Grade 4 Reading Information - First and Secondhand Accounts

Story 1 - Lincoln's Assassination

For a few moments all was quiet, and the play again held my attention until, suddenly, the report of a pistol was heard, and a short time after I saw a man in mid-air leaping from the President's box to the stage, brandishing in his hand a drawn dagger. His spur caught in the American flag festooned in front of the box, causing him to stumble when he struck the stage, and he fell on his hands and knees. He quickly regained the erect posture and hopped across the stage, flourishing his dagger, clearing the stage before him and dragging the foot of the leg, which was subsequently found to be broken, he disappeared behind the scene on the opposite side of the stage. Then followed cries that the President had been murdered, interspersed with cries of "Kill the murderer!" "Shoot him!" etc., from different parts of the building. The lights had been turned down, a general gloom was over all, and the panic-stricken audience were rushing toward the doors for exit and safety.

Story 2 - Lincoln's Assassination

On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was warned by multiple people not to attend the play at the Ford Theater that night, but Lincoln insisted on going. When he arrived at the Ford Theater, the play had already begun. The play, “An American Cousin” was stopped temporarily to greet and seat the president. Then the play continued for a while. Lincoln’s bodyguard was relieved of his duties for a short period of time. Then around 10:30 p.m., John Wilkes Booth came into the presidential box and shot Lincoln in the head. Booth jumped over the box and onto the stage. There was much confusion. Booth was very famous in the area since he was an actor. So, many people in the audience thought this might be part of the play. When Booth landed on the stage, he injured himself and hobbled away.