The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-14
DEATH OF LINCOLN.
NOAH BROOKS RGCoLLECTlONs Oe
TIE GREAT TRAGEDY.

Ahcater, nut Woolu NOT DisRppOlnt tho
Public-A sorrowinE People Under
Weeping Sky That April Morning.
Tho afternoon and evening of April
ii, 1865, wero cold raw and gusty.
Dark clouds envelopod tho capital, and
the air was chilly, with occasional show.
ers. Late in tho afternoon filled an ap-
pointment by calling Oh the president at
the White House. and was told by him
that he chad had Il notion" of sending
for me to go to tho thcater that evening
with him and Mrs Lincoln, but ho add
ed that Mrs. Lincoln had already made
up II party to e,kc tho place of General
and Mrs. Grant, who had somewhat un-
expectedly left the city for Burlington,
N. j. The party was originally planned
for tho purpose of taking General and
Mrs. Grant to SEQ "Our American Cous-
in" at Ford's theatcr, and when Grant
had decided to leave Washington he (tho
president) had "felt inclined to give mn
tho whole thing" but as it had been
announced i'll the morning papers that
this distinguished party would go to the
theator tllnt night Mrs. Lincoln had
rather insisted that they ought to 90 in
order that tho cxpcctant public should
not be wholly disappointed
On my way homo [ met Schuyler Col.
fax, who was about leaving for Cali
fornia, and who tarricd with nc OH the
sidewalk little while, talking about
the trip and tho people whom / knew
III San francisco and Sacramento that
he wished TO meet. Mr. Lincoln had
often talked with me about tho POSSIBLE
tiles of his eventually taking up his res
idcncc i'll California after his term of
Office should be over. Ho thought, he
said, that that country would afford
better opportunities for his two bows
than any of tho older states, and when
he heard that ColfaX was going to Cali
fornia he was greatly interested in his
trip and said that he hoped that Colfax
would bring him back Il good report of
what his keen and practiccd observation
would noto i'll tho country which he
(Colfax) was about to see for the first
time.
The evening being inclement, I staid
within doors to nurse q violent cold with
which was afflicted, and my roommate,
McA., and l whiled away tho time
chatting and playing cards. About half
past 10 our attention was attracted to
the frequent galloping of cavalry or the
mounted patrol past the house which
we occupied on New York avenue near
sho state department. building. After
awhile quiet was restored, and we re-
tired to our sleeping room i'll the rear
part of tho house
AS turned down tho gas said to my
roommate: "Will, 1 have guessed the
cause of the CHATTER outside tonight. You
know Wade Hampton has disappeared
with his cavalry somewhere in the
mountains of Virginia. Now, my theory
of the racket is that ho has raidcd Wash
lngton and has pounccd down upon the
president and has attempted to carry
him off :" OF course this was said 10
coscly and without the slightest thought
that the president was i'll any way in
danger, and my friend, in q similar
spirit, banteringly replied, "What good
will that do the rcbs unless they carry
off Andy johnson also?" Tho next
morning was awakened i'll the early
dawn by a loud and hurried knocking
on my chamber door, and the voice of
Mr. Gardner, the landlord, crying
"Walle, wake Mr.. Brooks have dread
full news. -
l slipped out, turned tho key Of the
door, and Mr.. Gardner came in, pale,
trembling and woe begone, like him
who drew Priam's curtain at tho dead
OF night, p" and told his awful story. AT
that time it was believed that the prcsi
dent, Mr.. Seward, Vice President John
son and other members of the govern
ment had been killed, and this was the
burden of the tale that was told to us.
sank back into my bed cold and shiy-
ering with horror, and for q time it
seemed rs though the end of all things
had come. was aroused by tho loud
weeping Of my comradc, who had not
left his bed i'll another part of the room.
When we had sufficiently collected
ourselves to dress and go out Of doors i'll
the bleak and cheerless April morning,
we found in the streets an extraordinary
spectacle. They were suddenly crowded
with peoplc-men, women and children
thronging the pavements and darkening
the tloroughfares. 1t seemed us if every.
body was in tears. Pale faces, streaming
eyes. with now and again an angry,
tfOWninS countenance, were on every
side. Men and women who We're stran.
gers accosted one another with distressed
looks and fearful inquiries for the vel
fare Of the president and Mr.. Seward s
family. The president still lived, but at
half past o'clock in the morning the
tolling of the bells announced to the Ia
menting people that he had ceased to
breathe. His great and loving heart was
still The last official bulletin from the
,rnr In,nnrt ,nnut .AntnI tI,nt La Linl =, 4