The life, crime, and capture of John Wilkes Booth,: with a full sketch of the conspiracy of which he was the leader, and the pursuit, trial and execution of his accomplices./ By George Alfred Townsend.

A Su of da yst".
ri' latter made a hole in the wainotting aid pended them fiorm
strings, so that they fell within the plastered wall of the room below. On
,he very afternoon of the murder, Mrs. Burratt was driven to Surrattsville,
and she told John Lloyd to have the carbines ready because they would
be called for that night. Harold was made quartermaster, and hired the
horses. He and Atzerott were mounted between 8 o'clock and the time
of the murder, and riding about the streets together.
The whole party was prepared for a long ride, as their spurs and gaunt
lets show. It may have been their design to ride in company to the Lower
Potomac, and by their numbers exact subsistence and transportation; but
all edifices of murder lack a corner stone. We only know that Booth ate
and talked well during the day; that he never seemed so deeply involved
in' oil," and that there is a hiatus between his supper here and his appearance at Ford's theater.
Lloyd, I may interpolate, ordered his wife a few days before the murder
to go on a visit to Allen's Fresh. She says she does not know why she
was so sent away, but swears that it is so. Harold, three weeks before the
murder, visited Port Tobacco, and said that the next time the bo) s heard
of him he would be in Spain; he added that with Spain there was no extradition treaty. He said at Surrattsville that he meant to make a barrel of
money, or his neck wouild stretch.
Atzerott said that if Ihe ever came to Port Tobacco again he would be
rich enough to buy the whole place.
Wilkes Booth told a friend to go to Ford's on Friday night and see the
best acting in the world.
At Ford's theater, on Friday night, there were many standers in the
neighborhood of the door, and along the dress circle in the direction cf thi
private box where the President sat.
The play went on pleasantly, though Mr. Wilkes Booth an observer of
the audience, visited the.stage and took note of the positions. His alleged
associate, the stage carpehter, then received quiet orders to clear the pi
sage by the wines from the prompter's post to the stage door. All this
time, Mr. Lincoln, in his family circle, unconscious of the death that crowded fast upon him, watched the pleasantry and smiled and felt heartful of
gentleness.
Soddenly there was a murmur near the audience door, as of a man
speaking above his bound. He said:
"Nine o'clock and forty-five minutes!"
These words were reiterated from mouth to mouth until they passed the
theater door, and were heard upon the sidewalk.
Directly a voice cried, in.the same slightly-raised monotone:
"Nine o'clock and fifty minutes-!"
This also passed from man to man, until it touched the street like a
shudder.
"Nine o'clock and fifty-five minutesJ" said the same relentless voide
after the next interval, each of which narrowed to a lesser span the life o
the good President.
Ten o'clock here sounded, and conspiring echo said in reverberation:
"Ten o'clock!"
So like a creeping thing, from. Ip to lip, went:
" Ten o'clock and five minutes."
(An interval.)
"Ten o)'clock and ten minutes I"
At this instal Wilkes Booth appeared in the door of the theater, ad
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