Imperial Valley press., 1939-02-12
As Papers Told
Lincoln S Death
gy LOGAN JENKINS

'Placnlp )l9toi Nioo
presidents head he fired. He then
sprang out of the box between the
two FLAGS and alighting ON the
stage brandished dagger, cry
ing:
Sic semper tyrannis' and. 'lhe
south is avenged
Nearly three quarters ot a cen
tury ago these words were pam
fully written out in longhand iof
Frank Leslie's Illustrated News
paper. telling the story OF the as
sassination of Abraham, 18TH
president of the United States.
whose birthday Imperial Valley and
the nation will observe Sunday.
The news account of the as
sassination and funeral of the
Great Emancipator is included III
yelloWing copy of the illustrated
Newspaper which Dave H. williams
of near Holtville discovered among
some old papers recently. The
paper is illustrated with a pair OF
LARGE steel engrayings showing
banked thousands viewing a solemn
parade of soldiers and carriages
pass by Lincoln's funeral process
sion.
Women Weeping
The engravings show stately,
bearded gentlemen with top hats
and frock coats watching the
troops. with their weeping ladies
standing by dressed in flowing
hoop skirts and plumed hats, their
faces covered by handkerchlefs TO
dry their tears. Also in the crowd
are Negroes dressed in regulation
Uncle Toms Cabin clothes.
Three deep the carriages pass by.
crepe fluttering from the horses
heads and from the coachmen
hats. The scenes are taken as the
cortege goes by the president S
mansion. A footnote says they
we're made from drawings taken
on the spot by our special artist,
w. T. Crane
On an inside page. under single
column head and in fine type Is
the story of Lincoln's assassination
and funeral. 1t is written in
fluent style of journalism that has
been gone almost as long as
Lincoln.
"As we have previously stated.
the story runs. president Lincoln
went to the theatre somewhat re-
luctantly but not wishing to dis
apnoint the audience. which eX-
pected him and Gen. Grant, he
sacrificed his personal convenience
to his kindness of heart.
The Fatal Shot
About 9 o'clock he entered the
private box, accompanied by Mrs
Lincoln and Maj. Rathbun. While
quietly enjoying the comedy oil
"The American Cousin a person
who there is no reasonable doubt
was John Wilkes Booth, the actor
entered the box from the door, anu
placing a pistol close to the presi-
dents head, fired
After relating how Booth then
leapt to the stage, the story des-
cribes his flight through the
theatre wings and out the stage
door.
"Mr. Stewart, a well known
LAWYER. who happened to be ono
of the audience, sprang over the
orchestra and pursued the assassin
but he had got the start OF hlni
and Mr.. Stewart had the provoking
spectacle of seeing the murderer
disappear in the darkness, the
story continues.
so sudden and unexpected was
this horrible deed that it was ONLY
when Mrs. Lincoln screamed that
the audience was aware that any
thing was wrong. They concluded
the pistol shot had been fired on
the stage, and was part oil the
play. When the nature OF the
deed was known, although the fulI
extent CT the calamity was moi
suspected, the excitement, rage
and sorrow were intense. Witt
great presence of mind. Miss Laura
Keene came forward and begged
The audience to be calm.
Hold No Hope
The surgeons who entered Pfesl-
dent Lincoln's box saw at a glance
that the wound was mortal. Abou
20 minutes after the shot was free
the body was moved to a hous'
nearly opposite the theatre anl
here in back room whose dimen
si6ns are 10 by IS, the gentlest ant
most exalted OF mortal rulers wa
taken to die.
Here during that eventful nigh
there stood around his dying be-
some of our most illustriouS men
Chase, Sumner. Welles, Stanton
Dennison, Halleck Three time
in the course of this lcng ant
narrowing night. Mrs. Lincoln wa
brought in TO see her unconsclou
husband-We need not describe
scene SO painful. The last wa
particularly affecting because sh
saw in the gray light Of dawn tha
death had set its seal upon TN
dear companion of 25 years. A
% minutes past seven Presider
} Lincoln breathed his last
Immediately upon the 2resl
dents death the bells of the cit
:. churches tolled and this was tn
first intimation that the Che
Magistrate was dead