First Report of Lincoln Assassination

[historybuff22]

I don't have any prizes to offer, but here's a multiple-part question:

1) Which newspaper was the first in the nation to have the news on the streets of Lincoln being shot?

2) How did the reporter, who was in the Ford's Theater audience when Lincoln was shot, get his report to his newspaper? (Remember, telegraph lines were down just prior to Lincoln being shot and didn't become operable until the next morning.)

This same reporter, upon entering Lincoln's box after he sent his report in, found Booth's pistol and turned it over to the Federal government.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization.

[J. Beckert]

I know William Kent found the pistol after he re-entered the box to look for his missing house key. I don't remember any mention of him being a reporter, so I'm drawing a blank there. Does Gobright figure in somehow?

[RJNorton]

Rick, I don't know the answer, but I have read that on the afternoon of April 14, 1865, the Whig Press in Middleton, New York, announced that Lincoln had been killed by an assassin. This would be before it happened! I do not know the truthfulness of that story.

[Dave Taylor]

Joe, you're right that it was William Kent who found the derringer in the box. Kent gave it to Lawrence Gobright, a reporter working for the Associated Press, who had rushed over to Ford's Theatre when he heard Lincoln had been shot. Gobright turned the gun over to the Metropolitian Police in the morning of the 15th.

However, I do not know which newspaper Gobright sent his dispatches to nor the method by which he did it.

[GARY POPOLO]

I know that William Kent found JWB's pistol in the Presidents box. But I am not sure about the first paper to print the news. I think it was a New York paper that made the announcement but I do not know the name of the paper. I know Roger mentioned he read about a New York paper that had the news but, as he said that news was written BEFORE Lincoln was shot. Also how the news traveled without telegraph lines to me is a mystery? I do believe that the first southern paper to write about the assassination was the Richmond Whig. Maybe someone else will have the answer.

[Hess1865]

The New York Herald???
Plus wasn't only one telegraph line down in DC that night??

[historybuff22]

The New York Herald???
Plus wasn't only one telegraph line down in DC that night??

Wow! Right on! Yes, it was the New York Herald and this is the reason it has been reprinted so many times.

Also, while the public telegraph was down, the military telegraph remained working throughout the night. The reporter managed to talk someone at the military telegraph office to send his report.

As a side here, think about this: Booth shot Lincoln at approximately 10:10 PM. The reporter managed to interview a dozen eye witnesses, get in the President's box, go to the public telegraph office, then to the military telegraph office and send his report. He was literally writing his report as the telegraph operator was sending each page. Then typesetters at the New York Herald had to set the type for about 10,000 words. (Type had to be set letter by letter at that time - and the type was only about 8 points in size.) Then making plates, then print it, and lastly get it on the streets by 2 AM. That is less than 4 hours!

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[Hess1865]

BTW-I have one of those NY Herald reprints [bought it at Ford's Theater in the 70's] hanging on my wall, so I've read the reports in it many times over the years

[Ed Steers]

Joe, you're right that it was William Kent who found the derringer in the box. Kent gave it to Lawrence Gobright, a reporter working for the Associated Press, who had rushed over to Ford's Theatre when he heard Lincoln had been shot. Gobright turned the gun over to the Metropolitian Police in the morning of the 15th.

However, I do not know which newspaper Gobright sent his dispatches to nor the method by which he did it.

Attached is a cabinet photo of Lawrence Gobright. Only one I have ever seen. I thought you all would like to see the man. Ed Steers

[BettyO]

I found this online -

"Washington correspondent for the Associated Press for 30 years who covered President Lincoln during the Civil War and reported Lincoln's assassination."

Here is the URL -

http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/insi...ubjectID=2

[Ed Steers]

The New York Herald???
Plus wasn't only one telegraph line down in DC that night??

Wow! Right on! Yes, it was the New York Herald and this is the reason it has been reprinted so many times.

Also, while the public telegraph was down, the military telegraph remained working throughout the night. The reporter managed to talk someone at the military telegraph office to send his report.

As a side here, think about this: Booth shot Lincoln at approximately 10:10 PM. The reporter managed to interview a dozen eye witnesses, get in the President's box, go to the public telegraph office, then to the military telegraph office and send his report. He was literally writing his report as the telegraph operator was sending each page. Then typesetters at the New York Herald had to set the type for about 10,000 words. (Type had to be set letter by letter at that time - and the type was only about 8 points in size.) Then making plates, then print it, and lastly get it on the streets by 2 AM. That is less than 4 hours!

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

Rick,

The question is at what time did the press first report Lincoln's assassination? Of the several newspaper I have/had is a copy of the New York Daily Tribune that listed the first dispatch in its 2:30 AM edition. Does anyone have a paper actually listing the time of its release - first on the street? Anything earlier than 2:30 AM? The notice was so early it appears on page 4 of the paper. First three pages already set. Ed Steers

---

The New York Herald???
Plus wasn't only one telegraph line down in DC that night??

Wow! Right on! Yes, it was the New York Herald and this is the reason it has been reprinted so many times.

Also, while the public telegraph was down, the military telegraph remained working throughout the night. The reporter managed to talk someone at the military telegraph office to send his report.

As a side here, think about this: Booth shot Lincoln at approximately 10:10 PM. The reporter managed to interview a dozen eye witnesses, get in the President's box, go to the public telegraph office, then to the military telegraph office and send his report. He was literally writing his report as the telegraph operator was sending each page. Then typesetters at the New York Herald had to set the type for about 10,000 words. (Type had to be set letter by letter at that time - and the type was only about 8 points in size.) Then making plates, then print it, and lastly get it on the streets by 2 AM. That is less than 4 hours!

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

Rick,

The question is at what time did the press first report Lincoln's assassination? Of the several newspaper I have/had is a copy of the New York Daily Tribune that listed the first dispatch in its 2:30 AM edition. Does anyone have a paper actually listing the time of its release - first on the street? Anything earlier than 2:30 AM? The notice was so early it appears on page 4 of the paper. First three pages already set. Ed Steers

Rick,

Sorry, I did not see the time 2 AM in your post. I was reading another. Does your paper actually list the time? I assume your source states the reporter used Heiss's telegraph after it was reestablished sometime after midnight. Ed

[BettyO]

Found this online on the Timothy Hughes Rare Newspapers Site:

http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/604072

States a report at "1:30 AM" -


   

[historybuff22]

Each newspaper started their news with the phrase "By Telegraph X:XX." That is the time that the news report was received by the newspaper - not the time the completed newspaper was on the street. 2 AM is the earliest I'v e seen.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization