time. The war had nothing 70
with the assassination Of the Preside
1t was due simply and solely
revenge, intensified by Booths
O the and admiration for his friend.
Booth went TO New York the M
- ing of Beail's execution, and being
grievously disappointed at what
occurred he &" became measuraoly
insane man." to use DR.. Foote 5 VIC
Call ~ ioo'o i''>' ''o' ,la D
\ Booths plan to assassinate the I
c. dent. This plan was known onl.
one man, and to him Booth reve
red by it only an hour before the assaSs
asters.