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Assassination of President Lincoln... He is still alive!
Assassination of President Lincoln... He is still alive!
Item # 542221
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April 15, 1865
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, April 15, 1865
* Assassination of Abraham Lincoln : early edition has him still alive at press time
Over half of the front page is taken up with first-report text on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, with first column heads including:
"MURDER OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN!" "His Assassination Last Night While at Ford's Theatre in Washington!" "J. Wilkes Booth The Supposed Murderer" "The Pistol Ball Enters His Brain!" "The Assassin In His Private Box" "The Murderer Leaps Upon the Stage and Escapes" "Mr. Lincoln Dying at Midnight" and more (see photos).
The reporting is quite dramatic, and one can appreciate what the populace must have felt when the read this very newspaper the morning of the 15th and discovered their beloved President had been shot.
The text begins:
"This evening about 9:30 p.m. at Ford's Theatre the President, while sitting in his private box with Mrs. Lincoln...was shot by an assassin who suddenly entered the box and approached behind the President. The assassin then leaped upon the stage, brandishing a large dagger or knife, and made his escape in the rear of the theatre. The pistol ball entered the back of the President's head & penetrated nearly through the head...The President has been insensible ever since it was inflicted and is now dying..." with more.
Further on are several subheads with more news, including:
"The Latest--The Condition of the President" with a 2:30 a.m. dateline, reading in part: "The President is still alive but is growing weaker..."
Another subhead of a bit later with a 3:00 a.m. dateline reads: "Second Bulletin--The Latest--The Supposed Assassin" with text beginning: "The President still breathes but is quite insensible as he has been ever since he was shot..." with more.
This complete 8 page issue suffers from wear at the folds with some loss. Portions are archivally mended on pg. 2 & other interior pages. There is some chipping loss at this horizontal fold, more so to the right side without the Lincoln content. There is also some wear loss to the top half of the 2nd column which affects about 14 words but does not cause loss of readability (see). Interior pages suffer the same wear & loss at fold & edges, but virtually all the Lincoln content is on the front page.
A rare, early edition as almost all newspapers dated April 15 reported Lincoln as having died by time they went to press. This newspaper still has him alive--very desirable edition as such.
This issue was never bound.
Category: Yankee
No Longer Available
