Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-04-18

! an acute angle between il and the wall behind
| Il on the inner side. At the inner end Of this
| passageway is another door, standing Squareiy
| across, and opening into the box. On the left
hand side of the passageway, and being near
| The inner end, is third door, which opens iuto
the box. This latter door was closed The
| party entered the box through the door 81 the
end of the passageway. The box so con-
structed that II may be divided into two by
movable partition, one OF the doors described
opening into each. The front of the box Is
about ten or twelve feet in length, and in the
center of the railing is small pillar overhUng
with curtain. The depth OF the box from
front to rear is about nine feet. The elevation
OF the box above the stage, including the raj
ing, is about ten or twelve feet.
When the party entered the box a cushioned
arm chair was standing at the end OF the box
farthest from the stage and nearert the au-
dIence. This was also the nearest point 10 the
door by which the box is entered The Pre- i
dent seated himself in this chair, and, except
that he once left the chair for the purpose of
putting on his OYeTcOat remained seated
until he was shot. Mrs. Lincoln was seated in
a chair between the President and the pillar in
the centre above described. At the opposite
end OF the box that nearest the stage, were two
chairs; in one of these, Standing in the corner,
Miss Harris was seated. At her left hand, and
along the wall running from that end or tae
box 10 the resr, stood a small sofa At the end
of this sofa, next TO Miss Harris, this depoIent
was seated. The distance between this depO-
nent and the President, as they We're sitting,
was about seven or eight feet and the distance
between this depOnent and the door was about
the same. The distance between the President
as he sat and the door was about four or five
!eet The door, according to the recollection
OF this depOnent, was not closed during the
evening
When the second scene of the third act was
heing performed and this deponent was IN
tently observing the proceedings upon the
stage, with his back towards the door, he
heard the discharge of + pistol behind him, and
looking around, saw through the smoke a man
between the door and the President. At the
same time depOneEt heard him shout some
word which depOnent thinks was Freedom
This deponent Instantly spTang towards hun
and seized him. He WTested himself from he
grasp and made q violent thrust at the breast
Of depOneLt with q large knife. Deponent par
ried The blow by striking 1t up, and received
wound several inches deep In his left arm be-
tween the elbow and the shoulder. The orifice
OF the wound Is about an inch and halt IN
length, and extends upwards towards the
shoulder several inches The man rushed to
the front OF the box and deponent endeaYored
10 seIze him again, but only caught his clothes
as as ne was leaping over the railing of the box.
The clothes, as deponent believes, were torn in
this attempt to seize him. AS he went over
upon he stage deponent cried out with 2 loud
voice t'Stop that man" DePonent then turned
to the President His position was not changed,
His head was slightly bent forward and his
eyes were closed. DepOnent saw that he was
unconscious, and supposing him mortaIly
wounded rushed TO the door for tbs purpose Of
calling medical aid. On reaching the outer door
OF the passage as above described deponent
round IL barred by heavy piece OF plank on
end OF which was secured Ia the wall and the
ether rested against the door. Ii had been so
securely fastened that it required considerable
force TO remove II. This wedge or bar was
about four feet from the floor Persons upon
the outside were bearing against the door for
the purpose Of entering. Deponent removed
Inc bar and the door was opened. Several per-
sons who represented themselves TO be sur
geons were allowed 10 enter. Deponent saw
there Col. Crawford, and requested him to pre-
vent other persons from entering the box, De-
ponent then returned TO the box and found the
surgeons examining the Presidents person
Ihey hau not yet discovered the wound. AS
soon as IL was discovered il was determined to
remove him from the theater. He was carried
out, and THIS deponent then proceeded to assist
Mrs Lincoln, who was intensely excited, TO
AeaYe the theater. On reaohing the head CT the
stairs dependent rec uested Major Potter to aid
him in assisting Mrs. Lincoln across the street
to the house 70 which the President was being
conveyed. The wound which the dependent
had received had been bleeding very profuseIv
and, on reaching the house, feeling very faint
from the loss OF blood, he seated himself in the
hdli, ana soon after tainted away and was laid
ON the floor: Upon the return OF conscious
ness depohdeht was taken in q carriage TO MS
residence.
In the review OF the transaction. Il is tha
confident belief OF Tins deponent that the time
which elapsed between the discharge OF the
pistol am the time which the assassin leaped
from the box, did not exceed thirty seconds
&eitEer Mrs. Lincoln nor Miss Harris had
iett tltelL seas, zSt, II: Il. RATHRoNE.
Shoscilned ana sworn before me this ;th
Justice Of the Supreme Cont
OF the District Of Columbia.
Districtof Coiamlia, Ctty0f IPashinq;on. S..
clara II. Harris, being duly sworn, saws
mat she has read the foregoing affidavit of
MAJOR RatnbOne, and knows the contents there-
Of mat she was present at Ford's Theater with
the President and Mrs. Lincoln and Mai Rath-
bone, on the evening Of the llth OF April, in
slant that az the time she heard the discharge
OF the pistol she was attentiyeIy engaged In
observing " hat was transpiring upon The stage
and looking round she saw Major Rathhone
spring from his seat and advance to the opp0-
site side OF the box: that she saw HIM engaged
as II III struggle with another man, bat the
smoke with which he was enveIOped pre-
vented this depOnent from seeing distinctly the
Oiher man: that the first time she saw him dis
tnctly was when he lea ped from the hox upou
the Stage that she then heard Major Rqthbone
cry ont, "Stop thaE man. Won't somebody
stop THAI man ," A moment after some one
from tie stage asked, {" What is it - or .s What
is the matter !" and deponent replied, nIhe
President is shot" Very soon after TWO per
sons, one wearing the uniform of a naval sur
geon and the other that OF g soldier of he Vet
eran Reserve Corps, came upon the stage and
the depolent assisted them ia climbing uD 10
the box.
And this deponept further says, that the
facts stated in The foregoing affidavit so TAR as
ia. same came 10 the knowledge or notice OF
the deponent, are accurately stated therein
CLARA II. HARRIS
Subscribed and sworn before he this Eth
day OF 4 Frii, 1eGj. a b. OLIN
Justice supreme Court ID. g.