THE REPUBLICAN

July 7, 1893

 

AN HISTORIC HOUSE

 

FORD’S THEATER, WHERE LINCOLN WAS SHOT.

 

The recent Collapse of the Ill-Starred Building Recalls the Horrible Crime of J. Wilkes Booth – Some Details of the Assassination.

 

A Page from History.

 

            Ford’s theater, the scene of the recent terrible disaster at Washington, in which so many were killed and injured, was, as is well known, the scene of Lincoln’s assassination, the most tragic as well as the most pathetic incident in all our national history.  The superstitious may see in it divine interference, and it is at any rate a queer coincidence that at the very hour when words of prayer and benediction were being spoken over the lifeless clay of Edwin Booth, the brother of Lincoln’s murderer, the building, which had witnessed John Wilkes Booth’s awful crime, should crumble into dust.

            Early April, 1865, marked a time of joy which this country had not felt for many years.  The black and heavy storm clouds of war were passing away and the fair sun of peace was shining forth and fertilizing the seeds of hope in every heart.  The Confederate government had evacuated Richmond on the 2d, Lee and Johnson had surrendered and those under the command of Gen. Kirby Smith had lain down their arms.  April 11 President Lincoln had delivered an address in which, as if awed unconsciously by some dire feeling of the end creeping upon him, he spoke with a dignity and pathos never before heard.  It was his last public utterance.  He spoke of the recent victories for which he himself took no credit, and laid down certain broad lines for a policy of reconstruction.  As to the question whether the Confederate States were outside the Union he said:  “Let us all join in doing the acts necessary to restoring the proper practical relations between these States and the Union, and each forever after innocently indulge his own opinion whether in doing the acts he brought the States from without into the Union, or only gave them proper assistance, they never having been outside the Union.”

At Ford’s Theater.

            On the 14^th, before his Cabinet, Lincoln developed the same policy and met no dissent.  At this time apparently he felt that the heavy load of responsibility being lightened from his shoulders he might well indulge in some amusement and relaxation.  Accordingly he accepted a box from the management of Ford’s Theater on 10^th Street, where Laura Keene was playing the comedy, “Our American Cousin.”  The house was crowded with the most distinguished people in Washington, for all the city felt the natural gayety of the time, and as the Lincoln party entered, the audience rose and applauded tumultuously.  The orchestra played “Hail to the Chief” and the President came to the front of his box, which was on the second tier immediately to the left of the stage.  With him were Mrs. Lincoln, Miss Harris, daughter of Senator Harris, of New York, and Maj. Rathbone, Miss Harris’ betrothed.  After receiving the Lincoln party the audience turned its attention to the stage and became engaged wholly with the play.  Suddenly the report of a pistol was heard and the bewildered audience saw a man wrapped in a dark cloak leap from the Presi-dent’s box to the stage, a distance of nine feet.  His spurred boot caught in a fold of the flag, which was used as a drapery, however, and he fell heavily, breaking his leg.  He stalked theatri-cally across the stage, and, in the middle, waving a bloody knife, cried out:  “Sic semper tyrannis.  The South is avenged.”  The bewildered audience did not gain an understanding of the facts until he had disappeared and then wild and tumultuous cries broke out, “Stop him, he has shot the President.”  Some leaped upon the stage, while many rushed to the President’s box.  There Lincoln was found, the blood pouring from his death wound, while Major Rathbone was dis-covered to have been wounded in the side by the assassin’s knife.  Tenderly was Lincoln lifted and borne to a house across the way, where he died at 7:22 the following morning.

Lincoln’s Assassination.

            The assassination of Lincoln was the sudden result of a plot in which several desperate men were engaged.  They conspired to abduct President Lincoln, but the closing of the war rendered this impracticable.  Then those who were most influential abandoned the matter, but there were still some who resolved on bloody and violent measures.  Chief of these were John Wilkes Booth, Atzrott, and Payne.  These men resolved to assassinate Lincoln, Grant, and Seward.  Booth was chosen to assassinate the President, Atzrott was to murder Grant, whiel Payne was to make away with Secretary Seward.  Booth, on the fatal evening, knowing that the President was in the theater, went to the box office and, producing a card, told the attendant that Lincoln had sent for him.  He was allowed access to the corridor on which Lincoln’s box opened without question.  He quietly bore a gimlet hole in the box door, and so obtained a view of his victim.  Then he pulled a pistol and fired.  As the President sank back unconscious Booth dashed into the box, and drawing a long knife stabled Maj. Rathbone, who had grappled with him.  Suddenly he let go his hold and leaped to the stage. Notwithstanding his broken leg Booth reached the street, being assisted by Ned Spangler, a stage carpenter, who was in on the plot.  Here a horse was in waiting for him, and he rode thirty miles into Maryland.  There he stopped to have his leg set by Dr. Mudd, another conspirator, and then crossed the Potomac into Virginia.  A party of pursuers had started after him from Washington, and he was overtaken April 26 at Garrett’s farm, near Bowling Green, about twenty miles from Fredericksburg.  He had taken refuge in a barn, and refusing to surrender was shot, dying soon after.

The Other Conspirators.

            Booth was the only one who managed to accomplish his desperate deed.  Payne went to the house of the Secretary of State, who was in bed sick.  He forced his way into the house and up stairs, where he was met by Mr. Seward’s son. Payne grappled with him and wounded him quite severely.  Then going into Mr. Seward’s room, he hacked at the sick man and at the nurse, causing great bloodshed, though no death, and finally fled.

            Atzrott found the murder of Gen. Grant impossible of accomplishment.  Grant was sur-rounded all day long by friends, and the would-be assassin could get no chance at him.  Mrs. Surratt, a boarding house keeper, where Booth, Atzrott, and Payne lived, knew of the plot to abduct Lincoln, though probably not of the one to kill him.  Her son was also thought at the time to be concerned in the murder.  Other conspirators were McLoughlin and Harold, the last of whom was a somewhat weak-minded young man, who helped by having a horse in readiness for Booth’s escape from the theater.  These all were brought to punishment.  Atzrott, Payne, Harold, and Mrs. Surratt were hanged; Dr. Mudd, Ned Spangler and McLoughlin were sent to the Dry Tortugas.  Mrs. Surratt’s son escaped to Canada.   Eventually he was discovered serving in the Papal Zouaves.  He was tried, but was found to have been innocent of any attempt at murder, and was acquitted.