horse held by Mr. Spangler, and without vouchsafing that person a word
of information, rode out through the alley leading into F street, and
thence rapidly away. His horse's hoofs might almost have been heard amid
the silence that for a few seconds dwelt in the interior of the theater.

[Illustration: _A_ Miss Laura Keene's Position. _D_ Movable partition
wall not in place on Friday. _P_ Position of the President. _X_ Flats.
_B_ Dark Passage-way--Position of Sentry. _E_ Exit, or Stage Door. _MM_
Entrance to Box. _CCC_ Entrance to Dress Circle, _H_ Position of Booth's
Horse.]

Then Mrs. Lincoln screamed, Miss Harris cried for water, and the full
ghastly truth broke upon all--"The President is murdered!" The scene
that ensued was as tumultuous and terrible as one of Dante's pictures of
hell. Some women fainted, others uttered piercing shrieks, and cries for
vengeance and unmeaning shouts for help burst from the mouths of men.
Miss Laura Keene, the actress, proved herself in this awful time as
equal to sustain a part in real tragedy as to interpret that of the
stage. Pausing one moment before the footlights to entreat the audience
to be calm, she ascended the stairs in the rear of Mr. Lincoln's box,
entered it, took the dying President's head in her lap, bathed it with
the water she had brought, and endeavoured to force some of the liquid
through the insensible lips. The locality of the wound was at first
supposed to be in the breast. It was not until after the neck and
shoulders had been bared and no mark discovered, that the dress of Miss
Keene, stained with blood, revealed where the ball had penetrated.

This moment gave the most impressive episode in the history of the
Continent.