The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-02-01

himself of an old editorial of Brick
Pomeroy, published in the La Crosse,
WIS, Democrat in April, 1868, in which
Pomeroy says he gives the exact story
OF what caused the great tragedy, 1t
was bold editorial. and was written
III Pomeroy's best style. MI. Aldridge
believes the story has not been repub-
tlshed since 1868, and says that it diff
ters materially from those that have
been recently published. The article is
i'm part as follows:
Another of the characters of the
war time was wild, dashing, bee
Drained young man named John Wilkes
Booth From his father he inherited
a certain faint of frenzy under excite
ment that was cousin german to in
sanity. This Booth was reckless,
handsome fellow, whose delight was to
dress well, feed upon female hearts and
in mlmiCry mouth the utteranceS OF
| men of creative genius His blood was
hot and passions quick to kindle. In
his loves and friendships he was er-
ratio and peculiar. He did not try to
study himself and grew up wild and
tumultuOuS.
Among the chosen friends of his
| hoyhood was a dashing, chivalrous
young man named John Y. Beal, whose
valley, not far from Winchester, as we
know from having been there. Damon
and PythiaS were not more attached to
each other than were Booth and Beal.
! They rode walked, dined, drank and
intrigued together. Beal was southern
! in his Sympa thes and was to GER
tain extent as much a martyr as was
erratic John Brown, who was taken in
a raid, hung in the Jail yard at Charles
town, Va, by order of Governor Wise,
| and whose scaffold, as we write this,
is now in our office. Beal planned raids
on northern cities, and at last was cap
! tured at or near Buffalo, tried for
| piracy on northern lakes, and sentenced
! to be hung on Bedloe's island, in the
| harbor OF New York. In prison, wait
! ing for his doom. we leave him for
| time.
Among the ladies who had fallen in
| love with Booth was the daughter OF
John Parker Hale. United States SEN
ator from New Hampshire. Hale was
; originally q Democrat, and as such was
| elected to the Legislature of his state.
| In 1884 he was appointed United states
attorney for the district of New Hamp-
shire by President Jackson. In 1884 he
was elected to congress by the Demo-
Gratis. but soon took sides with the OPP
! ponents of slavery. In 1S45 he pup
! lished letter against the annexation
of Texas as a slave state, and at once
ran to eminence as an abolition aglta-
/ tor.
"Tn 1851 Hale was engaged as coun-
sci for the fugitive slave Shadrach. who
was forcibly taken from the United
States marshal in Boston. such was
his conduct and ability that in 1852, ne
was, by the national convention OF the
I ed nv.
dent of the United States in opposl-
ton to both Scott and Pierce.
with the daughter of Senator John
p. Hale. John Wilkes Booth was des-
perately enamored. He wished ana
plead to marry her. but with her
strict New England Inheritance OIL
propriety she could not consent TO be-
come the wife of an actor. especially
one whose life was much given TO olS-
sipation. Booth tried to break away
from his habits. but could not. He did
the best he could, however, and gave
such promise of reform that Mr.. Hale
began to think kindly of him. and as
the love between Miss Hale and
Booth grew. rather than diminished,
he gave his consent to the marriage
whenever Booth should break clear
away from the dissipation he was fear
full would bring sorrow to his child,
once away from parental care.
One afternoon innthe city of Wash-
ington, while Beal was under sentence
of death. there alighted from car
riage two men, who walked into the
room occupied by Washington Mclean
of Cincinnati, who was at that time
in Washington in the interest of his
business. These men who called were
Senator Hale from New Hampshire and
John Wilkes Booth, with whom.
through the Morgans of Kentucky, Nc
Lean had become quite well acquainted.
Their errand was briefly told. Booth
was anxious to save the life of Beal.
his chum and confidential personal
friend. He had interested Mr.. Hale in
his behalf. who, from his former iden-
LITIGATION with the political movement
that had grown into the elevation of
Lincoln to the presidency, had come to
ask at the executive the power of
mercy for a brave enemy, who had, in
defense of his friends in the south,
done no more than people in the north
applauded their scouts and adventur-
ers for doing or attempting.
They importuned Mclean to go with
them to the president, as a Democrat
as a friend of Booth-as man who
had much influence with Mr.. Lincoln,
and to vouch with Mr. Hale for any
promises Booth might make in return
for this great favor to him. After a
protracted interview Mclean accom-
panied Hale and Booth in the carriage
to the residence of John W. Forney,
who was then in bed, the hour being
late. Forney was awakened from his
sleep and told the object of the call.
His sympathies were enlisted, as he
was always ready to serve his friends.
1T was an hour or more past mid
night when Hale, Forney, Mclean and
Booth were driven to the White House.
The guards, at the request of Forney.
admitted the carriage to the grounds.
Mr.. Lincoln was called from his sleep
and there in the dead of night he sat
and listened to the prayers of Booth
and the endorsements of those who
came with him to ask the favor of
executive clemency.
THAT interview lasted until 4 o'clock
in the morning. 1t was one of tears,
prayer and petition. There was not
dry eye in the room as Booth knelt at
the feet of Lincoln, claSped his knees
with his hands and begged him to spare
the life of one mana personal friend,
who, in serving the ones he loved, had
come to the door of death.
Booth told all. He told how. long
before. in fit of passion to do some
bold deed, he had joined in a conspir-
acy to abduct the president and to hold
him as a hostage for the release of
certain military prisoners, who were
Booths friends, and who, it was
thought, were to be shot. He told of
the meetings they had held at the
house of Mrs. Surratt, and that all Of
that plan had fallen to the ground
long before.
He offered his services at any time
and in any place or capacity free of
cost or fearless of consequences. The
eminent gentlemen who were there
with him joined in the request that
the prayer of Booth be granted and
that Beal should be pardoned.