John Wilkes Booth: Difference between revisions

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As the audience laughed, Booth took out a pistol, and aimed his pistol at the back of Lincoln's head at near point-blank range. Booth pulled the trigger. Lincoln was laughing when he was shot and passed into unconsciousness with laughter and a smile on his face; Katherine M. Evans, a young actress in the play, who was offstage in Ford's green room when Lincoln was shot, rushed on the stage after Booth's exit, and said; "I looked and saw President Lincoln unconscious, his head dropping on his breast, his eyes closed, but with a smile still on his face".

Lincoln's guest in the box, Major Henry Rathbone lept to his feet and grabbed John Wilkes Booth and Booth dropped his pistol. They struggled and fought, but Booth pulled out his knife and stabbed Rathbone near his shoulder before pushing him against the wall. Booth then turned to jump from the balcony and Rathbone sat up and grabbed onto Booth's coat causing him to dangle over the balcony, Booth fell down to the stage, breaking his leg. He yelled "Sic semper tyrannis!" (Thus always to tyrants.) ~~and escaped leaving the dying President behind.~~ Some witnesses state that he also yelled "The South's is avenged!" An army surgeon saw that Lincoln's wound was mortal. The President was taken across the street from the theater to the Petersen House, where he remained in a coma for nine hours before dying early the next morning. Rathbone recovered from his wounds but his mental state deteriorated in the years following Lincoln's death as he anguished over his perceived inability to thwart the assassination attempt. His mental decline culminated in his murdering his wife, Clara Harris (who was also in the box with Lincoln) on December 23, 1883, fatally shooting her then stabbing her several times. After he killed Clara, Rathbone attempted to kill himself. When the police arrived, the bleeding Rathbone claimed there were people hiding behind the pictures on the wall. The couple's children, who were also almost killed by their father, were taken to live with their uncle, William Harris, in the United States. Rathbone spent the rest of his life in the asylum for the criminally insane. It was as if John Wilkes Booth continued to kill way beyond that fateful evening.

Lincoln's guest in the box, Major Henry Rathbone lept to his feet and grabbed John Wilkes Booth and Booth dropped his pistol. They struggled and fought, but Booth pulled out his knife and stabbed Rathbone near his shoulder before pushing him against the wall. Booth then turned to jump from the balcony and Rathbone sat up and grabbed onto Booth's coat causing him to dangle over the balcony, Booth fell down to the stage, breaking his leg. He yelled "Sic semper tyrannis!" (Thus always to tyrants.) Some witnesses state that he also yelled "The South's is avenged!" He than escaped.

An army surgeon saw that Lincoln's wound was mortal. The President was taken across the street from the theater to the Petersen House, where he remained in a coma for nine hours before dying early the next morning. Rathbone recovered from his wounds but his mental state deteriorated in the years following Lincoln's death as he anguished over his perceived inability to thwart the assassination attempt. His mental decline culminated in his murdering his wife, Clara Harris (who was also in the box with Lincoln) on December 23, 1883, fatally shooting her then stabbing her several times. After he killed Clara, Rathbone attempted to kill himself. When the police arrived, the bleeding Rathbone claimed there were people hiding behind the pictures on the wall. The couple's children, who were also almost killed by their father, were taken to live with their uncle, William Harris, in the United States. Rathbone spent the rest of his life in the asylum for the criminally insane. It was as if John Wilkes Booth continued to kill way beyond that fateful evening.

[[File:Booth's_Grave.jpg|thumb]]

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 As the audience laughed, Booth took out a pistol, and aimed his pistol at the back of Lincoln's head at near point-blank range. Booth pulled the trigger. Lincoln was laughing when he was shot and passed into unconsciousness with laughter and a smile on his face; Katherine M. Evans, a young actress in the play, who was offstage in Ford's green room when Lincoln was shot, rushed on the stage after Booth's exit, and said; "I looked and saw President Lincoln unconscious, his head dropping on his breast, his eyes closed, but with a smile still on his face".
-Lincoln's guest in the box, Major Henry Rathbone lept to his feet and grabbed John Wilkes Booth and Booth dropped his pistol. They struggled and fought, but Booth pulled out his knife and stabbed Rathbone near his shoulder before pushing him against the wall. Booth then turned to jump from the balcony and Rathbone sat up and grabbed onto Booth's coat causing him to dangle over the balcony, Booth fell down to the stage, breaking his leg. He yelled "Sic semper tyrannis!" (Thus always to tyrants.) and escaped leaving the dying President behind. Some witnesses state that he also yelled "The South's is avenged!" <span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">An army surgeon</span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;"> saw that Lincoln's wound was mortal. The President was taken across the street from the theater to the Petersen House, where he remained in a coma for nine hours before dying early the next morning. Rathbone recovered from his wounds but </span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">his mental state deteriorated in the years following Lincoln's death as he anguished over his perceived inability to thwart the assassination attempt.</span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;"> </span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">His mental decline culminated in his murdering his wife, Clara Harris (who was also in the box with Lincoln) on December 23, 1883, fatally shooting her then stabbing her several times. After he killed Clara, Rathbone attempted to kill himself</span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">. When the police arrived, the bleeding Rathbone claimed there were people hiding behind the pictures on the wall. The couple's children, who were also almost killed by their father, were taken to live with their uncle, William Harris, in the United States. </span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">Rathbone spent the rest of his life in the asylum for the criminally insane. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was as if John Wilkes Booth continued to kill way beyond that fateful evening.</span>
+Lincoln's guest in the box, Major Henry Rathbone lept to his feet and grabbed John Wilkes Booth and Booth dropped his pistol. They struggled and fought, but Booth pulled out his knife and stabbed Rathbone near his shoulder before pushing him against the wall. Booth then turned to jump from the balcony and Rathbone sat up and grabbed onto Booth's coat causing him to dangle over the balcony, Booth fell down to the stage, breaking his leg. He yelled "Sic semper tyrannis!" (Thus always to tyrants.) Some witnesses state that he also yelled "The South's is avenged!" He than escaped.
+<span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">An army surgeon</span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;"> saw that Lincoln's wound was mortal. The President was taken across the street from the theater to the Petersen House, where he remained in a coma for nine hours before dying early the next morning. Rathbone recovered from his wounds but </span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">his mental state deteriorated in the years following Lincoln's death as he anguished over his perceived inability to thwart the assassination attempt.</span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;"> </span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">His mental decline culminated in his murdering his wife, Clara Harris (who was also in the box with Lincoln) on December 23, 1883, fatally shooting her then stabbing her several times. After he killed Clara, Rathbone attempted to kill himself</span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">. When the police arrived, the bleeding Rathbone claimed there were people hiding behind the pictures on the wall. The couple's children, who were also almost killed by their father, were taken to live with their uncle, William Harris, in the United States. </span><span style="font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19.1875px;">Rathbone spent the rest of his life in the asylum for the criminally insane. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was as if John Wilkes Booth continued to kill way beyond that fateful evening.</span>
 [[File:Booth's_Grave.jpg|thumb]]