Terre Haute Weekly Gazette, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 1 May 1879 — Page 2

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ALMOST A LIFE.

&y .-1-T

Parlicular« of the Wouldbe Assassination.

A Futile Attempt to Redress an Alleged Wrong.

He Nursed His Wrath Two Years t/.issed His Mark.

An Interview AVitb tlie Aberrated {Youth.

Chicago, April 25.

From the Chicago Times. ALMOST A

TRAGEDY.

People who happened to be down town at about it o'clock on last evening were startled to hear that an attempt had been made to shoot Mr. Booth during the representation of''Richard II," at McVicker's theatre, a few minutes before. The report spread vary rapidly, and produced no little excitement.

The play had proceeded until the last act, in th'i prison t.cene, in which the king sits at a window. The lights were down in the auditorium and on tl.e stage, except where a calcium shone through a grated window upon Mr. Booth, who was alone on the stage, sitting upon a stool, a little to the right of the centre. This is the supreme scene of the tragedy, and the audience was very quiet. Mr. Booth had just spoken the lines And these same thoughts people this little world In humors, like the people of this world, .For no thought is connected when his speech was interrupted by

THE LOUD REPORT OF A PISTOL. He paid no attention to the sound, but went on, but had not spoken a dozen words when a second report and the crash of a bullet through a board in the iiat just above his head brought him to His feet. At the same instant the people in front, who had hardly had time to wonder what the shooting meant, rose in a 6tate of high excitement, and, looking up in the direction whence the shots came, saw a man sitting in the right of the first balcony, near the stage, coolly cock and level a revolver and snap it. The real state of the case became apparent, and the place was in an uproar. The man, perfectly indifferent to the cries of the audience, as COCKING HIS WEAPON POR ANOTHER

ATTKMPT,

when one of two men who had hurried down seized him, the ether taking hold upon another man sitting close by, who seemed paralyzed with fright. Mr. Booth promptly stepped forward and pointing to the man with the pistol, said, "That i6 the man and in a trice the handcuffs were upon him. The audience were frantic. They shouted. "Throw him over!" "Hane him!" "Kill him!" "T06S him over!" A knot of men from other parts of the balcony rushed over the chairs toward him, several gentleman from the lower floor hurried up, and the occupants of the gallery leaned over the rail and looking down gesticulated and shouted with a vigor that threatened their loss of balance. The scene was wild in the highest degree. Had the fury been given another half-minute's growth, the man's life would have been pounded out but his captors, the private watchman of the theatre ana Detective Morgan pushed back the swelling throng and hurried him away almost before the people in the dim light knew he was taken. Mr. Booth stepped into the wing, and then returning said: "Ladies and gentlemen, if you will excuse me for a moment, I will return and finish the scene." At this

THE HOUSE STORMID APPLAUS. Mr. Booth disappeared. At the second shot a lady in the audience who was acquainted with the premises left her scat and ran through the door leading to the box at the left ot the stage, ran past it into the star dressing-room, where Mrs. Booth was sitting, and screamed:

uThey

are shooting at your husband!" MRS. BOOTH, who had heard the bhooting but paid no especial attention to it, was frightened into hysterics. As soon as Mr. Booth had seen her partialliy restored, he stepped back to the stage, where his appearance was greeted with the most tremendous cheering. When the audience had quieted, he reseated himself, the scene went on, and the play was finished. The whole occurrence "covered less than three minutes.

The man was sitting directly ih line •with Mr. Booth, who was the only lighted figure in the house. Where the first ball struck could aot be ascertained The second struck ABOUT EIGHTEEN INCHES HIGHER THAN

THE ACTOR'S HEAD,

went through a piece of pine seveneighths of an inch thick, and came very near hitting one of the stage carpenters, •who atterwarde picked it up. Fortunately, most of the actors who were in the piece had retired to their dressing-rooms, the few remaining who had anything to do in the last scene being in the wing, waiting their cues, so that, excepting the carpenter, who was crossing the stage in .rear of the scene, there was no one within range. The 6cene was set about twenty feet back from the footlights, Mr. Booth wa6 about five feet forward of it, and the roan who did the shooting was in the front row of the balcony, about fifteen feel on the other side of the footlights. The distance was so small that it is little less than a marvel that neither shot took effect in Mr. Booth's body. The man himself seemed astonished at having missed his mark. "I don't know how? I came to miss him," said he to Mr. Miller, the special policeman attached to the theatre, just atter his arrest. "I'm sorry I didn't*hit him."

When he was taken he had in his hand a copy of the play torn rom Dick's* edition of Shak-

speare, by which quite evidently he had been following the performance. He did not rise to fire, but kept his seat and acted with the utmost deliberation. This circumstance and the hurry they were in, the insufficient light and the rising excite« ment in the audience led the officers into the mistake which Mr. Booth's perfect aelf-possession helped them out of. The man had evidently waited for this scene, knowing the position into which it would bring Mr. Booth. He had been (.oticed by several persons who sat in his neighborhood to

APPLAUDED WARMl/lA

several times. A boy who was within a few feet of him saw him, when the prison scene had well begun, drop the pistol out ofiiis sleeve, cock it and fire. It was as perfectly unimpassioned transaction, so far as he was concerned, as could well be imagined. ^THE SHOOTER SEARCHED.

The man Gray was taken to the Central police station in custody of Detective Morgan and Special Policeman Miller. At the station his, pockets were turned inside out and the contents examined. They consisted of two letter, one written to him, the other by him, a pair of small scissors, a ticket lor a coat from May & Son's pawn-shop, No. 296 State street, a printed card bearing the name of Katie Devern, a check for his seat in the theatre—See. F, 10, first balcony a pocket-knife of four blades and bone handle and a ehort lead-pencil.

The letter wiitten bv him was in perfcil and written on the first and fourth pages of an ordinary sheet of note paper, The handwriting was plain, but uneven, and looked a6 though the words had been put down hurriedly. On the inside of the sheet was the name and addressMiss Kittie Devern, Keokuk, Iowa.

WHO KATE IS

he would not say. His mother's name is Gray, and her present husband is named Patrick Gray. He is a contractor, not particularly wealthy, and they live in West Keokuk. The prisoner is living under his stepfather's name. He did not give his name as Martin Gray, or Adam Gray, as had been reported in police circles after his arreit. He never gave any other name than that of Mark Gray.

He never knew Wilkes Booth. He was too young when that actor was killed to know him. The prisoner said that Booth knew that he was in the theatre last night, but how Booth knew ithe would not say. Booth knew too what the shooting was for, he repeated, and Booth would not prosecute him. The prisoner had looked for Booth ever since his arrival in town, so as to shoot him wherever he might see him. He had not been able to find his victim. He did not know whether Booth tried to avoid him or not.

THE PRISONER

is of medium height, slim build has a small dark mustach, long black hair, and black eyes and a face somewhat broken out with blotches. His toilet is careless. His manner and his look do not indicate insanity in the slightest degree his conduct while at the Station was calm though somewhat nervous. He replies were fiank and sober, although he once in & while smiled or laughed when asked a significant or direct question, being evidently amused or probably annoyed at the persistency of the newpaper men. The unanimons opinion of the Station men and police officials who have seen and talked with him is that he is no more crazy than they are—which, perhaps, is not very complimentary or conclusive after all.

MR. BOOTH'S STATEMENT. Mr. Booth himself was seen at the Grand Pacific hotel, whither he was driven at the close of the play, instead of to the residence of Mr. McVicker, where he had been stopping during his engagement here. The change was made on account of the highly nervous and excited state of Mrs. Booth. Iler condition at the time of the reporter's call was such as to require her husband's constant attention, and his statement was, therefore, brief. It was substantially as follows: "I did not know until after the close of the play that the man was shooting at me. It occurred daring the soliloquy in the last scene of the last act. I heard the first shot, but paid no attention to it, supposing that it was some insane person in the audience, and that he was trying to kill some one in the auditorium. When the second shot was fired I looked up and saw the man with the pistol drawn down toward his hip, trying to cock it again. Thinking he might not have been detected,I pointed him out and said, 'That is the man.' He was at once caught, and the audience shouted, 'Hang him, Kill him!' It occurred to me then that my wife was in the box across which he had shot and I excused myself to the audience for a moment and went around to quiet her and assure her that no harm was done. Then I catnc back and the playwas finished. All this time I had no thought that the man had tried to shoot me, but supposed that he was firing at some one in the audience. I heard no whistle of bullets. It was only after the play was over that I learned from Horace McVicker that he was aiming at me, and that he had been endanvoring for three years to get a chance to kill me. I do not know any such man as Gray, and am at a loss to imagine what prompted him to the act. I am not aware that I have any deadly enemy. Some years ago I received several anonymous letters demanding considerable sums of money and threatening that unless I paid it 1 would be shot. Just about three years ago I received one while playing in*Detroit, telling me that

I vculo shot. Since then I have not received any and the whole matter had passed out of my mind till it was recalled by this circumstance."

From tne Chicago Inter-Ocean. At midnight a reporter was down to the would-be assassin's cell, the first one to the right, on entering the gate in the basement of the Armory, on Harrison street. The prisoner was found sitting close to the door upon the bench, the only piece of furniture. By the dim light his features, quite regular and handsome, were seen to be immobile, and during the subsequent conversation his manner and words were correspondingly calm and collected. The swarthy face was shaded by the abundant and curly black hair, and the eyes, too, and clothes, neat and stylish, were also jet. black, harmonizing well with the horrible grime

Kk.

attempted, and with the lurking shadows in the rear of the cell. "You must have had some powerful motive for'this act?" 6aid the scribe, the man having nodded politely as his visitor reached the grating. "I am

SILENT AS TO THE MOTIVE,"

was the reply. And the man got up and slowly walked up and down the narrow passage, his arms folded and features placiditv itself. "You will divulge what it wa3,1 6up pose, at the police court room in the morning?" ''I will, certainly." '•Has it been something of long standing?" "Oh, jes." "Something occurring while'you were in St. LouU?" "Yes, sir." "How many years ago?"

A. number of years ago." "You must have been then quite young?" "I am 23 year's of age." "When did you come to Chicago?" "I catnc here yesterday morning at 10 o'clo'ck by the Alton railroad." "And stopped?" "At Eagall's, the otHer side of State stree." "Well, you have made yourself famous, haven't you?"

The man stopped and assumed some thing of an altitude. "It takes but very little," he replied "to make a man famous these days." "Only an ounce or two of led, eh?" "Yes, sir." "You pertly near hit him, didn't you "Yes. I don't

KXOW EOW I MISSED HIM." "You took deliberate aim, did you?" "Oh yes (laughing), at least I thought I did. The third shot, I couldn't get off." "You snapped the cock three times, did you?" "Yes, sir." "You say you had formed this design some little time?" "Yes. I will tell you I first formed the intention seme two years ago—two and a half years." "You might just intimate, I suppose that it was some conceived insult that you felt called upon to avenge?" V?

The man again began walking. "No," he presently replied, "I am silent to-night." "Very frequently, now, the man in trouble calls himself insane. You don't thus account for your act?"

The man laughed and stepped in front of the grating. "No, sir, 1 WAS NOT INSANE: I was never more in my rieht mind. Do I look mad?"

The reporter could see no overwhelming symptoms, but at the same time had doubts whether it wasn't another case of dyspepsia. 'During the two years you had the indention, did you see him on the stage?" "Well, noj I never saw him except once or twice. I did once meet him on the street—just passed him." "And why didn't you "I wasn't then "prepared," he inter rupted. "Where did you get your pistol?" "I bought it on Madison street at a pawn office." "Why didn't you take a box in the theater?"

He again laughed. "I ought to have done it. I know. ju6t as Booth did at the assassination of Lincoln. But 1 hadn't the money, you see." "Come, give me your motive, won't you? What's the matter of a few hours? You are not ashamed of it, are you?" "Not a bit of it. (With emphasis). But I guess it isn't worth while. The whole thing will

BLOW OVER IN ABOUT A WEEK." "Won't you tell me?" "No, sir I repeat I won't say a word "Don't you expect to be sent to the Penitentiary?" "No, sir, I don't."

When you come t6 speak you think you wiil come out all right?" "Beyond a doubt." "And that most fair-minded people will side with you?" "Yes, sir." "In other words, you think that you have had abundant provocation, do you? "Yes, sir."

The face, as he said this, was a trifle, less impassive. "When did you make up your mind to come to Chicago?" "I decided to come Saturday evening. Not having anything to do, I thought I would come this way. I had made my mind up for over two years, as I said, to do this thing, and, and I determined when we came together the first time we would have it out." "Did you go to see Booth in St. Louis when he was there the last time?" "No I was then in Keokuk." "If you had been in St. Louis you would probably

HAVE TRIED HIM ON THEN?" "I would." "When he gave you this offense was he in St. Louis?" "Well, he did not give me the offense." "But somebody whose cause you felt called upon to champion?" "Yes, that is it."

V' g/

«i£

TERRE HAUTE WEEKLY GAZETTE,

tNo, sir fc 4^ NO WOMAN IN IT." Hft was not jealousy of Booth's reputation?' "No, no nor to remove him as an obstacle in my chosen profession." [Laugh* ter. "You admire the actor, do you, distinguishing the actor from the man?" "No, I do not. I don't like his Richelieu. I never saw him except in that and Richard III. I saw him Tuesday night in Richelieu." m* "Why didn't you shoot him Tuesday night?"

"Well, I was not prepares." 1 "You hadn't bought yet your little revolver?" "No. I purchased it this evening about half-past 6." "Did you make anyrattempt to see him —hunt him any before going to the theater?" "I did, bui could not find him at the hotel. My intention was not to do it in the theater, but I could not find any other place to see him."

Witness, in conclusion,was asked about his recent movements, etc. He had been with the dry goods firm of Scroggs, Vandervort & Barney, St. Louis, up to Saturday night, when he demanded increased wages, and this not being granted, left them. He has lived off and on at Keokuk, Iowa, for some eight years, previously having lived in St. Louis, his birthplace. At Keokuk he has a sister, two stepsister*, a brother, a mother and a stepfather.

The following LETTERS WERE FOUND upon the prisoner's person:

Chicago, 22, 1S79.

"Dear Kate: Forgive these brief but honest lines. I left St. Louif Monday evening. The firm I was with would not increase my salary, so I made up my mind to return to Keokuk. But, being a lover of fine acting, I came to Chicago to see Booth. But I was sadly mistaken. It would take Booth one year of constant acting to compete with Lawrance Bar rett's 'Richelieu.' To-night he plays 'Richard II.' Kate, if I go to-night he will kill me or I him. in all Shakespear's works I find but one man to compete with Booth, and that is Iago. Mv judgement ought to foretell me tha't since I call Booth Iago, he couid no more play Richelieu than the devil could be an angel. I don't know what to do. Every line I write I prance the floor as though I were playing Hamlet, I am sorry I came here for I think the hangman has a rope for me. Remember me to your mother and sisters Yours truly. "MARK GRAY." "Keokuk, Nov. 19, 1878. "Mr. Mark Gray, care of Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney, St. Louis. "DEAR SIR—We are short of help and would like to know if you would like to come back here. Please let us know by return mail. "YOVNKER BROS."

This was enclosed in an envelope containing another addressed to Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney, 421, 423. and 425 north Fourth street, St. Louis.

LOOKING FOR BOOTH.

Manager William Emmett, of the Academy of Music, identifies the prisoner as a party who came up to him about 9:30 o'clock, while he was standing in front of his place of amusement, and entered into conversation as under: "Booth play here?" "No, sir he is on the South Side." "Ah! I want to see Booth." "What for?" "That's my business. Who are you?" "My name is Emmett, and I run this place." "What are you playing?" "I am running a variety company now. What do you wa,nt to know for?" 'That's my business. So Booth isn't here?"

At this point Emmett got'tired of the fellow's talk, which was rambling and impudently spoken, and told him he would answer no more of his inquiries, upon which he walked off north to Madison street, and disappeared.

"And it happened in St. Louis?" He hesitated. "Yes." "You are not a married man?" "No, sir." "Are you engaged?" Another hesitation. ."lam." "16 si an actress?" "No, sir." 'j "Or thinks of the ttage?* "No, sir." 4 you think ot becoming an actor?"

SN another pause. "I do. I shall take the stage next fall. I have designed lor some time to become an actor." "And have made your debut in high tragedv."

The'man again attitudinized, but said nothing. The glitter of the eye increased and the thought was, irrepressible. "Is he sane after all?" s. "You have a mother?" "Yes, sir." "Allow me to ask flatly. Is there a woman at the bottom of this thing?"

tain

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CONSTIPATION.

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