Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-09-18
LINCOLN'S
ASSASSINATION
DEATH OF THE FIRST OF OUR
MARTYRED PRESIDENTS.
STORY OF THE TRAGEDY-THE DEATH
THE KILLING OF BooTH-TRIAL
OF CONSIDERATIONS.

IA, lo0O, were COlu, rhNs huu kusty.
President Lincoln had planned a party,
for the purpose of taking General and
Mrs. Grant to see "Our American Cousin"
at Ford's theatre. When Grant had been
called away from Washington, the Presi-
dent had felt inclined to give up the
whole thing. The party that finally went
included the President and his wife,
Mai. Henry r. Rsthbone and Miss Harris.
They were late and as the President
entered the box the band struck up "Hail
to the Chief" The play stopped, the
audience arose, cheering; the President
bowed and the performance proceeded.
Meanwhile Wilkes Booth and his fellow
conspirators had made every preparation
for the murder. Booth was well known
and liked at the theatre and thus gained
access to the small passage behind the
Presidents box. Once there, he guarded
against interference by an arrangement OF
a wooden bar to fssten the door so that it
could not be opened from without. He
had hired small feet horse at livery
stable.
few minutes before 10 o'clock he
called one of his underlings of the theater
to the back door and left him there hold
ing his horse. He passed rapidly
through the crowd and made his way to
the Presidents box. He showed his card
to a servant, and Was allowed to pass in.
He entered noiselessly, and fastened the
door with bar without disturbing any
of the occupants of the box, who were
intent on the play.
Holding a pistol in one hand and a
knife in the other, he opened the box
door, put the pistol to the Presidents
head and fired. Dropping the weapon, he
took the knife in his right hand and,
when Major Rathbone sprang to seize
him, he struck savagely at him, cutting
him badly in the left arm. Then he
rushed forward, put his hand on the rail-
ing OF the box and vaulted to the stage.
He would have gotten away safely, but
his spur caught in flag that draped the
front of the box. He fel, to the floor, but
instantly arose as II unipjured, although
his leg was broken, and turned to the
audience, brandishing his dripping knife
and shouting the motto OF Virginia, "Sic
Semper Tyrannis."
Major Rathbone shouted, "Stop him."
and the cry went out, ale. has shot the
President" Two or three men jumped
out from the audience and went in pur-
suit, but he ran through the passage ways
to the alley, leaped on his horse, and
galloped away in the light OF the moon
which had just risen.
The President scarcely moved; his head
dropped forward slightly; his eyes closed.
Major Rathbone hastily unbarred the
door and two surgeons entered. They at
once pronounced the wound mortal. The
President was carried to a small house
across the street and laid upon a bed.
Mrs. Lincoln was almost distracted, and
Major Rathbone tainted from loss of
blood.
The President had been shot few
minutes past 10 O'Clock. The wound
would have brought instant death to
most men, bat his constitution was ex-
traordinary. He was unconscious from
the first, but he breathed slowly and reg
ularly throughout the night. As the
dawn came and the lamplight grew pale
his pulse began to fail; his automatic
moaning, which had cont nusd through
out the night, ceas, d; look OF peace
came over his features. Al 7.22 o'eiocs ht
died. Mr.. Stanton broke thz silence bS
saying, Nov he belongs to the ages -
Dr.. Gurley knelt By the bedside praying
The widow came in from the adjoining
room, supported by her sob Robert, anu
cast herself, with loud cry, upon the
body.
The news created such constern alton as
Washington had never known before.
In the bleak and cherries April morning
the streets we're crowded RitL peJpie IL
seemed as IL every BODY was III teats.
Pale faces, streaming eyes, with NOW ana
again an angry, froRnthg countenRnce
were on every side. At that time 1t was
bs.ieved that the President, Mr. Sew ard,
Vice President Johnson and other mem
bers of the government, had been killed.
Flags were at half mast all over the
city. The bells tolled soiemnly, and with
incredible swiftness Washington went
into deep universal mourning. Nature
seemed to sympathize in the general
lamentation, and rain fell from the
moist and somber sky.
On F street there was a tragical pro-
cession. 1t was headed by a group OF
army officers, walking bareheaded, and
behind them, carried tenderiy by com
pany OF soldiers, was the bier of the dead
President, covered with the flag OF the
Union, and accompanied by an escort of
soldiers who had been on duty at the
house where Lincoln died. AS the little
eortege passed down the street to the
White House every head was uncovered,
and the profound silence which prevailed
was broken only by sobs and by the
sound of the measured tread of those
who bore the martyred President back to
the home which he had SO lately quilted
full OF life, hope and cheer.
Booth was meanw hile being carried out
OF danger by his swift horse. Herold, an
other conspirator, followed. AT midnight
they arrived at Mrs. Surratt's tavern.