pagefour

Column Three

[?] who witnessed it as most affecting. He was surrounded by his Cabinet ministers, all of whom were bathed in tears, not even excepting Mr. Stanson, who when informed by Surgeon General Barnes, that the President would not live until morning, exclaimed "Oh, no, General, no-no," and with an impulse natural as it was unaffected, immediately sat down on a chair near his bedside and wept like a child.
Senator Sumner was seated on the right of the President's couch, near the head, holding the right hand of the President in his own. He was sobbing like a woman, with his head bowed down almost on the pillow of the bed on which the President was lying.

Two o'Clock A.M.

The President is still alive, but there is no improvement in his condition.

THE PRESS DESPATCHES

Washington, April 15--12:30 A.M.

The President was shot in the theatre to-night, and is perhaps mortally wounded. SECOND DESPATCH

Washington, April 16--1 A.M

[...] night. He was shot at a theatre.
Secretary Seward was also assassinated. No arteries were cut.

Additional Details of the Assassination

Washington, April 15--1:30 A.M.

President Lincoln and wife, with other friends this evening visited Ford's theatre, for the purpose of witnessing the performance of the American Cousin. It was announced in the papers that General Grant would also be presented; but the gentleman took the late train of cars for New Jersey.
The Theatre was densely crowded, and all seemed delighted with the scene before them. During the third act, and while there was a temporary pause for one of the actors to enter, a sharp report of a pistol was heard, which merely attracted attention, but suggested nothing serious, until a man rushed to the front of the President's box, waving a long dagger in his right hand, and exclaiming, "Sic semper tyrannis" and immediately leaped from the box, which was in the second tier, to the stage beneath, and ran across to the opposite side, 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 disclosed the fact to the audience that the President had been shot, when all present rose to their feet, rushing towards the stage, many exclaiming "Hang him! Hang him!"
    The excitement was of the wildest possible description, and of course there was an abrupt termination of the theatrical performance.
    There was a rush towards the President's box, when cries were heard:-"Stand back and give him air." "Has any one stimulants?"        On a hasty examination it was found that the President had been shot through the head, above and back of the temporal bone, and that some of the brain was oozing out.
     He was removed to a private home opposite to the [theatre?] and a surgeon 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 President had been sitting, also on the partition and on the floor.   A common single barreled pocket pistol was found on the carpet.
     A military guard was placed in front of the private residence to which the President had been conveyed. An immense crowd was 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 community was terrible.
    At midnight the Cabinet, with Messers Sumner, Colfax and Fransworth, Judge Curtis, Governor Oglesby, General [Meigs?], Colonel Hay, and a few personal friends, with Surgeon General Barnes and his immediate assistants were around his bedside.
     The President was in a state of syncope, totally insensible, and breathing slowly. The blood oozed from the wound at the back of his head.
    The Surgeons exhausted every possible effort of medical skill; but all hope was gone.
     The parting of his family with the dying President is too sad for discription.

      The President and Mrs. Lincoln did not start for the theatre until fifteen minutes after eight o'clock. Speaker Colfax was at the White House at time and the President stated to him that he was going, Mrs. Lincoln had not been well, because the papers had announced that General Grant and they were to be present and as General Grant had gone North, he did not wish the audience to be disappointed.
     He went with apparent reluctance and urged Mr. Colfax to go with him, but the gentleman had made other engagements and, with Mr. Ashman, of Massachusetts, bid him goodby.
     When the excitement at the theatre was at its wildest height reports were circulated that Secretary Seward had also been assassinated.
     On reaching this gentleman's residence a crowd and a military guard were found at the door, and on entering it was ascertained that the reports were based on truth.      Everybody there was so excited that scarcely an intelligible word could be gathered. But the Facts are substantially as follows:-
     About ten o'clock a man rang the bell, and the call having been answered by a colored servant, he said he had come from Dr. Verdi, Secretary 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 he was entrusted with particular directions concerning the medicine.
    He still insisted on going up, although repeatedly informed that no one could enter the chamber.   The man pushed the servant aside, and walked hastily towards the Secretary's room, and was then met by Mr. Frederick 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 felling him almost senseless.
     The assassin then rushed into the chamber and attacked Major Seward, Paymaster United States Army, and Mr. Hansell, a messenger of the State Department, and two male nurses, disabling them all.
     He then rushed upon the Secretary, who was lying in bed in the same room, and inflicted three stabs in the neck, but serving, it is thought and hoped, no arteries, though he bleed profusely.
     The assassin then rushed down the stairs, mounted his horse,