Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-10-17
WHY BOOTH KILLED LINCOLN.
Revenge Was the Motive that Impelled
the Assassin--A Strange Story.

dent Lincoln, and that the motive was
revenge. A strange story, now told
for the first time, shows that these sur
misses were well founded, and that
Booths horrid crime was not simply
the work of a mailman, but was COM
mitted because Of the execution un.
der military law of his friend, Capt.
Beall, of the Confederate army.
The story is secured from DR.. George
A Foote, of Warrenton, North Caro-.
lima, a well known physician who was
in the Confederate service as a sur
geon, and who was for a 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:
d Capt. Beall was a noted Confeder-
ate officer, and was 30 quick and Sc
crete in his movements that he was O
terror to the Federal commanders in
and near New York. He figured in
the famous st. Adams raids in 1868 "a,
and his exploits at that time gave his
name q sort of romantic sound in the
South, while he caused CONSERVATION
among the enemy by his daring. But
he was caught at last, after his bold
and active work had drawn away from
General Grants army of the Potomac
10000 men to quell the border troubles
which Beall and his followers had
caused.
Beall vas tried by court martial in
prison at Fort Columbus, and sentenced
to be hanged as a spy, though it was
contended in his defense that he was
no spy, but a brave and open foe. Eff
forts to save his life were made by
many persons, among them the dis.
tinguished Governor Andrew, of Mas
sachusetts, but all were to no purpose.
John Wilkes Booth had been a col
lege roommate of Beall, and they were
IN every way the most devoted of
friends. Booth tried in every possible
manner to secure Beall's escape from
prison, He was in New York almost
constantly in the winter of 1884, and
kept in communication with Beall and
his friends in some mysterious way
while he tried to secure his pardon or
escape. Dr. Foote occupied a cell ad-
joining Beall's, and with him Booth
and his friends were in regular COM
m%unication, DR.. Foote agreeing to rem
der any assistance in his power. The
plan at first agreed on was that DIR.
Foote should endeavor to chloroform
the guard at night, and, it was alleged,
that If this succeeded the way for es-
cape was open, q boat or skiff being in
readiness to receive Beall and carry
him across the river. DR.. Foote was
carelessly bold in approaching Beall's
cell too closely, and, this arousing gu
spicion, the guard was doubled that
very night, which caused delay. The
next plan was that a crowd of bold
men should pass into the barracks, or
prison, overpower the guard of five or
six and pass Beall through. To this
plan some of the outer guard had
agreed, having been bribed with gold.
But in some way news of this plan
leaked out in New York City the after
noon or evening before the night when
the daring attempt was to be made.
This prevented any possibility of es.
scape, and President Lincoln or Gen.
Dix had Beall executed without delay.
As soon as Booth discovered, through
DR.. Foote, who kept constant observa-
ton of all that went on, and who was
himself informed by one of the guards,
who had also been bribed, that there
was no chance of escape for Capt. Be-
all, he went to Washington, and on his
knees implored President Lincoln and
SecretarySeward to pardon or at least re-
spite, Beall. Lincoln agreed to respite,
and Booth at once t~elegraphed the
joyful news to Beall's mother, who was
in Brooklyn, New York. But that very
night the prison commandant received
Q Geographic order to hang Beall the
next morning at 10 o'clock. This or.
der was executed, and Beall was hang.
ed within thirty yards of Surgeon
Foote's prison window, and inside Fort
Columbus, and not at Johnson's Is
land, as has frequently been reported,
Booth, for what he termed the per,
fidy of President Lincoln toward him,
self and friend Beall, at once swore tt
avenge his friends death by killing
both Lincoln and Seward. He did no,
intend to shoot Lincoln in the theater
but the contemplated opportunity die
not offer itself elsewhere.
But for the fact that Booth spul
caught in the curtain that fatal nigh
he would have escaped, at least Cor Z
time. The war had nothing 10 do with
the assassination OF the President. 4
was due simply and solely to revenge
intensified by Booths love and admir-
alton for his friend.
Booth vent to New York the morn
ing of Beall's execution, and being 81
grievously disappointed at what OCCUR
red he became measurably an insan,
man, to use DIR. Foote'S words. DIR
Foote had not the least idea of Booth
plan to assassinate the Presidents Thi
plan was known to only one man, ant
to him Booth revealed 1t only an houI