Hence the assassin could quite easily enter the box, and having delivered the shot, leap on to the stage and thus make his escape.

At a little after twelve o'clock on Friday last, John Wilkes Booth, by profession an actor, well and heretofore favourably known in our theatrical world, sauntered slowly into Ford's Theatre, in Frith-street, Washington, and engaged in desultory conversation with the box-keeper, with whom he was well acquainted. Incidently he learned that the President, with his family and one or two friends, would witness the play that evening from their box. After some further conversation, Booth withdrew and passed down the street to Pennsylvania-avenue, stopping at the Kirkwood House, at which hotel Andrew Johnson (now President) then occupied rooms. Entering the bar-room, he saluted one or two friends, and drank a glass of liquor; then, proceeding to the office, he called for a card and a sheet of note paper. Standing at the counter he wrote upon the card these words :"For Mr. Andrew Johnson: I don't wish to disturb you. Are you at home?" This message having been sent to Mr. Johnson, that gentleman returned word by the servant that he was very busily engaged, and could see no one at that time. Booth then passed around behind the counter, and seated himself at the clerk's desk-a familiarity frequently permitted on the part of persons intimately acquainted in and about our hotels. Here he

began writing, but had indited but one or two words, when he turned to the clerk and said, "What year is it 1864 or 1865 ?"

care.

After a moment's

pause he added, "I don't know actually." He was furnished with the desired information, and shortly after finished his letter, which he sealed with great Then passing out again toward the street, he met one or two acquaintances, to whom he bowed. in his usually courteous manner. Before leaving the hotel finally, however, he returned to the office and said to the clerk, "Are you going to Ford's tonight? There'll be some splendid acting there;" and receiving a negative answer, he slowly left the house. Going thence immediately to a well-known livery stable, he hired a very fast, handsome, strong bay mare, informing the proprietor that he would call for her toward night. Here all actual trace of him is temporarily lost, but with the information now at hand it is easy to conjecture, with almost absolute certainty, what his movements were. Leaving the livery stable he proceeded (without a doubt) to the theatre he had visited in the morning, and which was to be attended by the President at night. From his familiarity with the premises, he doubtless gained access to the auditorium and dresscircle over the stage, without difficulty. Passing from the dress-circle into the Presidential box, he first carefully removed the screws which held the spring-hasp of one of the doors, cutting out the thread made by the screws in the wood, and re

inserting them in their proper places. Thus he prepared the door, so that a very slight push from the outside would force off the hasp and allow free ingress. Going to the outer door of the narrow private passage way in the rear of the box, out of which passage way the two box doors opened, he made an indentation in the plaster of the wall sufficiently deep to admit the insertion of a small wooden bar, one end of which placed in this orifice and the other against the moulding of the door panel would prevent, for a time at any rate, any entrance from without. These affairs completed, Booth arranged the chairs in the box in such a way that the President at the right would sit with his head in a line with a certain point on the panel of the box door nearest the stage. He then left the theatre and returned to the livery stables, it being now about four o'clock, P.M. Here he took the mare which he had hired, and, mounting her, he rode up Fifteenth-street to Tenth, turning into an alley which led directly to the rear of the theatre. Fronting the alley is a small stable in which Booth had kept his own horse for several weeks, and in this stable he left the mare. From this time until after eight o'clock in the evening he passed the time in sauntering from bar-room to bar-room, drinking frequently. The last time he appeared in this way was in a drinking shop near the theatre, which he entered in company with three or four unknown persons. After imbibing, each member of the party

shook hands with Booth and then with each other, each bidding the other "good bye" in a formal and impressive manner.

Let us now turn for a few moments to the executive mansion. In one of the parlours were Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, Speaker Colfax, Miss Harris, and Major Rathbone. General Grant had promised to join the party at the theatre, but having finally decided to go to Burlington, he left for that city, in company with his wife, during the afternoon. The Presidential carriage was in waiting, and Mrs. Lincoln, speaking to her husband, in a half-jesting, halfserious manner, said, "Well, Mr Lincoln, are you going with me or not?' The President turned to Mr. Colfax (whose visit was of a purely private nature), and answered to him, "I suppose I shall have to go, Colfax;" upon which the latter gentleman departed, and the Presidential party was shortly afterwards driven to the theatre. At the door he met Booth, between whom and himself the usual salutation passed. Entering the box, the President took his seat in the chair designed for his use, and peculiarly located by Booth, occupying the outer corner of the box most remote from the stage. To his left sat Mrs Lincoln; next her, and nearest the stage, Miss Harris; in the rear of all, Major Rathbone. The box, which was lined with crimson paper, and contained a sofa covered with crimson velvet, three armed chairs covered in like manner, and six common cane-bottomed chairs, was curtained

in front with two silken United States' flags, one of which, as will be hereafter seen, was destined to play no unimportant part in the fearful drama about to be enacted. When the Presidential party entered the box, the audience rose and cheered enthusiastically, which compliment Mr. Lincoln returned by a bow.

The curtain rose and the play began. Mr. Lincoln paid considerable attention to the comedy enacted before him. This play, Our American Cousin, has enjoyed even greater success in England than in this country, owing to Mr Sothern's impersonation of Lord Dundreary. The actors improved the opportunity afforded them by the presence of Mr Lincoln, and interpolated many sentences, having a bearing upon recent events, or upon the peculiarities of the President. At several of these innovations-known in theatrical idiom as "gags -Mr Lincoln laughed audibly, particularly at one introducing his favourite saying, "That reminds me of a little story." The President's countenance was peculiarly sombre during the greater part of the evening, however; he seemed to be in deep thought, and once, without any apparent reason, he went to the rear of the box, and put on his overcoat.

Booth entered the theatre at a little after eight o'clock, and passed into the dress circle. Here he remained, leaning against the wall, and occupying a secluded position during the whole of the first