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Privacy [BLOCKED]. Has technology Leaped Ahead of our Ethics?
T proo.IASSASSINATION President · 2017. 11. 29. · mentaftera man leaped from the front of" the...
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tilt T rit t rit i p roo. IASSASSINATION OF BELLEFONTE. PA. Friday Morning April 21st 1865. Terms-42 00 in Advance, Abraham Lincoln. Again has Good-Friday been rendered a' day of misfortune and deep calamity by the perpetration of an enormous crime upon mankind ; a crime which is of equal birth with and stands by the side of that great one wrought eighteen hundred years ago. Again has a great, noble and wise man, a genuine priest of Love, of Freedom and of elevated and progressive Humanity fallen by the assassinating hands of those for whom he labored in the true spirit of resig- nation ; whom he strove to rescue from the punishment of their sins and transgres- sions ; for whom he interceded ; who heard from him but words of gentleness, and kind- ness, of mercy and brotherly love ; and who was prepared—like his great archetype —the Savior of the world—to exclaim of his murderers : "Forgive them, they know not what they do I" Like his exalted pro- totype, he blessed them that cursed him ; be did well unto them that insulted and per- secuted him ; with a . heart and:mind devoted to the great principles of charity and hu- Ulan beneficence and with words of love for 'lie enemies, be died a martyr to the cause of universal liberty, as ordained by the Al- mighty. His name and memory are bless- ed and hallowed forever. The nation at large mourns the loss of its' great dead, not only as a great national ca-I lamity, but also as a personal irreparable, loss which grasps with a savage pang eve- 1 ry fiber of the human heart. Each one feels that he has lost a true and tried friend, a father, and a benefactor. Even the un- curbed and slanderous tongue of the enemy is rendered speechless by the enormity of the crime, and unites in the general lamen- tations ; for they will not likely find a sec- ond Lincoln as their lenient judge and fath- erly adviser. All human weaknesses which attached to the departed -weaknesses which only existed in the almost incomprehensible goodness of his heart—now vanishfrom before the mem- ory of his greatness and his wisdom ; and henceforth Abraham Lincoln will live in the hearts of the American people as the second Washington, and survive all foes of liberty. Not alone America, but the entire civiliz- ed world mingles its death lamentations with our profound national sorrows, and so soon as the gigantic death-intelligence will have been borne over the ocean, the loud murmurings of grief will sound across the sea mingled with tbeir deep curses for his murderers and their sympathizers. All na- tions feel that in Abraham Lincoln they have lost their best and truest friend ; the most noble champion of their cause and hopes, and the foremost defender of down- trodden nations. After well-accomplished hard labor, he crowned the whole with his martyr-death as, the noblest sacrifice to Freedom and llu-1 inanity ; and from generation to generation will the name of our immortal Washington be mentioned and coupled with that of the great Lincoln by all nations of the earth. The murderous hand of the miserable asH lumina that smote Abraham Lincoln, that essayed to butcher the aged William 11. Seward while in his bed suffering from se- vere injuries, and who also reached for the vitals of E. M. Stanton as well as the rest of the Cabinet, were but the tools. The beastly spirit and nature which slavery and southern nobility inculcates and depraves humanity—the equally low-lived spirit of their northern accomplices, who, for the past four years uninterruptedly urged them on to hatred, to treason and murder—they guided the assassins' hands. Let them suf- fer unrelentlessly the most bitter punish- ment. Can a more horrible scene be conceived than the brutal hatchery at the sick-bed of the Secretary of State? These are the fruits of the doctrines and teachings of treason in the North such as the files of the Watchman in this place, and other prints in the State abound with. The organ of the Copperhead party, or rather the Knights of the golden Circle, in this town, not many months ago, inquired if no one could be found to follow the example of Charlotte Cordai, and murder the President, whom the editor called the old tyrant at Washing- ton. (We shall reproduce the article in due time.).: This blot of the first political assassina- tion which disgraces the Republic, cannot be wiped out by generous forgiveness. Assas- sination was the motto of the accursed re- bellion from its incipiency : Assassination of the Union ; Assassination of our poor Union prisoners ; and assassination of the President and ministers of the Republic. The world will shudder at the intelligence of this unparalelled roprobateness which has grown so large in the "model Republic," and which has a living representative in ev- ery southern chivalier, and in every north- ern friend and sympathizer with the rebell- ion. We must root out this brood in order to afford peace to the country and cleanse it it from this dark stain. American citizens owe this to themselves and their posterity ; let the work be carried out as they began it, and. the Republic will hereafter celebrate an Easter for which Abraham Lincoln did 1110 i in vain di/ a sacrifice on last Good-Fri- ABRAHAM LINCOLN. SECRETARY SEWARD ALSO ASSASSINATED. ESCAPE OF THE ASSASSIN, WASHINGTON, April 14th. President Lincolu and his wife, together with other friends, this evening visited Ford's Theatre, for the purpose of witness- ing the performance of the " American Cousin." The theatre was densely crowded, and everybody seemed delighted with the scene before them. During the third act, and while there wasj a temporary pause for one of the actors to enter, the sharp report of a pistol was heard, which merely attracted attention, but sug- gested nothing serious, until a man rushed to the front of the President's box, waving a long dagger in his right hand, and ex- claiming, '-Sic semper tyrannis !" he imme- diately leaped from the box, which was of the second tier, to the stage beneath, and ran across to the opposite side, thus making his escape, amid the bewilderment of the audience, from the rear of the theatre, and mounting a horse, fled. The screams of Mrs. Lincoln first disclos- ed the fact to the audience that the Presi- dent bad been shot, when all present rose to their feet, rushing toward the stage, many exclaiming, "hang him ! hang him !" The excitement was ono of the wildest possible description, and of course there was a tough termination of the theatrical performance. There was a rush toward the Presidential box, when cries were heard, "Stand back ! give him air I Has any one stimulants ?" On a hasty examination it was found that the President bad been shot through the head, above, and back of the temporal bone, and that some of the brain was ooz- ing out. lie was removed to a private house oppo- site the theatre, and the Surgeon General of the army and other surgeons were sent for to attend to his condition. On an examination of the private box, blood was discovered on the back of the, cushioned rocking chair on which the Pres- ident bad been sitting, also on the partition! and on the floor. A common single-barrel- 1 ed pocket pistol was found on the carpet. A military guard was placed in front of private residence to which the President had been conveyed. An immense crowd gathered in front of it, all deeply anxious to learn the condition of the President. It had been previously announced that the wound was mortal, but all hoped otherwise. The shock to the com- munity was terrible. When the excitement at the theatre was !at its wildest height, reports were circula- ted that Secretary Seward bad also been assassinated. On reaching this gentleman's residence al crowd and a military guard were found and on entering it was ascertained that the re- ports were based upon truth. Everybody there was so excited that scarcely an intel , ligible account could be gathered, but the facts are substantially as follows. About 10 o'clock a man rang the bell, and the call having been answered by a col- ored servant, he said he had come from Dr. Verdi, Mr. Seward's family physician, with a prescription, at the same time holding in his hand a small piece of folded paper, and saying, in answer to a refusal, that he must see the Secretary, as be was entrusted with a particular direction concerning the medi- cines. le still insisted on going up although re- peatedly informed that no one could enter the chamber. The man pushed the servant aside and walked quickly to the Secretary's 1 room, and was there met by Frederick W. Seward, of whom he demanded to see the Secretary, making the same representation which he did to the servant. What further passed in the way of colloquy is not known, but the man struck him on the head with a "billy," severely injuring the skull and fel- -1 ling him almost senseless. The assassin then rushed into the chamber and attacked' Major Seward, paymaster in the United States Army, and Mr. Hansel!, a messen-I ger of the State Department, and two male nurses, disabling them all. He then rush- ed upon the Secretary, who was lying in bed in the same room, inflicting three stabs in the neck, but not severing, it is thought, and hoped, any arteries. The assassin then rushed down stairs, mounted his horse at the door, and rode off i before an alarm could be sounded, and in the same manner as the assassin of thei President. Special Dispatch to The N. Y. Tribune. WASHINGTON, Saturday, April 15-4:50 p. m, CONDITION OF MR. REWARD AND lIIS BON. The two Sowards remain about the same.l No hopes are entertained of Frederick's life) The frightful gashings of the Secretary would not of themselves result in his death.l It is the prostration his system has receiv-; ed from his first injuries which excites ' ap- prehension. Another fracture was yester- day discovered on the other side of his jaw.' but the physicians all agree that he exhibits; wonderful vitality. The hemorrhage last' night was excessive, but his pulse up to this time is remarkably strong and enccur- aging. His instant death was prevented by his providentially turning his head after the first stab. By a common impulse everything was' closed, and all business suspended. Every precaution has been taken by the War De- ' partment to prevent the sweeping tempest of indignation and horror from assuming any retaliatory characters. Gen Grant has this morning arrived, and is allighted from his carriage at Williards. Nothing is yet determined upon in refer- ence to the President's obsequies. _ The excitement, beginning last night' with the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, con-I tinued unabated this morning. Groups of people were to be seen congregated in every' hotel and on every street corner, listening to the versions of some one who considered, himself fortunate in having been an eye- witness to the murder. For a time, the ex- cited and exasperated mass surged rapidly; from point to point, as if burning to execute, their vengeance upon some one connected; with the affair, and the reign of mob vio-: lence was seriously apprehended.,' Several) were seen with rolls in their hands, signed] of citizens, requesting signal I tures, with the avowed purpose of movingi l en mass upon those who are known in town as persistent Rebels. The feeling of the populance during the day has been one of the deepest and most intense indignation against the perpetra- tors of Mr. Lincoln's and Seward's assas- sinnation, and every one remarks tho utter impossibility of full/. realizing as yet the real magnitude of the great disaster to the INation. watching the play. He stood, as I remem- ber, one step above the messenger, and re- mained perhaps one minute apparently looking at the stage and orchestra below. Then he drew a number of visiting cards from his pocket, from which, with some at- tention he drew or selected one. These things I saw distinctly. I saw him stoop, and, I think, descend to the level with the messenger, and by the right side. He showed the card to the messenger, and as my attention was then more closely fixed upon the play, I do not know whether the card wise carried in by the messenger, or his consent given to the entrance of the man who presented it. I saw, a few moments after, the same man enter the door of the lobby leading to the box and the door clos- ing behind him. This was seen because I could not fail from my position to observe it ; the door side of the procenium box and the stage were all within the direct and ob- lique lines of my sight. How long I watch- ed the play after entering I do not know. It was, perhaps two or three minutes, pos- sibly four. The house was perfectly still, the large audience listening to the dialogue between " Florence Trenchard, and " May Meredith," when a sharp report of a pistol rang through the house. It was apparent- ly fired behind the scenes, on the right of the stage. Locking toward it and behind the Presidential box, while it startled all, it was evidently accepted by everyone iu the theater as an introduction to some new passage several of which had been interpo- lated in the early part of the play. A mo- ment after a man leaped from the front of" the box directly down nine feet on the stage and ran rapidly across it, bare-headed, holding an unsheathed dagger in his right hand, the blade of which flashed brightly in the gaslight as he came within 10 feet of the opposite rear exit. I did not see his face as he leaped or ran, but I am convin- ced that lie was the man I saw enter. As: he leaped he cried distinctly the motto of. Virginia, " Sic Seinper Tyrannis." The hearing of this and the sight of the dagger explained fully to me the nature of the deed he had committed. In an instant he bad disappeared behind the side-scenes. Consternation seemed for a moment to rivet every one to his seat, the next moment con- fusion reigned supreme. I saw the fea-, tures of the man distinctly before he enter- ed the box, having surveyed him contempt- uously before he entered, supposing him to be an ill-bred fellow who was pressing a selfish matter upon the President in his hours of leisure. The assassin of the Presi- dent is about five feet nine and a half in- ches high, black hair, and I think eyes of the same color. He did not turn his face more than quarter front as artists term it. His face was smooth, as I remember, with the exception of a moustache of moderate • size, but of this lam not positive. He was dressed in a black coat, approximating to a dress frock, dark pants, and wore a stiff- rimmed, flat-topped, round-crowned black bat of felt, I think. lie was a gentleman- ly looking person, having no decided or ob- truding mark. He seemed for a moment or two to survey the house with delibera- ion of an habitude of the theater. Early in the morning the city was draped in mourning, every hotel and almost every house displaying crape from the doors and windows. The newspaper office• on Four- teenth-st. were particularly conspicious for their funeral decorations. The houses of prominent and' well-known Rebels were also noticeable for the display of crape, which was hung out only to shield them from the vengeance of the embryo mob. Frequent rushes were made for every person seen on the streets under guard, but, so far as we learn no one suffered violence. It is a remarkable fact that but few law- less graybacks were seen upon the avenue to-day. Rumors of the capture of the murderer Booth have been in circulation ftequently during the day, and although coming from the most trustworthy quarters, are yet to be confirmed. Secretary Stanton inclines to the belief that he still remains concealed in the city. Evidence has been taken all day at the headquarters of Superintendent Richards, of the Police, and evidence of a conclusive character been received of the assassins both of the President and Gov. Seward and family. Of the guilt of Booth there has since daylight, existed not the slighest doubt. lle and his accomplices, if ',they have left the city at all, are supposed to have escaped across the Eastern branch. Travel has been interrupted during the day, trains have been delayed here, in Bal- timore and at the Relay House. No one is permitted under any pretence to leave the city. I have gathered full particulars of his movements for the greater portion of yes- terday. At about Ba. m., three men called at the office of the National Hotel, and in- quired for Booth. The clerk, Mr. Henry E. Merrick, on sending to his room, inform- ed them that he was not in, after which an earnest consultation was held between the three men, and after making inquiries as to the probable time of his return, they left. Knowing Booth's acquaintances to be per- sons of respectable appearance, Mr. Nei , rick was surprised that he should receive visits from the three men referred to, who were rather shabbily dressed, and had, so he stated, the general look of Southern ref- ugees. This circumstance struck him as singular, and for some time afterward oc- cupied his thoughts. Notwithstanding this he omitted to read the cards which they 11. nally left, but placed them in the box of the room occupied by Booth, to whom they were afterward given. Again at about 11, ho was noticed in the office of the hotel, but nothing remarkable was visible in his appearance, except that he looked usually pale. At about 4 p. m., he again made his ap- pearance at the counter of the office, and inquired of Mr. Merrick whether any letter had been left for him in his absence. Oar, being answered in the negative, he seemed greatly disappointed, and with a nervous air called for a sheet of paper and an en-, velope. Ile was about to write, when the thought seemed to strike him that some one around him might overlook his letter, and: approaching the door of the office, he re-; quested admittance. I should have stated that, when handed the paper and envelopes by Mr. Merrick, the latter jocularly asked 'if he had made a thousand dollars to-day. With a startled look he replied, sutto voce, " No, but I have worked hard enough to, ,have made ten times that amount." On reaching the inside of the office, he! immediately commenced his letter. Hel had written but a few words when he said earnestly, 4. Merrick, is this the year 18641 or '65." You are surely joking, John," !replied Mr. M., " you certainly know what year it is." " Sincerely, Ido not," he re- joined, and on being told, resumed writing. 'lt was then that Mr. M. noticed something troubled and agitated in Booth's appear- ance, which was entirely at variances with This usual quiet deportment. Sealing his letter, he placed it in his pocket and again left the hotel, reappearing and taking tea 'at about 6i o'clock, and leaving the key at ;the office as he went out. Mr. Brady of Brady's Gymnasium here,l saw him on the Avenue opposite Grover's Theater, at about half past four p. m. He was at that time sitting on a small, fine- quoking bay horse, and engaged in conver- !sation with Mr. Mathews of Ford's Theater. IMr. Brady accosted him, and after a few ,minutes conversation on ordinary topics, [passed on without having remarked any- thing extraordinary in his demeanor. The circumstances of his hiring a horse at a Ilivery stable has already been published. An old Degrees living near Ford's theater ,saw him leave his horse in the alley be- jhind it, and subsequently saw him mount and ride away after the assassination. Ile shad formerly kept a horse and buggy in a stable in the same alley, but had on Wed nesday sold both. , ; ?d GOWAN'S ACCOUNI OF THE ASSASSINATION The following statement of Capt. Theo dare McGowan, A. A. G. to Gen. Augur Imay be implicitly relied on as a correct ver. sion of the assassination of Mr. Lincoln : " WASEIINGTON, D. C.,April 14.—0 n the night of Friday, April 4th 1865, in com• pany with a friend, I went to Ford's theater. Arriving there just after the entrance of President Lincoln and the party accompa- nying him, my friend, Lieut. Crawford, and I, after viewing the Presidential party from the opposite side of the dress circle, went to the right side, and took seats in the pas- sage above the seats of the dress cir- cle, and about five feet from the door of the box occupied by President Lincoln. Dur- ing the performance, the attendant of the President came out and took the chair near- est the door. I sat, and bad been sitting,about four feet to his left and rear, for some time. I remember that a man, whose face I do not distinctly recollect, passed me and in- lquired of one sitting near who the Presi- dent's messenger was, and learning, ex- Ihibited to him an envelope, apparently offi- cial,l having a printed head and superscrib- ed in a bold hand. I could not read the address, and did not try. I think now it was inent for Lieut.-Gen. Grant. The man lwent away. Some time after I was disturb• ed in my seat by the approach of a man Iwho desired to pass up on the aisle in which I was sitting. Giving him room by [bending my chair forward, he passed me, and stepped one step down upon the level below me. Standing there, he was almost lin my line of sight, and I saw him while FURTHER DETAILS. For hours after the removal of the Presi- 1 dent's body from the house opposite Ford's, the building was regarded by thousands with the greatest curiosity. Later in the day a little boy was discov- ered rubbing bits of white paper on the steps, and afterwards carefully placing them in his pocket. On being asked to explain the reason for this singular proceeding, he said, with child- ish simplicity, "Don't you see those dark stains on the board ? it is the blood of the President and I want to save it." In years to come how priceless will be those scraps of paper, darkened by the heart's blood of the great emancipator. Booth had left the stage, having made his last appearance in the character of Ro- meo, at the benefit of Miss Avonia Jones, which occurred some three months since at ,Drover's Theatre. The assassin of Gov. Seward and family is believed, from information received at Police headquarters, to be a man named Sattuck, a well-known Maryland rebel. I At least six persons were engaged in the conspiracy, four of whom neglected to per- form their part in the bloody business as signed - sied them by their chief. I ' The report that they affected their escape ,across the Potomac to Mosby is probably !correct. At this time (11:30) Governor Seward is considerably better, and the case of his son, Frederick is regarded by his physicians to' be not altogether hopeless. An autopsy was held at 11 o'clock this morning of the President's body by Surgeon- -1 Gen. Barnes, aided by a number of assist -I ants. On examination, the ball, which, as has been stated, entered the back of the head, near the base of the brain, was found to have taken a direct course to the right eye, the orbinal bone of which it struck, and rebounding lodged several inches from the surface, and resembled in shape the canteen commonly carried by the soldiers. The orifice in the back of the head is per- fectly round and the skull unfractured, so close was tho murderer when he fired the fatal shot. The circular piece of skull was taken from the head ono and a half inches from the orifice. The piece, together with the Deroinger pistol left behind by the as- sassin, and the bullet, were duly sealed and deposited in the War Department. Attempt on the Vice- President, WASHINGTON, April 16, 1865. . We have been shown the card sent to Vice President Johnson's room at the Kirk- wood house the afternoon of the day Mr. Lincoln was assassinated. It bears in legi- ble pencil writing the following : "I do not wish to disturb you, but would lbe glad to have an interview. J. WILKES BOOTH." Mr. Johnson, happening to be out at the time, did not discover till this morning that so suggestive a card had been lying on his table for these memorable two days. Not long since a gentleman came from' Canada to the State Department and gave full particulars of a plot for a general mas- sacre of the chiefs of our government in Washington, which had been divulged in Canada. It was given with such particu- larity as to establish belief in its existence, and it was undoubtedly thwarted by the ex- tra vigilance at that time adopted. Wheth- er this is part of that conspiracy does not yet appear. It is stated that there has been as many as three distinct plots to as- sassinate Mr. Lincoln known to the govern- ment. There is no truth in the rumor that a let-1 ter was receited on Friday night at the State Department giving warning of the assassinations committed that night . A noted guerilla named Paine was, brought into the city this evening, escorted by a large squad of cavalry. Instantly the public took it for granted that he was one, of the assassins, and the wildest confusion; and excitement followed, with cries of "hang him, hang him," filling the air. He was finely dressed in a new suit of anglo- Confederate grey and after examination at the Provost-Marshal's, sent up the Old Cap- itol. The vitality, physical and mental indu-I ranee of the aged and suffering Prime , Min- ister are truly wonderful. His pulse has( improved to-day. The terrible news of Mr. Lincoln's death was broken to him last night, but he bore up under the depressing announcement with remarkable fortitude. The very critical condition of his son Fred- erick has not yet been revealed to him, al- though informed that he was also seriously hurt. A physiological fact as curious as gratifying is stated by his attendidg physi- cians. They say that one of the gashes made down the side of the face has greatly reduced the infiamation and the patient's suffering caused by the fractured bones. They also express the opinion that the sim- ple contrivance of adjusting his jaws in, strong wires, which had just been applied,( ( strong prevented the assassin's bladel from severing the artery. Gashes were leftl Fon the surfaces of these wires where the edge of the dagger had struck them. The painful statement comes to-night that the possibility of Mr. Frederick Sew -1 ilard's recovery is beginning to be despaired' of. lie still remains in an unconcious state. and is evidently sinking, though he may Foot expire for some days. ,Inauguration ofPresident John- son. WASHINGTON, April 16, 1865. Yesterday morning Attorney-General Speed waited upon the lion. Andrew John- son, Vice-President of the United States, and officially informed him of the sudden and unexpected decease of President Lin- coln, and stated that an early hour might be appointed for the inauguration of his suc- cessor. The following is a copy of the com- munication refdrred to. \VASIIINGTON CITY, April 15, 1865. SIR : Abraham Lincoln, President of . the United States, was shot by an assassi last evening at Ford's Theater, in this city and died at the hour of 7:22 o'clock About the same time at which the Pres- ident was shot, an assassin entered the sick chamber of the Hon. W. 11. Seward, Secretary cf State, and stabbed him in sveral places in the throat, neck and face, severely if not mortally wounding him. Other members of the Secretary's family were dangerously wounded by the assassin, while making his escape. By the death ofi President Lincoln the office of President has devolved under the Constitution upon you. The emergency of the Government demands that you should immediately qual-i ify according to the requirements of thel Constitution and enter upon the duties of President of the United States. If you will please make known your pleasure such arrangments as you deem proper will be made. Your obedient servants, Iluo4 M'CuLDocit, Sec't'ry of the 'rreasury. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. GIDEox WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. WILLIAM DENNISON, Postmaster-General. J. P. USHER, Secretary of the Interior. JAMES SPEED, Attorney-General To ANDREW JOHNSON, Vice-President of the United States. Mr. Johnson requested that the ceremo-! nies take place at his rooms of the Kirk-, wood House, in this city, at 10 'o'clock in] the morning. The Hon. Salmon P. Chase, Chief justice, of the United States, was notified of the! fact, and desired to be in attendance to ad- minister the oath of office. At the above named hour the following! gentlemen assembled in the Vice Presi-1 dent's room to participate in the ceremony The Hon. Salmon P. Chase ; the lion. Hugh McCulloch, Secretary of the Treas- ury ; Mr. Attorney-General Speed, F. P. Blair, sr., the Hon. Montgomery Blair, Sen- ators Foot of Vermont, Yates of Illinois, Ramsay of Minnesota, Steward of Nevada,l Hide of New Hampshire, and Gen. Farns-1 worth of Illinois. After the presentation of the above letter,' the Chief Justice administered the follow- ing oath to Mr. Johnson : " I do solemnly swear that I will faith- fully execute the office of President of thel United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of thel United States." After receiving the oath and being de- clared President of the United States, Mr, Johnson remarked : _ _ " GENTLEMEN : I must be permitted tot say that 1 have been almost overwhelmel by the announcement of the sad event which has so recently occurred. I feel in- competent to perform duties so important , and responsible as those which have been so unexpectedly thrown upon me. As, to an indication of any police which may be l pursued by me in the administration of the Government, rhave to say that that must be left for development as the AdministraJ tion progresses. The message or declara- tionl must be made by the acts as they trans-, pire. The only assurance that I can now,' give of the future is reference to the past.! The course which I hsve taken in the pasti in connection with this Rebellion must be, regarded as a guarantee of the future.l My past public life, which has been long' and laborious, has been founded, as I ink good conscience believe upon a great grin-, cipal of right, which lies at the basis of all things. The best energies of my life have: been spent in endeavoring to establish and, perpetuate the principles of free Govern-; merit, and 1 believe that the Government, in passing through its present perils, settle down upon principles consonant with popular rights, more permanent and endur- ing than heretofore. I must be permitted to say, if I understand the feelings of myl own heart, I have long labored to amelior-, ate and elevate the condition of the great, mass of the American people. Toil and an honest advocacy of the great principles of, free government have been my lot. The, duties have been mine—the consequencel are God's. This has been the foundation of my political creed. I feel that in the end, the Government will triumph, and that, these great principles will be permantly established. In conclusion, gentlemen, let, me say that I want yocr encouragment ands ,countenance. sI shall ask and rely upon', Iyou and others in carrying the Governmentl through its present perils. I feel in mak-1 ing this request that it will be heartily re- sponded to by you and all other patriots' and lovers of the rights and interests of al free people." CORN PLANTERS VHE undersigned offers for sale a very Superi- I I Patented CORN PLANTER. _ IThe advantages this Planter has over all others now in the market are as follows, via : 11. It scores out, drops, covers and rolls at the ono opperation, is so constructed that it will plant at a uniform depth, and can be altered to plant at any depth desired. 2. It distributes the corn with such a degree of regularity not to be attaiucc by any other mode, :the plants being 12 inches apart, or, if desired, by ,changing the pinion, 14 inches apart. I 3. The corn being planted in a straight line, al- lows the farmer to cultivate the plants close to :both sides, and thereby gives him an opportunity to work the ground better than if planted in any ttt:tther way. I 4. The experience of those who have used this ' Planter is that the yield is a large per cent. great- er than that planted by any other mode, and 'there is also a great saving of labor. PRICE $25. REFERENCES. Samuel W. Taylor, Thomas Reed, Robt. Taylor, Charlos Nageny, Henry P. Taylor, Samuel K. ,Yoder, Robert Alexander, Wm. Cummings, Henry [Ort, Win. R. Graham, John Hayes, men., John [Hayes, Jr., F. G. Franciscus, John D. Taylor, Lewis A. Stoneroad, Yost Yoder, Gideon Yoder, Mathew Taylor, Mathew B. Taylor, George Sei- gle, C. Wakefield, J. Henry McKee, Jonathan [Detweiler, Jacob Seigler, James M. Brown, Hen- ry Albright, Hon. S. S. Woods, Gen. James Burns, [Hon. James Henry, Dr. Geo. V. Mitchell, John [Reed, Daniel Yoder, John Taylor, John Garret, 'Joseph Alexander, David Yoder, and David Wi- 'throw, of Mifflin county ; John Allen of Juniata county, and all others who have used the Planter 'during the past season. April 21st 1863.-24: L BNER THOMPSON. Pa. At the conclusion of the above remarks the President received the kind wishes of ,the friends by whom he was surrounded. A few momenta were devoted to conver- sation. All were deeply impressed with ;the solemnitylof the occasion, and the recent 'sad accurrence that caused the necessity for the speedy inauguration of the President was gravely discussed. Mr. Johnson is in fine health, and has an ,earnest sense of the important trust that .has been confided to him. William Hunter, esq., the chief clerk of the State Department has been appointed Acting Secretary of State. A special meeting of the Cabinet was [o'cl ock at the Treasury Department at 10 [o'clock this morning. We have a dispatch stating that Booth has been traced to Port Tobacco, Maryland. This may have been his track, in the hope of crossing the Potomac and escaping into Virginia. The intelligence of the President's death created the greatest consternation in Rich- !mond, the people fearing the consequences. f l Secretary Seward is rapidly improving. Hon. F. W, Seward is also getting better.. ille was concious on Monday, and able to. !converse a little. The Diplomatic Corps at Washington held a meeting on Monday, expressed their ' sympathy vrith the government and the family of the President and resolved to at- tend the funeral in a body. The investigations of the authorities at Washington tend to show that the assassin- ation of the President was part of a great conspiracy to kill every member of the Cab- h• ,inet. A riot was threatened in 'Washington be- cause some arrested persons were mistaken for the assassin of the President and Secre- tary. They and the police were atoned, but finally reached the jail. Four persons were sentenced to six months in the Penitentiary in New York, on the 17th, for treasonable language. A rebel flag that had been banging in the par- -1 lor of Mrs. Ex-President Tyler, on Staten deland, was demanded by a number of call- /ers on the evening of the 16th, and it was / surrendered. The excitement against all I favL,ring treason is very great. A man was thrown from a Brooklyn ferry•boat for treas- onable talk. The news of Lee's surrender was receiv- ed with great enthusiasm in Charleston, by crowds gathered to see the old flag restored ,over sumpter. Jeff. Davis was at Macon, Ga., on the 10th. He is said to have $160,000 in gold on deposit in a bank in Havana. The National flag was restored to Fors Sumter, on Friday night, with the most in- teresting ceremonies. The New. Vice-President, :Special D ispatch to the N. Y. Tribune, WASHINGTON,' April_l6th, 1865 The Governors of several. States are in town, and a large number of United States Senators. Senator Foster of Connecticut, now Vice-President, arrived this morning. lie is pronouncz.d by our ablest public de- baters theemost accomplished Parliamenta- rian in the country. A venerable Cabinet Minister, under a former Administration, who has recently returned from abroad, says that the quiet and harmonious movements of our Republi- can form of Government, under our appall- ing calamity, will be the greatest marvel among foreign nations. The Messrs. Blairs have been indefatiga- ble in their efforts to assist the •government in its hour of sublime trial. They have al- so the credit of having done much to tem- p er the overwhelming grief of the Presi- dent 's stricken household. Mrs. Mon, aomery Blair has delicately extended to Mrs. Lincoln an earnest and feeling invitation to make her private resi- dence her home so long as she may remain in Washington. NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. A. DMINIS TRATOR 'S NOTICE. Notice is hereby given that letters of ( Administration on the estate ofJoseph Myers,-late of Harris township, dec'd., have been granted to the undersigned. All prrsons knowing themselves indebted to said estate are requested to make im- mediate payment, and those having claims against the same will present them duly authenticated for settlemant. ELIZABETH MYERS, JOHN MILLIGAN, Administrators. . W ASHINGTON HOUSE. April 21, '65. No 709 Chestnut Street, above 7th. PHILADELPHIA. This old and popular Hotel is situated in the ,very centre of business, and is convenient to the Steamboat and railroad Depots, access from which t) the Hotel, is attainable at all timer The house has been thoroughly renovated and newly furbish- `ed, and in every respect rendered to meet the (wishes and desires of the travelling public. The manager will be pleased to see his friends and former patrons of the "State Union," and to welcome many new ones. CHAS. M. ALLMOND, Manager. April 21st, 1865-Iy,
Transcript of T proo.IASSASSINATION President · 2017. 11. 29. · mentaftera man leaped from the front of" the...
tiltTrit trit iproo. IASSASSINATIONOF
BELLEFONTE. PA.
Friday Morning April 21st 1865.
Terms-42 00 in Advance,
Abraham Lincoln.Again has Good-Friday been rendered a'
day of misfortune and deep calamity by theperpetration of an enormous crime uponmankind ; a crime which is of equal birthwith and stands by the side of that greatonewrought eighteen hundred years ago.Again has a great, noble and wise man, a
genuine priest of Love, of Freedom and ofelevated and progressive Humanity fallenby the assassinating hands of those forwhom he labored in the true spirit of resig-nation ; whom he strove to rescue fromthe punishment of their sins and transgres-sions ; for whom he interceded ; who heardfrom him but words of gentleness, and kind-ness, of mercy and brotherly love ; andwho was prepared—like his great archetype—the Savior of the world—to exclaim ofhis murderers : "Forgive them, they knownot what they do I" Like his exalted pro-totype, he blessed them that cursed him ;
be did well unto them that insulted and per-secuted him ; with a. heart and:mind devotedto the great principles of charity and hu-Ulan beneficence and with words of love for'lie enemies, be died a martyr to the causeof universal liberty, as ordained by the Al-mighty. His name and memory are bless-ed and hallowed forever.
The nation at large mourns the loss of its'great dead, not only as a great national ca-Ilamity, but also as a personal irreparable,loss which grasps with a savage pang eve- 1ry fiber of the human heart. Each one
feels that he has lost a true and tried friend,a father, and a benefactor. Even the un-curbed and slanderous tongue of the enemyis rendered speechless by the enormity ofthe crime, and unites in the general lamen-tations ; for they will not likely find a sec-ond Lincoln as their lenient judge and fath-erly adviser.
All human weaknesses which attached tothe departed -weaknesses which only existedin the almost incomprehensible goodness ofhis heart—now vanishfrom before the mem-ory of his greatness and his wisdom ; andhenceforth Abraham Lincoln will live in thehearts of the American people as the secondWashington, and survive all foes of liberty.
Not alone America, but the entire civiliz-ed world mingles its death lamentationswith our profound national sorrows, and sosoon as the gigantic death-intelligence willhave been borne over the ocean, the loudmurmurings of griefwill sound across thesea mingled with tbeir deep curses for hismurderers and their sympathizers. All na-tions feel that in Abraham Lincoln theyhave lost their best and truest friend ; themost noble champion of their cause andhopes, and the foremost defender of down-trodden nations.
After well-accomplished hard labor, hecrowned the whole with his martyr-death as,the noblest sacrifice to Freedom and llu-1inanity ; and from generation to generationwill the name of our immortal Washingtonbe mentioned and coupled with that of thegreat Lincoln by all nations of the earth.
The murderous hand of the miserable asHlumina that smote Abraham Lincoln, thatessayed to butcher the aged William 11.Seward while in his bed suffering from se-vere injuries, and who also reached for thevitals of E. M. Stanton as well as the restof the Cabinet, were but the tools. Thebeastly spirit and nature which slavery andsouthern nobility inculcates and depraveshumanity—the equally low-lived spirit oftheir northern accomplices, who, for thepast four years uninterruptedly urged themon to hatred, to treason and murder—theyguided the assassins' hands. Let them suf-fer unrelentlessly the most bitter punish-ment. Can a more horrible scene beconceived than the brutal hatchery at thesick-bed of the Secretary of State? Theseare the fruits of the doctrines and teachingsof treason in the North such as the files ofthe Watchman in this place, and other printsin the State abound with. The organ oftheCopperhead party, or rather the Knightsof the golden Circle, in this town, not manymonths ago, inquired if no one could befound to follow the example of CharlotteCordai, and murder the President, whomthe editor called the old tyrant at Washing-ton. (We shall reproduce the article indue time.).:
This blot of the first political assassina-tion which disgraces theRepublic, cannot bewiped out by generous forgiveness. Assas-sination was the motto of the accursed re-bellion from its incipiency : Assassinationof the Union ; Assassination of our poorUnion prisoners ; and assassination of thePresident and ministers of the Republic.The world will shudder at the intelligenceof this unparalelledroprobateness which hasgrown so large in the "model Republic,"and which has a living representative in ev-ery southern chivalier, and in every north-ern friend and sympathizer with the rebell-ion. We must root out this brood in orderto afford peace to the country and cleanse itit from this dark stain. American citizensowe this to themselves and their posterity ;
let the work be carried out as they beganit, and. the Republic will hereafter celebratean Easter for which Abraham Lincoln did1110 i in vain di/ a sacrifice on last Good-Fri-
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.SECRETARY SEWARD ALSO
ASSASSINATED.ESCAPE OF THE ASSASSIN,
WASHINGTON, April 14th.President Lincolu and his wife, together
with other friends, this evening visitedFord's Theatre, for the purpose of witness-ing the performance of the " AmericanCousin."
The theatre was densely crowded, andeverybody seemed delighted with the scenebefore them.
During the third act, and while there wasja temporary pause for one of the actors toenter, the sharp report of a pistol was heard,which merely attracted attention, but sug-gested nothing serious, until a man rushedto the front of the President's box, wavinga long dagger in his right hand, and ex-claiming, '-Sic semper tyrannis !" he imme-diately leaped from the box, which was ofthe second tier, to the stage beneath, andran across to the opposite side, thus makinghis escape, amid the bewilderment of theaudience, from the rear of the theatre, andmounting a horse, fled.
The screams of Mrs. Lincoln first disclos-ed the fact to the audience that the Presi-dent bad been shot, when all present rose totheir feet, rushing toward the stage, manyexclaiming, "hang him ! hang him !"
The excitement was ono of the wildestpossible description, and of course therewas a tough termination of the theatricalperformance.
There was a rush toward the Presidentialbox, when cries were heard, "Stand back !give him air I Has any one stimulants ?"
On a hasty examination it was foundthat the President bad been shot throughthe head, above, and back of the temporalbone, and that some of the brain was ooz-ing out.
lie was removed to a private house oppo-site the theatre, and the Surgeon Generalof the army and other surgeons were sentfor to attend to his condition.
On an examination of the private box,blood was discovered on the back of the,cushioned rocking chair on which the Pres-ident bad been sitting, also on the partition!and on the floor. A common single-barrel- 1ed pocket pistol was found on the carpet.
A military guard was placed in front ofprivate residence to which the Presidenthad been conveyed.
An immense crowd gathered in front ofit, all deeply anxious to learn the conditionof the President. It had been previouslyannounced that the wound was mortal, butall hoped otherwise. The shock to the com-munity was terrible.
When the excitement at the theatre was!at its wildest height, reports were circula-ted that Secretary Seward bad also beenassassinated.
On reaching this gentleman's residence alcrowd and a military guard were found andon entering it was ascertained that the re-ports were based upon truth. Everybodythere was so excited that scarcely an intel,ligible account could be gathered, but thefacts are substantially as follows.
About 10 o'clock a man rang the bell,and the call having been answered by a col-ored servant, he said he had come from Dr.Verdi, Mr. Seward's family physician, witha prescription, at the same time holding inhis hand a small piece of folded paper, andsaying, in answer to a refusal, that he mustsee the Secretary, as be was entrusted witha particular direction concerning the medi-cines.
le still insisted on going up although re-peatedly informed that no one could enterthe chamber. The man pushed the servantaside and walked quickly to the Secretary's 1room, and was there met by Frederick W.Seward, of whom he demanded to see theSecretary, making the same representationwhich he did to theservant. What furtherpassed in the way of colloquy is not known,but the man struck him on the head with a"billy," severely injuring the skull and fel- -1ling him almost senseless. The assassinthen rushed into the chamber and attacked'Major Seward, paymaster in the UnitedStates Army, and Mr. Hansel!, a messen-Iger of the State Department, and two malenurses, disabling them all. He then rush-ed upon the Secretary, who was lying inbed in the same room, inflicting three stabsin the neck, but not severing, it is thought,and hoped, any arteries.
The assassin then rushed down stairs,mounted his horse at the door, and rode offibefore an alarm could be sounded, and inthe same manner as the assassin of theiPresident.
Special Dispatch to The N. Y. Tribune.WASHINGTON, Saturday, April 15-4:50 p. m,
CONDITION OF MR. REWARD AND lIIS BON.
The two Sowards remain about the same.lNo hopes are entertained ofFrederick's life)The frightful gashings of the Secretarywould not of themselves result in his death.lIt is the prostration his system has receiv-;ed from his first injuries which excites 'ap-prehension. Another fracture was yester-day discovered on the other side of his jaw.'but the physicians all agree that he exhibits;wonderful vitality. The hemorrhage last'night was excessive, but his pulse up tothis time is remarkably strong and enccur-aging. His instant death was prevented byhis providentially turning his head afterthe first stab.
By a common impulse everything was'closed, and all business suspended. Everyprecaution has been taken by the War De-'partment to prevent the sweeping tempestof indignation and horror from assumingany retaliatory characters.
Gen Grant has this morning arrived, andis allighted from his carriage at Williards.Nothing is yet determined upon in refer-ence to the President's obsequies. _
The excitement, beginning last night'with the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, con-Itinued unabated this morning. Groups ofpeople were to be seen congregated in every'hotel and on every street corner, listeningto the versions of some one who considered,himself fortunate in having been an eye-witness to the murder. For a time, the ex-cited and exasperated mass surged rapidly;from point to point, as if burning to execute,their vengeance upon some one connected;with the affair, and the reign of mob vio-:lence was seriously apprehended.,' Several)were seen with rolls in their hands, signed]
of citizens, requesting signal
Itures, with the avowed purpose of movingilen mass upon those who are known in townas persistent Rebels.
The feeling of the populance during theday has been one of the deepest and mostintense indignation against the perpetra-tors of Mr. Lincoln's and Seward's assas-sinnation, and every one remarks tho utterimpossibility of full/. realizing as yet thereal magnitude of the great disaster to theINation.
watching the play. He stood, as I remem-ber, one step above the messenger, and re-mained perhaps one minute apparentlylooking at the stage and orchestra below.Then he drew a number of visiting cardsfrom his pocket, from which, with some at-tention he drew or selected one. Thesethings I saw distinctly. I saw him stoop,and, I think, descend to the level with themessenger, and by the right side. Heshowed the card to the messenger, and asmy attention was then more closely fixedupon the play, I do not know whether thecard wise carried in by the messenger, orhis consent given to the entrance of the manwho presented it. I saw, a few momentsafter, the same man enter the door of thelobby leading to the box and the door clos-ing behind him. This was seen because Icould not fail from my position to observeit ; the door side of the procenium box andthe stage were all within the direct and ob-lique lines of my sight. How long I watch-ed the play after entering I do not know.It was, perhaps two or three minutes, pos-sibly four. The house was perfectly still,the large audience listening to the dialoguebetween " Florence Trenchard, and " MayMeredith," when a sharp report of a pistolrang through the house. It was apparent-ly fired behind the scenes, on the right ofthe stage. Locking toward it and behind thePresidential box, while it startled all, itwas evidently accepted by everyone iu thetheater as an introduction to some newpassage several of which had been interpo-lated in the early part of the play. A mo-ment after a man leaped from the front of"the box directly down nine feet on the stageand ran rapidly across it, bare-headed,holding an unsheathed dagger in his righthand, the blade of which flashed brightlyin the gaslight as he came within 10 feet ofthe opposite rear exit. I did not see hisface as he leaped or ran, but I am convin-ced that lie was the man I saw enter. As:he leaped he cried distinctly the motto of.Virginia, " Sic Seinper Tyrannis." Thehearing of this and the sight of thedagger explained fully to me the nature ofthe deed he had committed. In an instanthe bad disappeared behind the side-scenes.Consternation seemed for a moment to rivetevery one to his seat, the next moment con-fusion reigned supreme. I saw the fea-,tures of the man distinctly before he enter-ed the box, having surveyed him contempt-uously before he entered, supposing him tobe an ill-bred fellow who was pressing a
selfish matter upon the President in hishours of leisure. The assassin of the Presi-dent is about five feet nine and a half in-ches high, black hair, and I think eyes ofthe same color. He did not turn his facemore than quarter front as artists term it.His face was smooth, as I remember, withthe exception of a moustache of moderate •size, but of this lam not positive. He was
dressed in a black coat, approximating to a
dress frock, dark pants, and wore a stiff-rimmed, flat-topped, round-crowned blackbat of felt, I think. lie was a gentleman-ly looking person, having no decided or ob-truding mark. He seemed for a momentor two to survey the house with delibera-ion of an habitude of the theater.
Early in the morning the city was drapedin mourning, every hotel and almost everyhouse displaying crape from the doors andwindows. The newspaper office• on Four-teenth-st. were particularly conspicious fortheir funeral decorations. The houses ofprominent and' well-known Rebels were alsonoticeable for the display of crape, whichwas hung out only to shield them from thevengeance of the embryo mob. Frequentrushes were made for every person seen onthe streets under guard, but, so far as welearn no one suffered violence.
It is a remarkable fact that but few law-less graybacks were seen upon the avenueto-day.
Rumors of the capture of the murdererBooth have been in circulation ftequentlyduring the day, and although coming fromthe most trustworthy quarters, are yet tobe confirmed. Secretary Stanton inclinesto the belief that he still remains concealedin the city. Evidence has been taken allday at the headquarters of SuperintendentRichards, of the Police, and evidence of a
conclusive character been received of theassassins both of the President and Gov.Seward and family. Of the guilt of Booththere has since daylight, existed not theslighest doubt. lle and his accomplices, if',they have left the city at all, are supposedto have escaped across the Eastern branch.
Travel has been interrupted during theday, trains have been delayed here, in Bal-timore and at the Relay House. No one ispermitted under any pretence to leave thecity.
I have gathered full particulars of hismovements for the greater portion of yes-terday. At about Ba. m., three men calledat the office of the National Hotel, and in-quired for Booth. The clerk, Mr. HenryE. Merrick, on sending to his room, inform-ed them that he was not in, after which anearnest consultation was held between thethree men, and after making inquiries asto the probable time of his return, they left.Knowing Booth's acquaintances to be per-sons of respectable appearance, Mr. Nei,rick was surprised that he should receivevisits from the three men referred to, whowere rather shabbily dressed, and had, sohe stated, the general look of Southern ref-ugees. This circumstance struck him assingular, and for some time afterward oc-cupied his thoughts. Notwithstanding thishe omitted to read the cards which they 11.nally left, but placed them in the box ofthe room occupied by Booth, to whom theywere afterward given.
Again at about 11, ho was noticed in theoffice of the hotel, but nothing remarkablewas visible in his appearance, except thathe looked usually pale.
At about 4 p. m., he again made his ap-pearance at the counter of the office, andinquired of Mr. Merrick whether any letterhad been left for him in his absence. Oar,being answered in the negative, he seemedgreatly disappointed, and with a nervousair called for a sheet of paper and an en-,velope. Ile was about to write, when thethought seemed to strike him that some onearound him might overlook his letter, and:approaching the door of the office, he re-;
quested admittance. I should have statedthat, when handed the paper and envelopesby Mr. Merrick, the latter jocularly asked'if he had made a thousand dollars to-day.With a startled look he replied, sutto voce," No, but I have worked hard enough to,,have made ten times that amount."
On reaching the inside of the office, he!immediately commenced his letter. Helhad written but a few words when he saidearnestly, 4. Merrick, is this the year 18641or '65." You are surely joking, John,"!replied Mr. M., " you certainly know whatyear it is." " Sincerely, Ido not," he re-joined, and on being told, resumed writing.'lt was then that Mr. M. noticed somethingtroubled and agitated in Booth's appear-ance, which was entirely at variances withThis usual quiet deportment. Sealing hisletter, he placed it in his pocket and againleft the hotel, reappearing and taking tea'at about 6i o'clock, and leaving the key at;the office as he went out.
Mr. Brady of Brady's Gymnasium here,lsaw him on the Avenue opposite Grover'sTheater, at about half past four p. m. Hewas at that time sitting on a small, fine-quoking bay horse, and engaged in conver-!sation with Mr. Mathews of Ford's Theater.IMr. Brady accosted him, and after a few,minutes conversation on ordinary topics,[passed on without having remarked any-thing extraordinary in his demeanor. Thecircumstances of his hiring a horse at a
Ilivery stable has already been published.An old Degrees living near Ford's theater
,saw him leave his horse in the alley be-jhind it, and subsequently saw him mountand ride away after the assassination. Ileshad formerly kept a horse and buggy in astable in the same alley, but had on Wednesday sold both.,
;?d GOWAN'S ACCOUNI OF THE ASSASSINATIONThe following statement of Capt. Theo
dare McGowan, A. A. G. to Gen. AugurImay be implicitly relied on as a correct ver.sion of the assassination of Mr. Lincoln :
" WASEIINGTON, D. C.,April 14.—0 n thenight of Friday, April 4th 1865, in com•pany with a friend, I went to Ford's theater.Arriving there just after the entrance ofPresident Lincoln and the party accompa-nying him, my friend, Lieut. Crawford, andI, after viewing the Presidential party fromthe opposite side of the dress circle, wentto theright side, and took seats in the pas-sage above the seats of the dress cir-cle, and about five feet from the door of thebox occupied by President Lincoln. Dur-ing the performance, the attendant of thePresident came out and took the chair near-est the door. I sat, and bad been sitting,aboutfour feet to his left and rear, for some time.
I remember that a man, whose face I donot distinctly recollect, passed me and in-lquired of one sitting near who the Presi-dent's messenger was, and learning, ex-
Ihibited to him an envelope, apparently offi-
cial,lhaving a printed head and superscrib-ed in a bold hand. I could not read theaddress, and did not try. I think now itwas inent for Lieut.-Gen. Grant. The man
lwent away. Some time after I was disturb•ed in my seat by the approach of a man
Iwho desired to pass up on the aisle inwhich I was sitting. Giving him room by[bending my chair forward, he passed me,and stepped one step down upon the levelbelow me. Standing there, he was almostlin my line of sight, and I saw him while
FURTHER DETAILS.For hours after the removal of the Presi- 1
dent's body from the house opposite Ford's,the building was regarded by thousandswith the greatest curiosity.
Later in the day a little boy was discov-ered rubbing bits of white paper on thesteps, and afterwards carefully placing themin his pocket.
On being asked to explain the reason forthis singular proceeding, he said, with child-ish simplicity, "Don't you see those darkstains on the board ? it is the blood of thePresident and I want to save it." In yearsto come how priceless will be those scrapsof paper, darkened by the heart's blood ofthe great emancipator.
Booth had left the stage, having madehis last appearance in the character of Ro-meo, at the benefit of Miss Avonia Jones,which occurred some three months since at,Drover's Theatre.
The assassin of Gov. Seward and familyis believed, from information received at
Police headquarters, to be a man namedSattuck, a well-known Maryland rebel. I
At least six persons were engaged in theconspiracy, four of whom neglected to per-form their part in the bloody business assigned -sied them by their chief. • I'The report that they affected their escape,across the Potomac to Mosby is probably!correct.
At this time (11:30) Governor Seward isconsiderably better, and the case of his son,Frederick is regarded by his physicians to'be not altogether hopeless.
An autopsy was held at 11 o'clock thismorning of the President's body by Surgeon- -1Gen. Barnes, aided by a number of assist -I
ants. On examination, the ball, which, ashas been stated, entered the back of thehead, near the base of the brain, was foundto have taken a direct course to the righteye, the orbinal bone of which it struck,and rebounding lodged several inches fromthe surface, and resembled in shape thecanteen commonly carried by the soldiers.The orifice in the back of the head is per-fectly round and the skull unfractured, soclose was tho murderer when he fired thefatal shot. The circular piece of skull wastaken from the head ono and a half inchesfrom the orifice. The piece, together withthe Deroinger pistol left behind by the as-sassin, and the bullet, were duly sealedand deposited in the War Department.
Attempt on the Vice- President,WASHINGTON, April 16, 1865..
We have been shown the card sent toVice President Johnson's room at theKirk-wood house the afternoon of the day Mr.Lincoln was assassinated. It bears in legi-ble pencil writing the following :
"I do not wish to disturb you, but wouldlbe glad to have an interview.
J. WILKES BOOTH."Mr. Johnson, happening to be out at the
time, did not discover till this morning thatso suggestive a card had been lying on histable for these memorable two days.
Not long since a gentleman came from'Canada to the State Department and gavefull particulars of a plot for a general mas-sacre of the chiefs of our government inWashington, which had been divulged inCanada. It was given with such particu-larity as to establish belief in its existence,and it was undoubtedly thwarted by the ex-tra vigilance at that time adopted. Wheth-er this is part of that conspiracy does notyet appear. It is stated that there hasbeen as many as three distinct plots to as-sassinate Mr. Lincoln known to the govern-ment.
There is no truth in the rumor that a let-1ter was receited on Friday night at theState Department giving warning of theassassinations committed that night .
A noted guerilla named Paine was,brought into the city this evening, escortedby a large squad of cavalry. Instantly thepublic took it for granted that he was one,of the assassins, and the wildest confusion;and excitement followed, with cries of"hang him, hang him," filling the air. Hewas finely dressed in a new suit of anglo-Confederate grey and after examination atthe Provost-Marshal's, sent up the Old Cap-itol.
The vitality, physical and mental indu-Iranee of the aged and suffering Prime ,Min-ister are truly wonderful. His pulse has(improved to-day. The terrible news of Mr.Lincoln's death was broken to him lastnight, but he bore up under the depressingannouncement with remarkable fortitude.The very critical condition of his son Fred-erick has not yet been revealed to him, al-though informed that he was also seriouslyhurt. A physiological fact as curious asgratifying is stated by his attendidg physi-cians. They say that one of the gashesmade down the side of the face has greatlyreduced the infiamation and the patient'ssuffering caused by the fractured bones.They also express the opinion that the sim-ple contrivance of adjusting his jaws in,strong wires, which had just been applied,((strong prevented the assassin's bladelfrom severing the artery. Gashes were leftlF on the surfaces of these wires where theedge of the dagger had struck them.
The painful statement comes to-nightthat the possibility of Mr. Frederick Sew -1ilard's recovery is beginning to be despaired'of. lie still remains in an unconcious state.and is evidently sinking, though he mayFoot expire for some days.
,Inauguration ofPresident John-son.
WASHINGTON, April 16, 1865.Yesterday morning Attorney-General
Speed waited upon the lion. Andrew John-son, Vice-President of the United States,and officially informed him of the suddenand unexpected decease of President Lin-coln, and stated that an early hour might beappointed for the inauguration of his suc-cessor. The following is a copy of the com-munication refdrred to.
\VASIIINGTON CITY, April 15, 1865.SIR : Abraham Lincoln, President of.
the United States, was shot by an assassilast evening at Ford's Theater, in this cityand died at the hour of 7:22 o'clockAbout the same time at which the Pres-ident was shot, an assassin entered thesick chamber of the Hon. W. 11. Seward,Secretary cf State, and stabbed him insveral places in the throat, neck and face,severely if not mortally wounding him.Other members of the Secretary's familywere dangerously wounded by the assassin,while making his escape. By the death ofiPresident Lincoln the office of Presidenthas devolved under the Constitution uponyou. The emergency of the Governmentdemands that you should immediately qual-iify according to the requirements of thelConstitution and enter upon the duties ofPresident of the United States. If youwill please make known your pleasure sucharrangments as you deem proper will bemade. Your obedient servants,Iluo4 M'CuLDocit, Sec't'ry of the 'rreasury.EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.GIDEox WELLES, Secretary of the Navy.WILLIAM DENNISON, Postmaster-General.J. P. USHER, Secretary of the Interior.JAMES SPEED, Attorney-GeneralTo ANDREW JOHNSON, Vice-President of theUnited States.
Mr. Johnson requested that the ceremo-!nies take place at his rooms of the Kirk-,wood House, in this city, at 10 'o'clock in]the morning.
The Hon. Salmon P. Chase, Chief justice,of the United States, was notified of the!fact, and desired to be in attendance to ad-minister the oath of office.
At the above named hour the following!gentlemen assembled in the Vice Presi-1dent's room to participate in the ceremonyThe Hon. Salmon P. Chase ; the lion.Hugh McCulloch, Secretary of the Treas-ury ; Mr. Attorney-General Speed, F. P.Blair, sr., the Hon. Montgomery Blair, Sen-ators Foot of Vermont, Yates of Illinois,Ramsay of Minnesota, Steward of Nevada,lHide of New Hampshire, and Gen. Farns-1worth of Illinois.
After the presentation of the above letter,'the Chief Justice administered the follow-ing oath to Mr. Johnson :
" I do solemnly swear that I will faith-fully execute the office of President of thelUnited States, and will, to the best of myability, preserve, protect and defend theConstitution of thel United States."
After receiving the oath and being de-clared President of the United States, Mr,Johnson remarked : _ _
" GENTLEMEN : I must be permitted totsay that 1 have been almost overwhelmelby the announcement of the sad eventwhich has so recently occurred. I feel in-competent to perform duties so important,and responsible as those which have beenso unexpectedly thrown upon me. As, toan indication of any police which may belpursued by me in the administration of theGovernment, rhave to say that that mustbe left for development as the AdministraJtion progresses. The message or declara-tionlmust be made by the acts as they trans-,pire. The only assurance that I can now,'give of the future is reference to the past.!The course which I hsve taken in the pastiin connection with this Rebellion must be,regarded as a guarantee of the future.lMy past public life, which has been long'and laborious, has been founded, as I inkgood conscience believe upon a great grin-,cipal of right, which lies at the basis of allthings. The best energies of my life have:been spent in endeavoring to establish and,perpetuate the principles of free Govern-;merit, and 1 believe that the Government,in passing through its present perils,settle down upon principles consonant withpopular rights, more permanent and endur-ing than heretofore. I must be permittedto say, if I understand the feelings of mylown heart, I have long labored to amelior-,ate and elevate the condition of the great,mass of the American people. Toil and anhonest advocacy of the great principles of,free government have been my lot. The,duties have been mine—the consequencelare God's. This has been the foundation ofmy political creed. I feel that in the end,the Government will triumph, and that,these great principles will be permantlyestablished. In conclusion, gentlemen, let,me say that I want yocr encouragment ands,countenance. sI shall ask and rely upon',Iyou and others in carrying the Governmentlthrough its present perils. I feel in mak-1ing this request that it will be heartily re-sponded to by you and all other patriots'and lovers of the rights and interests of alfree people."
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REFERENCES.Samuel W. Taylor, Thomas Reed, Robt. Taylor,
Charlos Nageny, Henry P. Taylor, Samuel K.,Yoder, Robert Alexander, Wm. Cummings, Henry[Ort, Win. R. Graham, John Hayes, men., John[Hayes, Jr., F. G. Franciscus, John D. Taylor,Lewis A. Stoneroad, Yost Yoder, Gideon Yoder,Mathew Taylor, Mathew B. Taylor, George Sei-gle, C. Wakefield, J. Henry McKee, Jonathan[Detweiler, Jacob Seigler, James M. Brown, Hen-ry Albright, Hon. S. S. Woods, Gen. James Burns,[Hon. James Henry, Dr. Geo. V. Mitchell, John[Reed, Daniel Yoder, John Taylor, John Garret,'Joseph Alexander, David Yoder, and David Wi-'throw, of Mifflin county ; John Allen of Juniatacounty, and all others who have used the Planter'during the past season.
April 21st 1863.-24: LBNER THOMPSON.
Pa.
At the conclusion of the above remarksthe President received the kind wishes of,the friends by whom he was surrounded.
A few momenta were devoted to conver-sation. All were deeply impressed with;the solemnitylof the occasion, and the recent'sad accurrence that caused the necessityfor the speedy inauguration of the Presidentwas gravely discussed.
Mr. Johnson is in fine health, and has an,earnest sense of the important trust that.has been confided to him.
William Hunter, esq., the chief clerk ofthe State Department has been appointedActing Secretary of State.
A special meeting of the Cabinet was
[o'clockat the Treasury Department at 10[o'clock this morning.
We have a dispatch stating that Boothhas been traced to Port Tobacco, Maryland.This may have been his track, in the hopeof crossing the Potomac and escaping intoVirginia.
The intelligence of the President's deathcreated the greatest consternation in Rich-!mond, the people fearing the consequences.
f l Secretary Seward is rapidly improving.Hon. F. W, Seward is also getting better..ille was concious on Monday, and able to.!converse a little.
The Diplomatic Corps at Washingtonheld a meeting on Monday, expressed their'sympathy vrith the government and thefamily of the President and resolved to at-tend the funeral in a body.
The investigations of the authorities atWashington tend to show that the assassin-ation of the President was part of a greatconspiracy to kill every member of the Cab-h•,inet.
A riot was threatened in 'Washington be-cause some arrested persons were mistakenfor the assassin of the President and Secre-tary. They and the police were atoned,but finally reached the jail.
Four persons were sentenced to sixmonths in the Penitentiary in New York,on the 17th, for treasonable language. Arebel flag that had been banging in the par--1lor of Mrs. Ex-President Tyler, on Statendeland, was demanded by a number of call-/ers on the evening of the 16th, and it was/surrendered. The excitement against allIfavL,ring treason is very great. A man wasthrown from a Brooklyn ferry•boat for treas-onable talk.
The news of Lee's surrender was receiv-ed with great enthusiasm in Charleston, by
crowds gathered to see the old flag restored,over sumpter.Jeff. Davis was at Macon, Ga., on the
10th. He is said to have $160,000 in goldon deposit in a bank in Havana.
The National flag was restored to ForsSumter, on Friday night, with the most in-teresting ceremonies.
The New.Vice-President,:Special D ispatch to the N. Y. Tribune,
WASHINGTON,' April_l6th, 1865The Governors of several. States are in
town, and a large number of United StatesSenators. Senator Foster of Connecticut,now Vice-President, arrived this morning.lie is pronouncz.d by our ablest public de-baters theemost accomplished Parliamenta-rian in the country.
A venerable Cabinet Minister, under aformer Administration, who has recentlyreturned from abroad, says that the quietand harmonious movements of our Republi-can form of Government, under our appall-ing calamity, will be the greatest marvelamong foreign nations.
The Messrs. Blairs have been indefatiga-ble in their efforts to assist the •governmentin its hour of sublime trial. They have al-so the credit of having done much to tem-p er the overwhelming grief of the Presi-dent 's stricken household.
Mrs. Mon, aomery Blair has delicatelyextended to Mrs. Lincoln an earnest andfeeling invitation to make her private resi-dence her home so long as she may remainin Washington.
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.A. DMINIS TRATOR 'S NOTICE.
Notice is hereby given that letters of(Administration on the estate ofJoseph Myers,-lateof Harris township, dec'd., have been granted tothe undersigned. All prrsons knowing themselvesindebted to said estate are requested to make im-mediate payment, and those having claims againstthe same will present them duly authenticated forsettlemant. ELIZABETH MYERS,
JOHN MILLIGAN,Administrators. .
WASHINGTON HOUSE.
April 21, '65.
No 709 Chestnut Street, above 7th.PHILADELPHIA.
This old and popular Hotel is situated in the,very centre of business, and is convenient to theSteamboat and railroad Depots, access from whicht) the Hotel, is attainable at all timer The househas been thoroughly renovated and newly furbish-`ed, and in every respect rendered to meet the
(wishes and desires of the travelling public.The manager will be pleased to see his friends
and former patrons of the "State Union," and towelcome many new ones.
CHAS. M. ALLMOND,Manager.April 21st, 1865-Iy,
