John Wilkes Booth (From a photograph taken in 1864)

John Wilkes Booth (From a photograph taken in 1864)
Identifier: abrahamlincol1479coff (find matches)
Title: Abraham Lincoln
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Coffin, Charles Carleton, 1823-1896 Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Sovereign Grand Lodge
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Presidents
Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant



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property. The Idesof March had brought humiliation to the Confederacy. Why shouldnot the world be rid of such a despot? Booth had often exclaimedupon the stage: Shall Rome stand under one mans awe? What Rome?My ancestors did from the streets of RomeThe Tarquin drive, when he was calld a king. Speak, strike, redress !—Am I entreatedTo speak and strike ? O Rome! I make thee promise,If the redress will follow, thou receivstTliy full petition at the hand of Brutus! Why should not John Wilkes Booth enact in life what he had per-formed upon the stage—avenge the South and make his name famous ?It is not probable that he gave any thought as to what benefit or lossmight come to the people of the Southern States by murdering thePresident. Revenge and vanity impelled him. He determined to senda bullet through the brain of the tyrant who had conquered anddespoiled the South, Avho had walked in triumph through the streets ofthe capital of the Confederacy. Passion and self-gratulation had taken
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JOHN WILKES BOOTH. (From a photograph taken in 1864.1 THE CLOSING SCENE. 521 possession of him. Every detail of preparation and execution wasthought out. He knew the President was to attend the theatre. Asan actor he had been many times upon its stage, and was acquaintedwith all its passageways. He visited the building, examined the boxwhich would be occupied by the Presidential party, bored a hole in itsdoor through which he might look before entering to fire the fatal shot.His forethought provided a wooden bar to be placed across another dooropening to the area behind the box. By this means he could preventany interference with the execution of his plans. That the world mightknow his motives and applaud his act, he wrote a carefully preparedstatement, which he intrusted to a fellow-actor, Mr. Mathews, to be de-livered to the National Intelligencer for publication. He hired a fleet horse at a livery-stable, and rode the animal to ac-custom himself to its gait. His scheme contemplated