The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-06-15


Interview - Seward Tlade Lincoln
Break fii- word and BeaH Was
Executed
The FhiiadrIphia TtntcS copied the
article from the Wilmington .Ncssr1l-
| ger, recently published in this paper
relative to the assassination Of l'rcsi-
dent Lincoln. and later on supple
mrnt"d it by the following:
There are two sides to every story.
a lew days ago there was printed for
! your benefit Il clipping from "A North
/ Carolina new paper IN reference to
the assassination Of President Lin
coin, which incluicI Il sketch found
among the papers of the late Dr..
George \. Eootc. pf Warrenton, y. c.,
| who Na> Il surgeon in the Confederate
army, in which it was stated. and
reasons given for the statement, that
John wilkes Booth had killed the
| President because the latter Ia /
failed to respite, after promising u
| do 50, john \. Braii. Il Young Nir-
| gInian ii high social standing, who
! had been sentenced to death b. a
military commission for being spy
and guerrilla, and who was executed
| on Govcrnur,S l>land III New York
| harbor. In DR.. Foote's posihum0us
mrmpramdum il is clai med that
Booths motive in numbering Lincoln
was not because the latter was the
| -.hcai Of the Northern States and was
responsible for the war upon the
| South.' The narrator, arguing from
historical facts conlcnded that Dr.
fo)tc VAS entirely in error. Now
come, To the front Mr.. John Barklev,
chief clerk in The office Of the super
intcndcnt OF the Philadelphia, Viii
mington < Baltimore Railroad, at
tIaytem, Del, and he produces a
! published record of Il conversation
held by a New York newspaper CORES
pondcnt with the late Colonel John
| ". Forncv, the onc-timc editor OF the
| Philadelphia Press, and who was also
at the time OF the events referred TO,
the editor and publisher of the Wash
ington Chr0nicic. Fairness, and a de-
| sire To adhere to the facts of history
demand that this story should be
/ /
tive could have no better source for
lis authorship than Colonel Forney.
The tale is both interesting and
historically important.
This is Colonel Forney's version of
the affair:
Among the chosen friends Of John
Wilkes Booths boyhood was Il dash
inc, chivairous young man of the
name of Johh \. Beall, whose home
Valley. not far from Winchester.
When the war broke out, Beall, who
was Il fanatical Sccessionist, went to
Canada, and from there Joined i
party OF Southerners engaged in car
rying on an irregular kind of warfare,
on the Northern Lakes, against the
Union. Their chief object was
to release Confederate prisoners OF
war quartered on Johnson's Island
near Sandusky, Ohio, but they also
set fire to the ships and public build
ing, and even took measures to send
infected clothing into the North fol
the purpose of spreadinga pestilence.
Finally, 4 number of them were
captured, and so the rest dispersed
Among the unfortunates who fel
into the hands of the enraged North
crncrS was young Beall. He wa,
brought before Il courtmartial and
convicted of an attempt to wreck ;
passenger train near Buffalo. The
sentence was death by the rope.
'.One afternoon. while Beall was
under sentence OF death, there alight
ed from carriage two men, wht
walked into the room occupied by
Washington Mclean, of the Cincin
natl EnqUirer, who was At that tim,
in Washington in the interests of his
business. The visitors were Senate
Eugene Hale, Of New Hampshire, an'
John Wilkes Booth. Booth was anX
ious to save the life of his friend,
Beall. and had interested the Senator
in his behalf. They importuncd Me
Lean to 90 with them TO the Presi
dcnt-as a Democrat, as a friend o
Booth. Is 4 man who exercised in
tuence over Mr.. Lincoln-and Il
vouch with Mr.. Hale for any prom
iScs that Booth might make in return
for this great favor to him. Afte
4 protractcd interview, Mr.. Mclean
decided that the best plan would b'
for him to first write to the Presi
dent. begging for Beall's pardon
Should letter not have the desired
effect, Mr.. Mclean promised to in
tercede personally with Mr.. Lincoln
Before his visitors left, however, h
: advised them to enlist the Sympathie
of Colonel John W. Forney in Beall'
behalf.
Booth was not slow in followin!
the advice. Not being PERSONAL
! acquainted with the gallant Colonel
he visited one of the latter'S friend
Colonel Lee. an old Washington resi-
dent. Through Colonel Lee and Nh
Thaddeus Stevens. then the Republi
can leader of PENNSYLVANIA. Colont
, Fornev was induced to address a
earnest letter tc his friend. the Presi
dent. imploring him to exercise hi
clcmencv for the convicted man
Several days passed, hut neithe
Colonel Fornet's nor Washingto
| McLean's letters We're answered. Th
. date fixed for the execution wa
rapidly approaching and Booth grey
alarmed. Once more, in compan
with Senator Hale. he Knocked 4
Washington McLean's door. Th
latter declared himself ready to fu
fill his promise. 1t was an hour c
more past midnight when Hale
Mclean and Booth were driven to tn
White House. The guard, at Mo
Leans request, admitted the carriag
to the grounds. Mr.. Lincoln wa
called from his sleep. and there, i
dead of night. he sat and listened t
the prayers of Booth and the indorst
ments of those who came with him t
ask the favor of executive clemenc,
The interview lasted until in th
morning. 1t was one of tears, praye