Year: 1865




showing the plot to assassinate the Presi-
dent and Cabinet was planned long ago. and
that the conspirators were only waiting for
favorable opportunity to carry out their
designs. That the Knights of the Golden
Circle were the originators of the conspira-
cy there Is no doubt, and ii Is also assured
that the 4th of March was fixed for the
commission of the deed.


The assassination of the President throws
light upon much which had been strange in
the conduct of Booth during the past WIN
ter and there Is good reason to believe that
in numbering Mr.. Lincoln he was complying
with an obligation of the order of which he
was member, and which obligation has fall
len TO him by lot


During the past two months he had seem
ed TO be completely absorbed IN some pro-
iect, which none of his friends could tathOm.
In the midst of associates he would frequent
ly, remain silent; or, if congersing, would
talk in a pointless. way, as If thinking OF
some great trouble.


On the 4th of March his conduct was
particularly noticed as being unusually
strange During the morning his nervous
actions attracted considerable attention a.
mong his acquaintauces, from among whom
he suddenly disappeared, and was not seen
again until a friend found i'm standing on
the embankment at the north wing OF the
Capitol, near which spot the President
would necessarily pass Booth vas dressed
in a slouch suit, with his pants tucked into
the tops of his boots, and an old felt hat
drawn over his face. His friend hailed him
TWO or three times, receiving no reply. and
finally went up to where Booth was standing,
when the latter for the first time manifested
his recognition of the gentleman, MS man
ner conveying an impression that he did not
wish TO be recognized. As the President
passed he turned away with his friend as if
disappointed by the absence Of some one,
and preserved throughout the day moody
silence.


On Friday last he was about the National
Hotel "a usual. and strolled up and down
the avenue several times. During one of,
the strolls he stopped at the kirkwood
House and sent into Vice President John
son card, upon which was written:


= [ do not wish to disturb you. Are you
in? j. WILKES BOoTH.


4 gentleman Of Boot : acquaintance at
this time met him in front of the Kirkwood
House. and IN the conversation which fol
lowed made some dlusion to Booth bust
ness, and In jesting way asked What
made him so gloomy? had he lost another
thousand in oil?" Booth replied that he
had lost considerably by the freshet; that
he had been hard at work that day, and was
about to leave Washington never TO return.


just then boy came out and said to
Booth: Yes, he Is in his room.


Upon which the gentleman walked on,
supp0sing Booth would enter the hotel.


About seven o clock on Friday evening
he came down from his room at the Nation
al, and was spoken to by several concerning
his paleness, which he said proceeded from
indisposition. Just before leaving, he ask
ed the clerk if he was not going 10 Ford :
theatre. and added, There lriU be some reTy
yilie acting there tonight.


Mr.. Sessford. ticket agent at the theatre,
noticed Booth as he passed in, and shortly
after. the latter entered the restaurant next
the theatre and in hurried manner, called
for 'Br6adyi brandy! brandy" rapping
at the same time on the bar.


The Murderer's Arrangements.


The State box occupied by the President
was formed by removing the partition be-
tween two of the upper boxes, thereby leay-
ing the two doors opening into the double
box thus formed, one of which was locked.
In the rear OF the box, and between the
walls of the theatre, was narrow passage
with door at the entrance leading from the
dress circle. During the day Booth had ev
identity visited the box, as Is shown by the
preparations made for the assassination.
Behind the door of the passage hole had
been made in the wall, in which at night
Booth inserted the end Of board as a brace
against the door, thereby precluding any
one from following him from the dress cir
Gle. The screws were next removed from
the lock OF the farther door opening into
the double box, the thread of the screw
holes broken, and the lock and screws re-
placed, 50 thar should the inmates of the
box fasten the door by which they. entered,
the other door might be easily pushed open


Judge Olin and others on a visit to the
theatre, satisfied themselves by actual ex-
pertinent that the door ostensibly locked
could thus be pushed in with the greatest
ease. The aperture in the panel Of the
door. which was thought to have been
bullet hole and thus formed a contradictory
feature in the chain of evidence, it now ap-
pears was made with knife, and was de-
signed to enable the assassin 70 survey the
position of the occupants of the box previ
Gus to entering himself The large arm
chair always used by the President at the
theatre had been removed from Its usual
position, enabling the murderer to carry out
his design more readily as he passed through
the box 4 pocket knife, the one probably
with which the hole was cut IN the door,
was found lying on the cushion of the bal,
ustrade when Mr.. Lincoln's party entered
the box.


Much of this work of preparation must
have been done previously by the assassin, or
some confederate knowing the premises. and
was probably done during some portion OF
the dav when the theatre. or that portion OF
it, is unoccupied Itwould appear, too, from
the ease with which the somewhat difficult
lump and rebound was made-a leap for