The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-29
LINCOLN'S ASSASSINATION.
Was Due to TIE Absence of His
Guard, Says William II. Crook.
CHarper's Magazine.

Now that 1 have told the story OF
my three months association with
Abraham Lincoln, there are two things
of which l feel that / must speak. The
first question relates to the cireum-
stances of the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln. 1t has never been made
public before.
have often wondered why the neg
ligence of the guard who accompanied
the president to the theater on the
night of the 14th has never been di-
vuIged. SO far as / know, it was
never even investigated by the police
department. Yet, had he done his
duty, believe President Lincoln
might not have been murdered by
Booth. The man was John Parker.
He was a native of the district, and
had volunteered, as 1 believe each of
the other guards had done, in response
to the presidents first call for troops
from the district. He is dead now aud,
as far as / have been able toaciscoVer,
all of his family. SO n is no
unkindness to speak OF the costly mis-
take he made.
1t was the custom of the guard who
accompanied the president to the
theater to remain in the little Dassa ge-
way outside the box-that oassaSeway
through which Booth entered. Mr..
Buckingham, who was the doorkeeper
at Ford's theater, remembers That a
chair was placed there for the guard
on the evening of the 14th. Whether
Parker occupied it at all do not know
Mr.. Buckingham is of the impression
that he did. If he did. he left it al
most Immediately; for he confessed TO
me the next day that he went 10 a seat
at the front of the first gallery so that
he could see the play. The door of
the presidents box was shut; probably
Mr.. Lincoln never knew that the guard
had left his post.
Mr.. Buckingham tells Ahat Booth was
in and out of the house five times he
fore he finally shot the president.
Each time he looked about the theater
In a restless, excited manner. l think
there can be no doubt that ne was
studying the scone of his Intended
crime and that he observed that Par
ker. whom he must have been ,atch-
ing, was not at his post. To me * is
very probable that the fact thai there
was no one on guard may have de-
termined the time of his attack. Booth
had found II necessary to stimulate
himself with whisky in order to reach
the proper pitch of fanaticism. Had
he found a man at the door OF the
presidents box armed with a Colts
revolver his alcohol courage might
have evaporated.
However that may be. Parker's alb
sence had much to do with the sue
cess of Booths purpose. The assassin
was armed with a dagger and a pistol
The story used to be that the dagger
was intended for General Grant when
the president had been dispatched
That is absurd. While ii had beer
announced that General and Mrs
Grant would be in the box, Booth, dur
| ing one of his five visits of inspection
had certainly had an opportunity &c
observe that the general was absent
The dagger which was noiseless, was
| intended for any one who might inter
cept him before he could fire. The
pistol, which was noisy and would
arouse pursuit, was for the president
As ii happened, since the attack was
a complete surprise, Major Rathbone
who, the president having been shot
attempted to prevent Booths escape
received the dagger in his arm.
Had Parker been at mis- post at the
back of the box-Booth still being de-
night-he would have been stabbed
probably killed. The noise of the
lstruggIe-Parker could surely have
managed to make some outcry-woul6
have given the alarm. Major Rath'
bone was a brave man, and the presi-
dent was a brave man and of enormous
muscular strength. II would have beer
an easy thing for the two men to have
disarmed Booth. who was not mar
of great physical strength 1t was the