The Tragedy At Washington

From the imiss of tulegraphic dis-i patuLus and correspondente' Iettersl tvhich lumber up tho daiües, and givol joutradictory versions of thö murder off President Lincoln nud tho iittempt tol murder Secretary Suward., we h.vj so- lected tbo followiltg, whioh aro all we bave room for in pur columns, to-day, Wo presume tbey are nearly correct, but Ihat the coolor tisotncntu of actors in the tragic scènes rnay fiod somo mis takes of detail : Washington, April 14. THE ASSASSINAÏIONOF THE PRESIDENT. A most terrible assassination unpuralleled in tho history of the oountry, oo curred a fow moments before cleveu o'clock to night ut Ford's Theater.! President Lincoln aud Mrs. Liuoolo! were soated in a private box on the] right hand sido of the stage, witnessingl the lust act of " Our Aiuerieivu Ooiisin."] At n moment when it was uniisünllyj quiet, the sharp, qaiek report of a pisto] j was hcard, aud a fntl'a sprang out oí the! box to the stage, some ten feet down ] ward, and iviih a knife gleaming in his! hand, ran aoross tho stago out into tho! sidu alley, inouutcd a borse, and rode] like lightning up ïenth etreet. The audicuoü for a rnomont soomedj pnialyzod, for, glancing at the box, the! President had fallen back as if killed or badly wouuded. In ene moment tho terrible reality burst on the assemblage, Thoy rushed townrd the stage and saw the fainting fiirm of the President] brought down tho narrovy stairway,! Kvhere it wus discovercd that ho had been shot through the broast, and badly, [if not mortally vvounded. Aooompan[iod by Mrs Lincoln he was tak mi aoross the streot into a privato resideuce, andj there immediately cared for. The pen fails to describí' the scène of exciteinont as tho faet of the aasassina[tion was realized, together with the lact that the ii?s:issin had escaped. 'l'ho streets all arou'id the theater are jblocked up with people, and all along the avenue it has spread liko wildfire. Iniimodiate stops were taken to ferret jout the agsassiii tlio piltúe statiu.is Jwere notiücd, and overybody aided in ithe effort, but all to uo puipoaü, up to Smiduight, An exainination of persons Iwho notioed tho assassiu to be a raan jwith black whiakers and moustache, shows that ho entered the dress oirolo land passed around to the eranoe of Ithe private box, where withput waiting ia moment he flred at the back of the [President tbrough a closed door. Ha Ithen rushed into the same box through jaiïother open door, the two boxes being Ithrosvn iato oue, and jumped on the stage as described. The pistol shot in the door showed the fact of firing through a closed dcor, while tho pistol foundTdroppcd on the stage, shows that it Was a Iterringor. 'l'ha diabolical plot aeemed caretully arranged, tor the uan know well tho crooked way behindl the scènes of the theater, to got out, orï ie esoaped lbo ohservation of those onl the stage, Evorybody who knows tho man, saysj that J. Wilkes Booth, the actor, is thef assassin. The evidenee is concurrent ati this late escited hour to that effeot. I visited the stage five minutes after the scène occnrred. It was crowded with peoplo, The aotors say the assassin criad, as he jumped down, " I am revenged - Sic semper tyrannis." DELIBÉRATE PKEVAKAT10K3 FO11 THE MCU' PJSJt. ïhe President'fl box at Ford's Thea[ter is a doublé one, or wiuvt ordinary! [constitates two boxes, ia the seoondj itier, at tbe left oí tho stage, Wheo oo-j Icupied by the Presidential party the! [separating partition is removed, and thej [two are thus thrown into one, Thisj ibox is entered from a narrow, dark hall-j way, whioh n tmn is separated fromj the dress circle by a small door, The exainination of the preinises discloses the faot that the acsassin bad fully and deliberately prepared and arranged them íor his diabolical purpose previous to the assembling of the audience. A piece of board one inch thick, bíx inches wide and about three in length served ior a bar, one end being plaoed in an indentation excavated in the wall for the purpose about íour fet from the iloor, and the other against the moulding of the door panel a lew inches higher than the end in the wal!, so that it would be impossible to jar it out of place by knooking on tho door on the outside. Tho demon having thus guarded against inlrusion by any at the audience, next proceeded to prepare a raeans of observiüg the position of the parties iuside the box. With i girnlet or small bit he bored a hole in tho door pauel, which he uiterwards reiuucd out with his knif'o so as to leave it a little lurge than a buckshot on the inside, while it was sufffioiently large on the outside in te dark lontry for him to place bis eye against with conveniencc, and seo tho positiou occupied by the President and his lriends. Uoth box doorg were perforated in liko mauner. But spring loeks woro on eaeh of these doors, and it was barely possible that they might be fastened. To provide against such ai) emergeney the sorows vvhioh fasten the bolt huspB to the wood had been partially withdrawn, and leffc so that whüu they would afford little or no resistanco to u firm pregsuro upon the door from tho outside, HaviDg thus provided for a sure and easy eutrance to tho box, tho uext busi uess was la insure a clear and unob structed passage to lbo locality of the vio tiuijby sueli an arrangement of the chairs and sofiis aa would place the o.thei' occupants at consideniblo distaued from [hitn. '-Ehe rocking or easy chair ocouipied by Mr. Liuooln was found in the front corner of the box, fartliest from the stage. Another for Mrs Lincoln, a IliUlo remoto from the front, while Ithe otlier chairs and a sofa woro all Iplaaed on the side nearest the stage, [loaving the centre of thr spaeious box [clear for the bloody opeiations of the laütor. SUortLy aÜeB euteriag the fatal box Ithe President seaUd tiuiself in the chair ïdesigned for him by th,o assassin... Mi-t I4nolo took ne uear him, Miss Hairis ftlie no Mt the opposile coinei', ironting tho audiouce, and Mr. Rathbun seated Ihiiusulf upou the Eofa, a few foct buhind Miss Harria. Tlieie were no other pur-B sons in the box, aod no nne entered orS ileft it until about the time of assassiua-R tion. Charles Forbos, tho personal at-jg teixiantof tho, PioMik'ut, had been tbldg by Mrs. Linooln to remaiti near thoïï box, as ha inigbt ho wantod. The i?resi-B idoufc seemed well, thojgh eonjewhat sad.ïf aud spóke vory little. Ho arosa onooS during tho performance, went to tfiefl door ui tho box, put on bie overooat,K and then rcturuad to his uhuir and satg down, SIAJOK EATUEUN'S STATEHKNï. The deed was perpetraied duriag thef seoond scène of Ihe third aot of the piecp, by somo man wLo must havo ap-fe priiaohed stealthily and ucseon throughl lbo dark passago ut the back of lbo box.l Major Raihbun was uot avvaro ui hint'; ] ïcsüioe lili hcariug the report of a pia-fl ItoT, and, looking ronud, saw tho ilash,B aüd dimly tlnougl] the sjnoko the for;u 5of a niiiü ïu tho box, uot more than sixl jfect from the President. As tlio major Jspruug towards hitn ho heutvl liim shiiek jdoinu word like '' freedoni." lic theu fsuized liiai. The fis.sa.jsin shook loose ■f ram the ollk-.er's grap, aud ut tho name :ime made a vlolunt thruat at his luft jhreaa' with tho kuife whiüh. ho hcl.l in ■bis hand. Major Bathbuti oaught the Iblow on his loft arm near the houlder, land at once sprang for him again, but louly aucüooded in grasping hia clotliing, Jwhich he partly tore from hun as he llcapcd from the box to the stage. The SIajor then oried out " Stop that mau,"l land, feupposing it impoaniblo ior biin tol lescape through the crowd below, rushodl iback to the President and to the aid of JMrs. Liucoln, who, for the firat time rt'alizing what had oeeurred, was shriek■ing for help, The President had not Ichanged hia poaitiou, excopt.that his leyes wero clcsed, and bid hoad ylightly iheut forward. Major Rithbun saw at ia glanco that he was mortally wouudod He went to the door of the 'oox for the purpose oí procuring medical aid, and co bis astuuisbuteut iound the outer door at the end of the dark huil fVom which the boxes are entered, firmly haiT-ï ed on ihe iusido with a pieoe ai woodl wedgod aoross abont four foot trom thei floor ; so that thosO oiüside who werol kaoeking for admission eftuld uut get in.l Toaring away tbe fastenipgs and vv.-i-% ing in one or two persous who. ïopre- 'seuted theinselvea as, surgcoD.s, he re-I (juosted Captain Cravrford to prevent alll iother persona froin ontering the box, and begged the audienco to disperse. I When the surgeons had eoucludod thoir osaminations, it was dcoided to remove the body from the thoater, and ïacoordingly the whole party, including Major Eathbun, who Imd charge of Mrs. iLiiiooln, proeeeded toa house opposite. I THE ATTACK UWIS SBORÜTARV 8BWARB. Tlio Seoretary of Stato has boen lying [dangerously ill for somo days at bis ros tiderne, from injuries recoivod by a fall ironi his carriage. Jlis conditioa was leueh as to uxeite profound alarm for his leüovery. Within a few minutes of ten o'clock a well-drossed person presented jhimself at the door, bolding a paper in jhis hand, which ho reprosented as beiug la presoription from Dr. Vordi. Passing Jthu servant at the door, he strode for iward to tho sick ehamber, where he was oonfrouted by Fred. Scward, who quos üoned him of his business. Finding hisj ontrauce blocked and his pretenses vain,] he struck the sou over the head two] forcible blows with eithor a slungshot or a pistol, but more probably the latter, felling him inseneibly. The unknown nssassin then rushed into the room, and attacked the Secretnry as ho was lying on his back in the bod, outtiDg three jvery sovere gashes in the neck, as if ái was the evident dotermination to cutH bis throitt. The messonger of the Du-B ipartipont of State, who was present, nursing Mr. Seward, mraediatoly jurap-fi Bed upou the inurderer, and wrest!cdfg Iwith hioi fora minute, when tbe wretohs jcufca frightful gash iü bis side, whioh itg Bis thought wül prove mortal, Miss 8e-jj ward wbo was present, iainted at theH ghastly sight. Paymaster Major Seward ooming upS at this juQcture, received a out from theH knife in the banda of the aesassin. Inra the ineantime the Secretary of State hadj presence of mind to roll out of bod,g and tt)U8, perhaps,esoapedfurther injury.l The life of the messenger is deBpairodH of, as one o{ the ribs is cut, and a terri-1 hle gash made in his side. Mr. Fred.l Seward's skull is broken in two places, and to day he was submitted to theg operation of tropanning, ïhe bloody villain in tbis oase esoap-ffl ed without leaving any trace as to bisa iadentity. He was soen by persons ap-g proaohing to ride off toward Fifteenthl street. Suspicious rest upon variousl persons, John Surratt a young Balti 1 raorean, being among the most promi-I uent, as he has been a companion ofl Booth for some timo, and is believed toa bava bired a horse at the livory Btablei whera Booth obtainod his. Wasiiwoïon, April 17. I Goo. F. liobinson, a soldier uurse wbol was in attendance on Secretary SewardJ on Friday nigbt bas related oiroum-f stantially tbe prooeedings inthe chaui 1 ber. from wbich it appears tbat it wasl through his brave endeavors that theï coDsurnmatLou of the murderoua designsa of the fiand were fruf trated. According ta Robinson'a narrativo,! Frederick Seward, Major Seward, aod Mr. Hansell, wero all wounded on the stairway, as heretoforo ratintioned in this correspondenoe. As Robinaon opened the door to Icarn the cuuso of the turbaneo without, the man siruck at his breast. Iu his hand he had a long koife, the blade of which appoared to be about twele iuchöB in longth, and oue iu wiJth, Robinson tréed to opposo his progresa, and raised his arm to parryS tiio blow. The consequonco was that ai wxund was iufjicted in the pentrp of hisï forehead close to the hair, which hol woars turned back. The knife glancedj uud the clenohed hand iu which the mani held tho daggor came down upou Mr.j Robiuson's face, and felled b,im to thül floor. Miss Seward at thia juneture es 1 caped froin the room and ran to theï front v.indow screambg murdor, The assassin lcsiped t.o the bed wherol Mr. Seward lay, still apparently in af Hhelplesg, conditioi), and gave a tremcnd-2 Kous blow at bis fivce. He missod Ii i sj iinark, however, and ajmost feil acniss] Ijlr. Soward'8 body. By this time iujhj Jiusou had reeovereti, jampcd on lb' &' and caught hold of the assassin's arms.S While be was thus attemptiug to boldffl the assaasin, tKo lattfr strook Mr. 'Se-j ward on the lolt side oí the face, aadjÉ jtlien onthe-;rigbt side. TCe adsrisuinl [then raised p, und ho and KobinsoDfj came to the floor togcthor.. They both got on their feot, Itobiuaon Bfcill keepingS a Ërm hold of liiiu. The assassing reached Kis feft arm over Robiuson'sï shoulder, and eudcavored to force himji to the floor. Findiog lio could not han-H die Ko'onirfon inthat position, he dropp-g ed hia knife whicb had been foroedl agtiluaL lïobiuson'a iace iu handg wbioh was around his Deck, caught hold ofg R(-binsüü's right arm with bis lefthand,ij jand strnt'k behind liübmsoa with thel jknile. They Btill coutinued to strugglel jfiir a few momenta, Kobinson forciogS jhiiu lowards the door, which was opeB,8 Iwith the intcntiuti of tbrowing hiia overB die bauister. Whoii thoy bad nearjy roaclied. thel door, M;ij. Augustus Seward onteredS the room. Robiiiciou called on him tol t,nke the kutfe out of the aeaasain'a hand.i The lattor thea struck RobiiiBon ia thei stomach, and kiiooliing him down,brokeï away from Blaj. Sewurd, and ruahedS down stairs. Duriug the soufflé, when, he cannot say, Robinson received a w.mnd quite eorious, sotne two iüches in breadth on tho upper part of the right shoulder blade, another a little lower down on the same side, aad another slight one on the Jeft shoulder. While Istruggling with the man near the bedaside, hu had seized the wrist of his right Ihand iu whiob was the dagger, and did not release his hold until knocked down by the assussio near the door, and after Major Seward had come to his assistance. He returned to the room after he fouud that the assassin had esóaped, and found that tho Seoretary had got off the bed oo to the floor, dragging with him the bodclothes, and was lying __1 .3 J TT ' il u a pyi 01 o:oou. upon going to tue Seweiary, he found uo pulse in his iripit, aud stated to Miss Seward, who ïad returned to the room, and asked if icr father was doad, that he believed ha xtxa, but upon a second examination [lobinsón ascertained that his heart was still beatiog. The Secretary then said 1 I atn uot dead Send for the polioe ind a surgoon, and olose the house." He then placed the Secreta ry on the bed, ;oiling him he must Dot talk. Mr. 8evard did not speak afier that. Mr. lïobinson reniained with Mr. Seward till 11 o'olook the next mornDg, when he was removed to the Douglas Hospital. Every attention is aeing paid to this brave man by tho jttendants of this institution. Inauguration of President Johnson. On Saturdaj7 inorning Attorney Genrirai Spoed vvaited upon Hon. Andrew Johnson, Vioe President of the United Statee, and offioially informul him of the sudden and unexpected death of President Lincoln. The foilowing ia a aopy of the cnmmunication : Washington, April 15, 1865. Sie - Abraham Lineoln, President of tho United States, was shot by aa assassin last evsning at Ford's Theatre in this city, and died at the hour of 7:22 this raorn'iDg. About the same time at whioh the President was shot, an assassin entered the sick chamber of the Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Seoretary of látate, and etabbed him in goveral places! in tho throat, neok and face, severely il] not iBortally woundiug him. Other] members of the Secretary's fiimily were! dangerously wouDded by the assassiti.j By the death of President Lineoln, the ioffice of President has devolved uuder' the Oonstitution upon you. The emerjgoncy of tho governmenL demanda that you should immediately qualify accord ing to the requirements of the Ooastilution and enter upon the duties ofj Prosident of tho United States. If you jwill ploaso make known your pleasure,] such arrngoments as you deern proper! i.rill r nrt n An Yo.ur obedient servants, (Sigued). HUGH McOULLOUGH, Sec Treas'yi E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.fl G. WELLES, Secretary of Navy. WM. JENNI8ON, Postuiaster Gen. I J.P. TJSHER, Secretary of Interior.l JAMES SPEED, Attorney General. To Andrew Johnson, Vice President of thel United States. Mr. Johnson requested that the oere-ï mony take placo at Lis rooms at thal JKirkwood house, in this city, at 101 jo'clock in the morning. Hoq. Salmoni P. Chase, Chief Justice of tbe Uuitedg [States Supreme Court, was notifled ofl jthe fact and desired to bo in attendanaef jto adrninister the oath of ofljoe. I At the obove named hour, the, Sfollowing gentlemen met in the Vicei IProsident's room to particípate in thef Scereinouy ; Ilón. S. P. Chase, Won. H.j McCulloob, Attoroey General Speed,] F. P. Blair, Senator Foote of VermontJ Yates of Illinois. The Chief Justice! Jadministered the oath to Mr. Johnson. I I do solemuly swear that I will faith-S Bfully exeoute the office of President afl Ithe United States, and will to the best! Sof my ability preserve, protect and do I fend the Constitution of the Unitodi States. After receiviug the oath andbeing de-l jclared President of the United StatesJ Mr. Johnson remarked ; ökntlemen - I must be permitted toa Isay that I have been almost overwhelm-l ed by the announoetnent of the sad event i which has so recen tly ocourred, I foeli incompetent to perfora duties so impor I tant and responsable as tho3e which have! been bo unexpectedly tlirown upon me. i As to an indicatiou of anv poliov! vvhich may be pureued by ine in the ad-I niiiiistration of the governmeüt, I have! jto say that that must be ieft for devel-1 Sopment as the administraron progreases.j lïhe message of declaration inuet bej jinade by the acts as they transpire. The! ouly assuranco that I caD now gire ofj jtiie future is a reference to the pnst.j The course which I have takeo in! [the past ia conneetion with the rebel-j jíion piust ba rugai'ded as a guaran tee of] jthe future. My past public life whieh ïhaa boen long and laborious, has been ïi'üuuded, as I in good consoience believe, Jupón a great principio of right wbich ■lies at the basis af all thiags. The best ïeuergies of my life have been spent iu jcudeavoring to establish and perpetúate jthe principies of free government. I Ibolieve that lk,o governmeüt in passiug through its p.oseut porils will setUe ïdawu upon princitilcs oonsonaut with popular rights, more permanent and en-ij daring than heretoforo. I must bo por-g. mitted to say, if I undei stand the feel-g iuga of my owd Leart, I have long labored to ameliorato and elévate iheK condition of the gFEat mussof the Amer-ÏS iöa 'peoplo. ToM aud an honeat advü-B eacy of tho ' great principies of freels governmcnt havo baen my lot. T'10 dutiea havo been mino, tho consequeocesil are Gcd's. ThU has been the founda-n' tion of my political creed. I feel that ing the end the governmert will triumpb,fi and that these great principios will bos Ipermanently established. In conclusión, g igeutlemuQ, lot ine say that I want jourE :encouragoment ftnd countenance, I shallB ,aak and rely upoa you to aid in oarryiugg the government tbrougb ita ppesentH perils. I feel in making this reqaestH that it will bo heartily responded to byB you aod all otber patriota and lovers ofS the rights and interests of a free people.B At the conclusión of bis remarks, theg President rooeived the kind wishes ofS the friends by whomhewas snrrouudod.fi A few moments were devotod to conver-1 aation. All were deeply impressedS with the solemnity of the occasion, a&dH the receDt sad oocurrenon that causedi the necessity for the speedy inaugura-1 tion of the President. Mr. Johnson isa in fino heaUb, and bas an earnest senseï of tho important truth confided in him. I Wm. Hunter, Ohief Clerk in tbel State Department, has been a;pointedB Acting Secrotary of State. A special meeting of the Oabinet wasl hold at the Treasury Department at lof o'clock thls morning. S" Booth, the murderor of Presi-l dent Lincoln was at large at our lateatl dates, but tho autborities speak of bisl arrest aa certain. We hope that it ie,J for it would disgraoe the Americanï name to have so vile a wretch escape.