Major Henry Rathbone, just a few feet away from Lincoln was the first to realize that something was wrong. He turned to his left. The smoke from the gun, now tented the red gas light, blocked his vision. Rathbone rose from his seat and stepped in the presidents direction. Like a demon Booth leaped out of the smoke at Rathbone yelling Freedom! and throwing his right arm as high as he could. Rathbone saw what he had in his hand a large knife. Rathbone at the last moment reached his arm up to block what was going to be a death blow. The Major grunted in pain but his quick defense saved his life. The knife would have gone into his shoulder down into his heart. Booth wasted no time finishing Rathbone, he swung his leg over the railing positioned himself to leap onto the stage. Rathbone caught the back of his coat, that made Booth unbalanced catching a spur in the flags he landed on the stage on both feet. he felt something wrong in his left ankle but could not do anything about it now. He scrambled to center stage and yelled the Virginia motto Thus Always to Tryants! and then he yelled The South Has Avenged! Then he started running to the back door slashing at anyone who got in his way. As he was running a voice from the presidents box yelled "stop that man!", "Will no one stop that man?" Rathbone pleaded. Clara Harris shouted out "He has shot the President!" Less then a mile away was Sewards House. Fanny Seward watched over her father and listened to the sounds of parades outside. in the street was Powell and Herold watching the house, the street was quiet. There where no guards at the house or any in the street. Powell had three problems , how was he going to enter the house? the door was locked should he ring the doorbell? if someone was to answer was he supposed to shot or slash his way in. Deception, not brute force was the key.They came up with a plan go in with a medicine bottle. His second challange was that he did not know where Seward was. His third was how many people where in the house? From the shadows Powell and Herold watched Sewards doctors leave. The gas lights went dim in several rooms indicating that the occupants were going to bed. Powell handed his horse to Herold and walked across the street to the secretaries front door. He rang the bell. Herold looked up and down the street as he stood watch, keeping their horses ready for the escape. On the first floor of the house, William Bell, a black servant, hurried to answer the door. Mostly messengers were not unusual late at night. There was no reason why Bell should not open that door. Before him stood an attractive muscular tall man in black pants jacket leather boots and hat. In his hands he was carrying a small package. The deception had worked. Powell's appearance raised no suspension with Bell. As he greeted Powell he asked politely how he could help the visitor. Powell explained that he was messenger with medicine from Sweard doctor. That sounded pretty reasonable to Bell. Powell stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. Bell tried to reach out to accept the package. No Powell said, the doctor instructed me to deliver it directly to Seward and instruct him how to take the medicine. The servant insisted that he take the medicine and instructions himself. Powell insisted, "I must go up.". The servant and the assassin argued for 5 minutes about whether Powell would leave the medicine or not. "I must go up," he repeated. "I must go up". Powell backed Bell up to the landing of the staircase. Powell was out of patients and rammed his way up the stairway. At the top of the staircase Frederick Seward's son confronted Bell and the stranger. Frederick explained that his father was asleep. Fanny Seward hurried to the door and opened the door to shield her father from the light. "Fred, father is awake now". She new in an instant she had done wrong. Powell tried to look at his target but Fanny blocked his way. Powell pulled out a .36 caliber at Frederick. Frederick knew in an instant that he would die and that his face would burn. Powell squeezed the trigger, the hammer fell and struck the percussion cap. He then heard a metallic click, misfire! Powell then made a mistake that jeopardized his mission. He lifted the gun up and slammed the muzzle on Fredericks head. He hit him so hard he broke the pistol. William Bell ran down the stairs and into the street shouting "Murder". Powell rushed into Seward's room. He wrestled with the retired general and finally got to Seward. In the darkness he missed 2 stabs that went into the bed, and one into his cheek. Powell was then frightened and ran out the door slashing his knife yelling "I'm crazy! I'm Crazy". Then seeing Herold had already left with his horse. He stuck around the street for a while acking like a plumer, police arrived and found his knife in a gutter then arressted him.
Leale had rushed up to the presidents box with some other men trying to save Lincoln. They realized that there was nothing they could do in the theater . The men lifted him up and carried him through a crowd of people into the Peterson's house. There they put Lincoln on a bed and put their fingers in his head trying to get the bullet out. They had no success but making him die faster. While they were doing this, Mary Lincoln had to be escorted out of the house because of her emotional breakdowns. Lincoln died the next morning at 7:22 am.
Leale had rushed up to the presidents box with some other men trying to save Lincoln. They realized that there was nothing they could do in the theater . The men lifted him up and carried him through a crowd of people into the Peterson's house. There they put Lincoln on a bed and put their fingers in his head trying to get the bullet out. They had no success but making him die faster. While they were doing this, Mary Lincoln had to be escorted out of the house because of her emotional breakdowns. Lincoln died the next morning at 7:22 am.