Lincoln's Assassination.

Southland Times, Issue 15058, 30 September 1901, Page 4

Lincoln's Assassination.

THE STORY RETOLD. On the night of the 14th of April, 1865, ) President Lincoln waa shot in the theatre at Washington, and died early the next morning. The following narrative of the horrible crime was given by Mr Stanton, Secretary of State, in a despatch addressed by him to Mr Adams, the American Minister in London: — Sir,— "lt has become my distressing duty to announce to yon that last night His Excellency Abraham Linooln, President of the United States, was assassinated, about the hour of half -past 10 o'clock, in his private box at Ford's Theatre, in the city. The President, about 8 o'clock, accompanied Mrs Lincoln to the theatre. Another lady and gentleman were with them in the box. About half -past 10, daring a pause in the performance, the assassin entered the box, the door of which WSB unguarded, hastily approached tho President from behind, and discharged a pistol at his head. The bullet entered the back of his head, and penetrated nearly through. The assassin then leaped from the box upon the stage, brandishing a large knife or dagger, and exclaiming, "Sic semper tyrannis !' and escaped in the rear of the theatre. Immediately upon the discharge, the President fell to the floor insensible, and con-tin-d in that state until 20 minutes past 7 o'clock this morning, when he breathed his last. About the same time the murder was being committed at the theatre, another assassin presented himself at the door of Mr fieWara's residence, gained admission by representing he had a prescription from Mr Seward's physician, which he was di- ' -ractsd to see administered, and hurried up '""•'■"■"tb the third story chamber, where Mr Seward was lying. He here discovered Mr Frederick Seward, struck him over the head, inflicting several wounds, and fracturing the skull in two places, inflicting.it is feared, mortal wounds. He then rushed into the room where Mr Seward was in bed.attended by a young daughter and a male nurse. The male attendant was stabbed through the longs, and, it is believed, will die. The assassin then struck Mr Seward with a knife or dagger twice in the throat and twice in the face, inflicting terrible wounds. By this time Major Seward, eldest sou of the Secretary, and another attendant reached the room, and rushed to the rescue of the Secretary; they were also wounded in the conflict, and the assassin escaped. No artery or important blood-vessel was severed by toy of the wounds inflicted upon him, but he was for a long time insensible from the loss of blood. Some hope of his possible recovery is entertained. Immediately upon the death of the President, notice was given to Vice-President Johnson, who happened to be in the city,and upon whom the office of President new devolves. He will take the office, and assume the functions of President to-day. The murderer of the President has been disoovered, and evidence obtained that these horrible crimes were committed in execution of a conspiracy deliberately planned, and set on foot by rebels under pretence of avenging the South, and aiding the rebel cause-but it is hoped that the immediate perpetrators willbe caught. The feeling occasioned by these atrocious crimes is so great, sudden, and overwhelming that I cannot at present do more than communicate them to you. At the earliest moment yesterday, the late President called a Cabinet meeting, at which General Grant was present. He was more cheerful and happy than I had ever seen him, rejoiced at tne near prospect of firm and durable peace at home ana abroad, manifeeted in a marked degree the kindness and humanity of his disposition, and the tender and forgiving spirit that so eminently distinguished him. Pablic notice had been given that he and General Grant would be present at the theatre, and the opportunity of adding the lieutenant-general to the number of victims to be murdered was no doubt seized for the fitting occasion of executing the plana that appear -to have been in preparation for some weeks, but General Grant was compelled to be absent, and thus escaped the designs npon him. It is needless for me to say anything in regard of the influence which the murder of the President may exercise upon the affairs of this country; but I will only add that, horrible as are the atrocities that have been resorted to by tbe enemies of the country, they are not likely in any degree to impair the public spirit or postpone the complete ana final overthrow of the rebellion." It will be seen from this account that Secretary Seward, who was so severely wounded, wae at the time confined to his bed* This was in consequence of an accident which had happened to him on the sth of April, when he was thrown from his carriage, and broke his arm, receiving at the same time come serious wounds in the face. The name of the assassin who had taken the life of the President was J. Wilkes Booth, Who bad formerly been an actor That of the assassin who had attempted the lite of Secretary Seward was Payne. A hot pursuit after the criminals instantly commenced, and a body of cavalry came up with them at a place called Bowling Green, in Caroline County, Virginia, where they had taken refuge in a barn. The bam was surrounded, and the fugitives were called npon to surrender. Wilkes was suffering from lameness, having, as he leaped from the President's box to the ground, severely sprained his ankle. He tried to parley with his pursuers, and said to tbe commanding officer : — *' Captain, give me a chanoe. Draw oft your men, and I will fight them singly. I could have killed you six times to-night, bat I believe you to be a brave man, and would not murder yon. Give a lame man a show." The barn was now set on fire, and Booth was seen with a loaded carbine in his hand in tbe middle of the barn. A soldier fired npon him, and' he fell mortally wounded. Ills last words were, "Tell mother I died for my coantry; I thought I did for the best;" and, raising his hands, he added, " useless, — useleas." His companion, a man named Harrold, was taken prisoner, and Atzeroth, another of his accomplices, had previously been captured. A letter was afterwards found, which had been written by Booth in the previous January, and which he bad sealed ap in an envelope and left with his brother-in-law, stating that it contained some oil Btocks and bonds. This letter, which waa written in a rhapsodical style, showed that he had long meditated tbe crime. On the 2nd of May the new President (Mr Johnson) issued the following proclamation, which directly charged President Davis and other members of the late Confederate Government with being accomplices in Booth's crime, although the universal feeling waa that the accusation was utterly unfounded : — " Whereas it appears from evidenoe in the Bureau of Military Justice that the atrocious murder of the late President Abraham Lincoln, and the Attempted assassination of the Hon, W. H. Se^a-d^^-eretary of State, were incited, concerted, and procured by and be--Ween Jefferson Davis, late of Richmond, : Jacob Thompson, Clement 0. Clay, Beverly Tucker, George N. Saunders, W. C. Clery, •. =■ lad other rebels and traitors against the Government of the United States, harboured in Canada: Now, therefore, to the end tbat justice may be done, I, Andrew 'Johnson, President of the United States, do - offer and "promise for the arrest of said per- :-: _ons, oir either of them, within the limits of the . United States, so that they can be : Ir-OUght to trial, the following rewards : — - 100,000dol. for the arrest of Jefferson Davis ; 25,000d0L fov the arrest of Clement C. Clay; 25,000d0l for the arrest of Jacob Thompson, late of Mississippi; _S,ooodol. for the arrest of George N. Saunders; __,000dol. for the arrest of Beverly Tucker; and 10,000doL for the arrest of William C. Cleary, late clerk of Clement C. Clay. The Provost-Marshal-General of tbe United Sta.t_s is directed to cause a description of tbe said persona, with notice of the above rewards, to be published." , . The result was that President Davis was captured by a body of cavalry at Irwinsvifie, in Georgia, on the 10th of May, while attempting to make his escape, and he was brought to Fort Monroe, but was subsequently released. In addition to Payne, Atzeroth, and Harrold, a Mrs Surratt, who had received Booth in her honse after the assassination of the President, was tried before a military tribunal. They were all found guilty, and hanged on the 7th of July.— Aigus.