Summary: The Interrogation Of John Wilkes Booth
The Interrogation of John Wilkes Booth
“Why did you do it, Booth?,” I asked him. “Kill the president? I did it because he was determined to overthrow the Constitution because he was against slavery. He was going to take down the base of the economy in the South,” he said in a angry tone.
“So killing Lincoln was the best option? There was no other way to ultimately stop him from taking down slavery as a whole?”
“Kidnapping was a primary option, where we-”
“We?” I interrupted in the middle of his sentence, “who is we?”
“I did have a few accomplices in the act.”
“Who,” I asked, “and how?”
“My ‘friends’ were Lewis Powell and George Azterodt,” he said proudly. “While I was to kidnap Lincoln-that being the original plan-Powell was to kill Secretary of State William Steward and Azterodt was to kill Vice President Johnson.” He stopped for a minute to think over the rest. “They both failed. Powell managed only to injure the Secretary of State while Azterodt didn’t …show more content…
William Steward was only injured while Johnson wasn’t even confronted. The plan to kidnap him in Ford’s Theater, I knew, wasn’t going to work because I had to ask myself one question: how am I going to kidnap the President of the United States in front of hundreds of people, especially when there was a Union major sitting right next to him? Lincoln was against everything I stood for. He was my enemy, and I could think of only one other option: kill!” he yelled.
I stood up from my seat. “Then you had to pay for that mistake. Those who you used as instruments were the first to be hanged by the gallows. Now you must pay. They did not deserved to be hanged, you did. Mary Surratt, an innocent woman, was hanged because of your inane vengeance quest. You shot and killed Lincoln, got your friends killed, and all you can think about is killing Lincoln
“Why did you do it, Booth?,” I asked him. “Kill the president? I did it because he was determined to overthrow the Constitution because he was against slavery. He was going to take down the base of the economy in the South,” he said in a angry tone.
“So killing Lincoln was the best option? There was no other way to ultimately stop him from taking down slavery as a whole?”
“Kidnapping was a primary option, where we-”
“We?” I interrupted in the middle of his sentence, “who is we?”
“I did have a few accomplices in the act.”
“Who,” I asked, “and how?”
“My ‘friends’ were Lewis Powell and George Azterodt,” he said proudly. “While I was to kidnap Lincoln-that being the original plan-Powell was to kill Secretary of State William Steward and Azterodt was to kill Vice President Johnson.” He stopped for a minute to think over the rest. “They both failed. Powell managed only to injure the Secretary of State while Azterodt didn’t …show more content…
William Steward was only injured while Johnson wasn’t even confronted. The plan to kidnap him in Ford’s Theater, I knew, wasn’t going to work because I had to ask myself one question: how am I going to kidnap the President of the United States in front of hundreds of people, especially when there was a Union major sitting right next to him? Lincoln was against everything I stood for. He was my enemy, and I could think of only one other option: kill!” he yelled.
I stood up from my seat. “Then you had to pay for that mistake. Those who you used as instruments were the first to be hanged by the gallows. Now you must pay. They did not deserved to be hanged, you did. Mary Surratt, an innocent woman, was hanged because of your inane vengeance quest. You shot and killed Lincoln, got your friends killed, and all you can think about is killing Lincoln