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Essay / Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson - 971
I chose Chasing Lincoln's Killer because I remember hearing about Lincoln when I was a kid and always enjoyed learning about him. Since I already learned how Lincoln died, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the killer. I couldn't find any other book that seemed to grab my attention like this one. The book takes you day by day through John Wilkes Booth's escape from killing Abraham Lincoln. Throughout the book, Booth seems to get away with a lot of things. Many people help him throughout his escape journey without knowing what he has done. Booth had learned that the president would be at the Ford Theater. This was great news for John, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln will be there in the same place. “Booth heard the big news: in just eight hours, the man who was the object of all his hatred and plotting would be standing on the stone steps where he now sat. “Booth began to explain his assassination without having to research Lincoln. John had a deep hatred for Lincoln, he hated the state our country was in. Booth had made his way to the theater and into the box where the President was sitting. He took out his gun and his knife. He had shot Lincoln as the theater burst into laughter so no one would see Booth. The bullet hit Lincoln in the brain but did not kill him. Booth quickly stabs Lincoln before escaping by jumping out of the box. Booth ran on stage and shouted "sic semper tyrannis", he also shouted "the south is avenged". Sic Semper Tyrannis always means that to tyrants. While everyone in the theater was scared, they all tried to hold the stand as he escaped the theater. While this was happening, the two men who had agreed to help Booth went to Sew... middle of paper ...... and were looking for a gun. The Garret family had no idea the criminals they had harbored. The Garrets hosted the two men another night, he asked John Garrett to impersonate the union man. But the commander threatened to set the barn on fire. Herold had given up and told Booth he was done. Booth gave him permission to leave and he did. Booth wanted his guns first. Twenty-eight men had threatened Booth to come out or they would drag him out. Booth wasn't afraid of dying, he considered committing suicide or dying in the fire while the barn burned. Corbett had come into the barn to see what Booth was doing. He had begun to feel that his life had been threatened and he had fired a bullet that hid Booth in the throat, he had killed him. The entire country was relieved that Booth was dead. No we wanted Booth to be buried in their cemetery. His body was given to his family and buried.