The Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1927-1930, 1928-11-15
DETAILS of the ASSASSINATION
Washington. April Il 1869


Washington was thrown into an
: use excitement few minutes
before eleven o'clock this evening,
by the announcement that the Pres
ident and Secretary Seward had
been assassinated and were dead.
The widest excitement prevailed
in all parts of the city. Men, women
and children, old and young, rushed
to and fro, and rumors were mag
nified until we had nearly every
member of the Cabinet killed. Some
time elapsed before authentic data
could be asce1t Gained in regard to
the. affair.
The President and Mrs. Lincoln
were at Ford's Theatre, listening to
the performance of the American
Cousin, occupying a box in the sec
ond tier. At the close of 1.-THE thirG
act asperson entered the box occup-
led by the President and shot Mr.,
Lincoln in the head. The shot enter
ed yhe back of his head and came
out above the temple.
The assassin then jumped from
the box upon the stage and ran a.
cross to the other side, exhibiting
a dagger i'll his hand, flourishing it
IN a tragical manner, shouting the
same words repeated by the desper
ado at Mr.. Stewards house, adding
to it, "The South is avenged" and
then escaped from the back. ent
rance to the stage, btu in his pas
sage dropped his pistol and his hat
Nh. Lincoln fell forward in his
scat and Mrs. Lincoln tainted,
The moment the astonished aud
fence could realize what had hap
pened the President was taken and
carried to Mr.. Peterson's House in
Tenth Street, opposite to the theat-
re. Medical aid was Immediately Sent
for, and the wound was at first sup
posed to be fatal, and it was an
nounced that he could not live; but
though in a precarious condition.
AS the assassin ran across the
stage Col. J. r. Stewart, of this
city, who was occupying one of the
front seats in the orchestra, on the
same side of the house as The DO.
occupied by Mr.. Lincoln, sprang to
the stage and followed him; but he
was obstructed in his passage a
cross the stage by the fright of The
actors, and reached the back door
about three seconds after the assa.
ssin had passed out Col Stewart
got to the street just in time to see
him mount his horse and ride away.
The operation shows that the
whole thing was preconcerted
plan. The person who fired the PTS
Jol was a man about thirty years of
age, about five feet nine, spare
built, fair skin, dark hair, appar
erl,ly bushy, with a large moustache
Laura Keene and the leader of the
orchestra recognized him as j
Wilkes Booth the actor, and rabid
secessionist. Whoever he was, it is
plainly evident that he thoroughly
understood the theatre, and all tbs
approaches and modes of escape tc
the stage. A person not familiar
with the theatre could not have pos.
sibly made his escape so we'll anC
quickly.
The alarm was sounded in every
suarter. Mr.. Stanton was notified
and immediately left his house.
All the other members of the cab
met escaped attack.
Cavalrymen were sent out in al
directions, and dispatches were sen
20 all the fortifiCs ions and it i
thought they will be captured.
About half-past ten o'clock thi
evening, tall, well-dressed ma
made his appearance ct Secretar
Stewards residence, ard applied TO
admission. He. was refused admis
sion by the servant, when the DIES
perado stated that he had prescri
ton from the Surgeon General an
that he was ordered to deliver it i