Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-04-15
LINCoLN,s ASSASSINATION.
Booths Maniaoai Deed Re-toId After
Tho Lapse o fnfany Years.
the sunday world.

From the Sunday World.
Ga the morning OF the l4th, while
the preparations for the dramatic little
ceremony Of the flag-raising over the
ruins OF Fort Sumter were In progress,
Gen. Grant arrived in Washington, in
company with Col. Robert Lincoln, the
presidents son. Both of them break
tasted at the white house and found the
president In buoyant spirits. Taking
Grant with him, he attended q cabinet
meeting al IL O'Clock. He seemed
like a school boy on q holiday when 1t
was over. He spoke OF the Sumter
lag-raising, and his plans were all for
the festivities Of the day. He was GO
ing to Ford's theatre in the evening.
They were going to play s.Our Amer
lean Cousin" It wa a very laughable
piece, he said. He insisted that Grant
should 90 with him. Grants family
we're at Bordentown then, and he was
anxious to get to them. He pleaded
this excuse, but the president insisted.
Surely a few hours could not make much
difference. Grant might have yielded
had not an urgent telegram from Mrs.
Grant been then and there handed to
him. He showed it TO the president,
left Washington that evening, and
thereby doubtless saved his life, for 1t
had been publicly announced that the
president and Gen. Grant would be in
a box at Ford's theatre that evening,
and later revelations showed that the
conspirators had Gen. Grants name
down on the list OF those to be MUIR
dered.
After Gen. Grant went away, Lin
coin tried to get Mr.. Colfax 10 be Of
the theatre party, but he had another
engagement. The party as finally
made up consisted OF the president,
Mrs. Lincoln, Miss Clara w. Harris,
daughter of Senator Ira Harris, and
II. r. Rathbone. The theatre
box was heavily draped with American
flags. The president was seated In a
igh-backed rocking-chair with Mrs. |
Lincoln and Miss Harris on his left and |
Rathbone on bis right. The
rest OF the theatre was packed with
Ii was near the close of the play be-
tore ANYTHING unusual happened. The
president was leaning forward In his
char in intense enjoyment of the
comedy. ALI the other occupants of
The box were absorbed. The door Mt
The rear opened and q tall, booted and
spurred figure entered. STOPPING to
The floor quickly, he picked up q short
DIT OF plank, left there beforehand for
he purpose, and with this he barred the
box door so that it could not be opened
the outside. Ali this was done
With 90 little noise that no one in the
glanced around. Then the In
ruder, grasping q long dagger in his
eft hand and an ugly, big-hnred Der
pistol with his right, steaithily
approached the president.
Leaning his hand on the back of
be rocking chair, to steady his aim, be
The bullet entered the pres
head back OF the ear, and so far
8 Abraham Lincoln knew, life ended
or him then and there. His head
ropped forward, his eyes closed and
e spoke or was conscious again.
How Major Rathbone seized the
Miserable murderer aud was savage
stabbed in the arm; how
'ooth jumped to the box rail and
hence to the stage; how his spur
aught In the American Aag as be leap
throwing him SO violently down that
e broke his ankle; how he scrambled
, his feet, waving his dagger and
louthing his stage rant Of "The
outh is Avenged'' and aSic Semper
- how he hobbled out of the
stage entrance In the confusion;
ow be mounted q horse ready waiting
'r him in the alley and galloped away
Virginia; how he was tracked from
ouse to Ehouse where he had been
leltered and how be was finally
In down In q barn, the barn
red and Booth shot down like
10 foul vermin he was-all this
been told again and again, and in ]
very detail is remembered by thou
Inds Of people now living.