The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-29
THE MARTYR PRESIDENTS.
How Lincoln, Garfield and Mckinley

THE MARTYR PRESIDENTS.
How Lincoln, Garfield and Mckinley
Fell.
The first time that the American peo-
pie were called upon to mourn for an
aSsaSSlnated president was when Abra-
ham Lincoln fell by a shot from John
Wilkes Booths pistol in Ford's theatei,
at Washington, on the night OF April
IA, 1865. Mr.. Lincoln had attended d
cabinet meeting on that day, and in
the evening, accompanied by Mrs Lin
coin, Miss Harris of Albany and her
half-brother, Major Henry r. Rathbone'
had gone to the theater to witness a
performance of "Our American Cou-
sim"
While the play was in progress a
shot was heard, and man was seen
to jump from the presidents Dox on 10
the stage, brandishing pistol. Those
who sat near the stage heard him shout
in a theatrical manner, Sic semper
tyrannis-the south is avenged! he
rushed to the rear of the building,
mounted a horse which had been kept
in waiting for him and dashed away.
The president was carried to house
opposite the theater, where he passed
away, surrounded by his family, on the
morning of April Is. On the same night
that he was shot by John Wilkes Booth
an assassin entered the room OF Will
liam H. Seward, who lay i'll abed, ana
stabbed him and wounded Secretary
Stewards son, who attempted to stay his
hand. The murder of Vice President
Johnson. Secretary Stanton and Gen
eraI Grant was contemplated by the
conspirators, who succeeded only In
assassinating the president
The assassin was tracked by squad
ron of ~cavalrymen, and twelve days
after the assassination he was found IN
a barn, where he had secreted himself,
from which he was taken after having
been mortally wounded. The people IN
the northern states at that time were
rejoicing over the termination OF hos
tilities with the south; peace seemed to
be near at hand; families looked for the
return of the men who had gone to the
field in the service of their country, ana
every city, village and hamlet was deco
rated with flags and bunting. There
were no orders issued to that effect,
but by common consent edges OF
mourning were sewn around the flags.
the StreamerS were covered with crepe,
and within a few hours after the news
of Iincoln's assassination had come
nearly every house in the loyal states
was draped in mourning The body OF
the asSaSsinated president was taken
to the capitol on April 20, and a great
concourse of people viewed it before the
funeral train started for Springfield.
In every principal city along the line
the train halted, and at Baltimore,
Harrisburg. Philadelphia, New York,
Albany, Buffalo. Cleveland and Chicago
catafalques were erected and weeping
multitudes looked upon the face of the
dead emancipation.
The conspirators who were respon-
sible for the assassination were tried
by court martial at Washington, and
four-namely, Payne, Harold, Azerodt,
and Mrs. Surratt-were hanged; the
stage carpenter at Fords theater who
turned out the lights to facilitate the
escape of Booth, the man who held his
horse at the stage entrance, and DR..
Mudd, who set the limb which Booth
broke in jumping from the box, were
sent to prison for long terms.
Andrew johnson, the vice president,
was sworn in as president of the United
States on the morning of April Is, few
minutes after the president had passed
away. The death of Abraham Lincoln
wiped out party feeling in the northern
states to a great extent, and among the
eulogfes that were delivered, some or
the best were spoken by members of
had opposed Mr.. Lincoln and his policy.
TIL only other occasion when the
American people were called upon to
m ourn for an assassinated president,
except the recent tragedy in which
President Mckinley lost his life. was
when Gen. Garfield passed away in con-
sequence of the wounds inflicted on him
by a crazy assassin.
The president was leaving Washing
ton on July 2, 1881, on a trip through
New England, having nothing specially
ercises of williams college, Williams
town. He had had a season of more
than ordinarily hard work and much
over fight in the Republican
party of the state of New York, which
had originated through his appointment
of a collector for the port of New York.
At a cabinet meeting held on July 1, the
day before his departure from Wash
ington, he told some of the members OF
the cabinet that he looked forward with
v11a fn vacation
that he needed rest, was going to take
it and not allow affairs of state to
bother him.
AS he was passing the waiting room
of the Baltimore & Potomac railroad
station the next N orning, leaning on
the arm of Mr. Blaine, an assassin ap
preached him and fired point blank at
the president The first ball passed
his coat sleeve, whereupon the
president half turned and received the
second shot in the back. The bullet
fractured a rib and lodged so deeply in
the body that it could not be extracted
at that time. The wounded president
was carried back to the White House.
where for ten weeks. attended by the
best medical skill available and having
all the comforts that love could pro-
cure. he fingered between life and death.
His cheerfulness and fortitude awak-
ened the sympathy and commanded the
of the whole world. Bulle-
tins announcing his condition were pub
lished daily in every city in the Union
and in all the capitals of Europe The
day Of national supplication was set
apart while the president fingered at
and it was sacredly OBJ
For a time his physicians were
hopeful, and the bulletins for a period
led the public to believe that the presi-
dent would resume his duties, but when
the torrid weather of midsummer came
the patient failed perceptibly, and. al
though it was done at great hazard, he.
was removed on September 6, 1881, by
a special train to Elberon, N. J. The
invigorating sea breezes seemed at first
to have a beneficial effect. but on Sep
TENDER Is unm istakable symptoms of
blood poisoning were discovered, AMI
on the 10Th, after a few hours of un
p