Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-04-27
AFFIDAVIT OF MAJOR RArHBoyE,
District of Colun.bia. Gin Of Washinnto

AFFIDAVIT OF MAJOR RATHBoNE.
District of Columbia, CITY Of Washinqtoo e..
Henry r. Rathbone, brevet major in II,
army of the United States, being drIv
sworn, says--that on the l4th day Of Aprii
instant at about 20 minutes past 8 o'clrcr
in the evening, he, with Miss Clara H Hsr
ris, left his residence, at the corner Of Ne
teenth and II streets, and Joined the Pros;
dent and Mrs. Lincoln, and went with them
in their carriage, to Ford's Theatre. in TentJ
street the box assigned to the President
is in the second tier, on the right hand sido
of the audience, and was occupied by tIe
President and Mrs. Lincoln, Miss Hsrris
and the deponent, and by no other person
the box is entered by passing from the front
Of the building in the rear Of the dress CIR.
Gle TO small entry or passage-way, abou
eight feet in length and four feet in widtA
This passage way is entered by door
which opens on the inner side The door
is so placed as to make an acute angle ba
tween it and the wall behind it on elmer
side At the inner end of this passage wav
is another door, standing squarely across
and opening into the box. On the left-har1
side of the passage way, and very near the
inner end, is third door, which also opens
into the box This latter door was closed
The party entered the box through the door
at the end Of the passage way The box
is so constructed that it may be divide
into two by movable partition, one q.
the doors described opening into each. The
front of the box is about ten or twelve feet
in length, and in the centre of the railrs
is small pillar overhung with curtain
The depth Of the box, from front to rear, /.
about nine feet The elevation of the bow
above the stage, including the railing !,
about ten or twelve feet
When the party entered the box, cusl.
ioned arm chair was standing at the end If
the box furtherest from the stage and hear.
est the audience. This was also the near.
est point to the door by which the box f,
entered. The President seated himself IN
this chair and except that he once lett the
chair for the purpose Of putting Oh hi,
overcoat, remained so seated until he va,
shot Mrs. Lincoln was seated in clsi.
between the President and the pillar in ii.
centre, above described At the opposite
end Of the box-that nearest the end oftfa
! stage-were two chairs. In one cf tl..s
| standing in the corner, Miss Harris w.,
seated. At her left hand, and along ii.
wall running from that end of the box.
the rear, stood a small sofa. At the end
this sofa, next to Miss Harris this dcporar.
was seated. The distance between this d..
ponent and the President, as they wer. s..
ting, was about seven or eight feet t,and tn
distance between this deponent and t1-
door was about the same The distapr-
/ between the President, as he sat, and f.
door, was about four or five feet. The dn.
according 70 the recollection of this den.
nent, was not closed during the evening
! When the second scene of the third acr
was being performed, and while this dep,
nent was intently observing the proceed
ings upon the stage, with his back towaN
the door he heard the discharge Of a pistl
behind him, and looking around, saw
through the smoke, man between tie
door and the president At the same tim
deponent heard him shout some word whia
deponent thinks was Freedom :" This l-
ponent instantly sprang toward him and
seized him he wrested himself from tl-
grasp and made a violent thrust at tL4
breast Of deponent with large knife
Deponent parried the blow by striking
up, and received wound several nchr,
deep in his left arm, between the elbow AMI
the shoulder. The orifce of the wound
about an inch and half in length. and qz
tends upwards the shoulder several inches
The man rushed to the front of the box. al
deponent endeavored to seize him agai-
but only canght his clothes as he was leap
ing over the railing of the box. Tie
clothes, as deponent believes, were toma
this attempt to seize him. As he went oya
upon the stage, deponent cried out with
loud voice, Stop that man. Depone.
then turned to the President his posjti-
was not changed his head was slight
bent forward, and his eyes were closed
Deponent saw that he was unconscious.a-
supposing him mortally wounded, ruSha
to the door for the purpose of calling med.
cal aid On reaching the outer door OF th
passage way as above described, depoueL
found it barred by heavy piece of plank
one end of which was secured in the wal
and the other resting against the door L
| had been so securely fastened that it
| quired considerable force to remove it. Ths
| wedge or bar was about four feet from Il;
| floor. Persons upon the outside were beat,
| ing against the door for the purpose oie.
tering. Deponent removed the bar, ,an5'le
door was opened. Several persons Ulp
represented themselves to be surgeons wts
allowed to enter. Deponent saw there Cd.
onel Crawford, and requested him oPrr
vent other persons from entering the box
! DepOnent then returned to the box. ant
found the surgeons examining the Pres
dents person. They had not vet discoyc:
ed the wound. AS soon as it was discoye,
ed it was determined to remove him fro-
the theatre. He was carried out, and th'
deponent then proceeded to assist Mr.
Lincoln, who was intensely excited, to leaw
the theatre. On reaching the head of t.
stairs, deponent requested Major Potter
aid him in assisting Mrs Lincoln acro&
the street to the house to which the Pres.
dent was being conveyed The wouA.
which deponent had received had ber-
bleeding very profusely, and on reachn-
the house, feeling very faint from the los,
of blood, he seated himself in the hall, al.
soon after tainted away, and was laid up5'
the floor, Upon the return of conscouy
ness, depOnent was taken in carriage
his residence
In the review of the transaction. it is TIT
confident belief of this deponent that The
time which elapsed between the discharg'
of the pistol and the time when the aSsas
sin leaped from the box, did not exceed
thirty seconds. Neither Mrs. Lincoln nj