The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-08-04
JUDGE LUCAS DEATH
RECALLS War EVENT
DID BOOTH KILL LINCOLN TO AYElCE
A EAECIED SLIGHT?


speaking of his service in the Con-
federate cause, alludes to the fact
that in January, 1865, he left Rich
mond to go into Canada, where he
might arrange to appear as counsel
for his friend, John Yates Beall, who
was then soon to be tried at Cover
nor's Island as Confederate spy,
who had been arrested within the
Federal lines. The Suns account
says he was not allowed to appear
there for that purpose, but our i'm
preston at this time is that he did
90 to New York and conduct Beall's
defense. But this fact is not ma
terial to the story that grew out of
John Y. Beall's arrest, conviction
and execution at Governors Island.
John Y. Beall and John Wilkes
Booth were inseparable friends and
companions at the Virginia Univer-
sity, where both were at the outbreak
ofthe war. The attachment between
them was no ordinary friendship. 1t
WAS as close as the affection which
linked the lives of Jonathan and
David. or Damon and Pythias. Both
were members of the same military
company and both sought to enter
the military service of Virginia when
hostilities began. Edwin Booth, the
brother and guardian of John Wilkes
Booth, was strong Unionist, and he
exerted a powerful influence over his
young brother and prevented him
from going into the Confederate SER
vice. John Y. Beall followed the
fortunes of his state. Early in the
war he became noted for his daring
Exploits as soldier and scout. His
courage was invincible and wherever
danger beckoned he followed. He
seemed to bear a charmed life. He
went in and out of the Federal lines
as frequently as he desired and es-
tablished and maintained system of
communication between the friends
of the Confederate cause in the
north and its armies that was most
harrassing and injurious to the Fed
eral troops. His success emboldened
him to the point of rashness and in
one of his numerous visits to friends
in the Federal lines, almost at the
close of the war, he was captured
and arraigned for trial as a Confed-
crate spy. He was duly convicted
and sentenced to be hanged. Here
history must stand aside for tradition
if the remainder of the story is to be
believed. 1t is said that when the
proceedings of the trial had been en-
dorsed, its findings approved and the
day of the execution set, Beall's
aged mother went to Washington and
implored the President to intercede
and save the life of her boy. With
his heart full of sympathy and sor-
row, Mr.. Lincoln showed her the i'm
possibility of granting her petition.
He pointed out the necessary rigors
of war, the long continued struggle
in which thousands of lives had per-
ished, contest which had been pro-
longed by the acts of her son in de-
frnce of the penalties always impos-
ed on convicted spy. The inter
view was almost as painful to the
President as to the mother, but in the
end h. convinced her that under the
rules of war her son had forfeited
his life and it must be taken as
warning to Others similarly engaged
in military service.
Finding the President obdurate in
the high sense of his duty to his
country, the heart-broken mother
then appealed for one act of elem
ency that would relieve her unfortu-
ate son from the death of common
felon. She told the President that
her son had been a courageous and
honorable soldier and implored that
he might die asoldier's death. That