Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-05
DEATH OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
NOAH BROOKS RECOLLECTION
OF THE GREAT TRAGEDY.
THE PRESIDENT DID NOT WANT
TO GO TO THE THEATER. BUT
WOULD NOT DIsAPpoINT THE
PUBLIC, WHICH EXPECTED HIM.


The afternoon and evening OF April
IA. 1866, were cold. raw and gusty.
Dark clouds enyeloped the capital, and
the air wis chilly with occasional
4 showers Late In the afternoon l
filled an appointment by calling on the
president at the white house. and was
told by him that he had had a no.
ton" OF sending for me to go to the
theater that evening with him and
Mrs. Lincoln; but he added that Mrs.
Lincoln had already made up party
| to take the place OF General and Mrs.
Grant. who had somewhat unexpected
ly left the city Of Burlington. New Jer-
sey The party was originally planned
/ for the purpose OF taking General and
| Mrs. Grant TO see "Our American
| Cousin" at Ford's theater. and when
| Grant had decided to leave Washing
| ton, he Uhe prcBldenD had felt Inclined
to give up the whole thing" but as It
had been announced In the morning
papers that this distinguished party
would 20 to the theater that night,
Mrs. Lincoln had rather insisted that
they ought TO go, In order that the
eXpectant public should not be wholly
disappointed
on my way home I met Schuyler
Cofax, who was about leaving for
California, and who tnrrled with me
on the sidewalk II little while, talking
about the trip, and the people whom
| knew In San Franciso and Sacra-
meuto whom he wished to meet. Mr..
Lincoln had often talked with me
about the possibilities OF his eventually
taking up his residence In California
after his term OF office should be over
He thOMphI h0 Null that fhuf country
would afford better opportunities for
his two boys than any OF the older
states: and when he heard that ColfaN
was going to California, he was greatly
Interested In his trip, and said that
he hoped that Colfax would bring him
back a good report Of what his keen
and practced observation would note
in the country which he (Colf9x) was
about to see for the first time.
The evening being Indictment. I stay
ed within doors to nurse n violent cold
with which / was afflicted: and my
roommate McA-- and whiled away
the time chatting and playing cards,
About hnlf-past ten our attention was
attracted to the frequent salloping Of
cavalry or the mounted patrol past the
house which wo occupied on New York
avenue, mean the state department
building, After while quiet was re-
stored, and We retired to our sleeping
room In the rear part OF the house.
As I turned down the gas l said to
my room mate "Wlll. l have guessed
the cause OF the clatter outside to-
night. You know Wade Hampton has
disappeared with his cavalry some
where In the mountains or Virginia
Now, my theory Of the racket II that
he has ralded Washington. and has
pounced down upon the president, and
has attempted to carry him on" OF
,tFu
out the slightest thought that the
president was In any way In danger:
and my friend, in q similar spirit. ban
teringly replied: what good will That
do the rebs unless they carry of Andy
johnson nlso2' The next morning I
was awakened In the early dawn by a
loud and hurried knocking on my
chamber door, and the voice OF MIR. |
Gardner. the landlord, crying; wake. !
wake, Mr., Brooksl l have dreadful
news"
1 slipped out, turned the key In the
door and Mr.. Gardner came in, pale,
trembling, and woebeRone, like him
who drew priams curtain at the dead
of night" and told his awful story.
At that time 1t was believed thnt the |
president MIR, Seward, Vice President
johnson and other members OF the !
government had been killed: and This |
was the burden ~ the tale that was
told 10 us. | sank back into my bed, |
cold and shivcrlng with horror and |
Tor time II seemed as though the |
end OF all things had come. / was
aroused by the loud weeping OF my |
comrnde, who had not left his bed In |
another part OF the room.
When we had sufficiently collected |
ourselves to dress and go out Of doors |
IN the bleak and cheerless April morn
ing we found the streets an cNtraordI- |
nHIA
crowded with people-men, women and |
children thronging the pavements and
uorkening the thoroughfares II seemed |
Us II everybody was In tenra, pnie
ihees, streaming eyes, with now and
hgoln an angry. frowning countenancr
were on every side. Men and women
VINO We're strangers aocosted one an
other with distressed looks and fearful
Inquiries for the welfare OF tho nresi'
cent ana Mr.. Stewards family, The
president stlll lived, but nj hnlf ms,
seven o'clock In tho morning the ton.
ING OF the bells announced 10 rho In.
inentlng people that he had censnd "a
nleutne, his great and loving heart
was stu. The last official huiiati,
from the war department stateI MN
ne died at twenty-five minutes nas,
10. 's vi Nprll
Instantly flags were raised n, ho,,-
mast AL over the city. the bells toIied
solernniy' and with Incredible swift.
ness washington went into deem. uni-
Nersal mourning, All stores. rovern.
meht departments and private nn,cns
We're closed and everywhere. an mo
most pretentious residences and on Tho
humblest novels, were the black baages
OF srlet' Nature seemed to symnnthiva
IN the general lamentation. ana tears
OF ram tell from the moist and son,hra
SKY The wind alghed mn,,rrs,,ii',
through streets crowded with sad.faceI
people, and broad folda OF f,,ncr,i
drapery Tapped heavily In tho VIII
oNer me decorations Of the day before
Manderingly almlessly up II gfraet
toward Fords theater, we met a trogi.
cal procession. IL was headed hya
group of army officers walking bsra
headed, and behind them. cnrrid To-
uerly py company OF soldIers Wa
.he oier OF the dead president. covered
WIN the nag OF the union, and nccon,i
panied by an escort OF soldiers ~
ma = ~ oeen on duty at tho house whers
, i.,neo,h died As the little corterc
passed down the street 10 the VhI,a
mouse, every head was uncovered 49,
,hc profound silence which nre,,aIIaS
was broken only by sobs and hv-, ~
sSuh1 or the measured tread OF thoss
VINO hore the martyred presiden, No.
70 the home which he had 80 fatal,
quilted full OF life. hope and courSgeY
Moan Brooks in the Century for May.