M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1865-04-27
The Assassina zion Of The |
President.
SVvorn TeSiluShnv.

u. Although, ,thesad event which ID
here mAnlely and circmstantially de
scribed hAs beeh presel:edsto the pyb
llic in vCHumindus detail, the follow
ling deposition from u gentleman wao
was withthe Sresideat when the as
sassin executed his fell purpose will
have . poculias-iRtereet, and as-aa
act Of Justice to the deponept. whose
connection wthh the sad affair has
been ,yariouslS-reporled, we give it a
prompt publication oD-r,F,rfr,9g
District Of COlum,ia, lCisy or Washing on, 3,
Henry II. RathbOne. -BleVet Major
in the Army Of the United States,
being duly sworn, says that on he
l4th day of April, instant, at about
twenty minutes pdst 8 o'clock in the
eVeping, he. with Miss Clara II. liar
ris, left his residence, at the corner of
Filth and II. streets, aud Joined lhe
PreSiden, an Mrs. Lincoln, and went
with them to Ford's rheater, on Tenth
street. The box assigned to the Pres
ident is in the second Tier on the righ,
hand side OF the audience. and was
occupied by the President ami Mrs.
Lincoln, Miss Harris, and THE depo :
nent, and by no other person. The
box is entered by passing lrCm the
front of the building in the rear OF
The dress-circle TO a small entry or
passage way, about s feet in Ieigtl,
aud 4 feet IN widtA. The passage
way is entered by door which opens
on the inner side. The door is so
placed as to make an acute angle be-
tween il and the wall behind it on the
inner side. .r
At the inner end OF this passage
way isanother door, standing square
ly accross and opening into the box.
On tue left hand eide OF the passage
way, and being near the inner end, is
a 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 80 constructed that
i may be divided into two, by amov
able partition, one of the doors de.
scribed opening into each. The front
Of the box is about ten or twelve feet
In length, aud in the center OF the
railing is a small pillar, ovehung 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 railing, is about ten or
twelve feet. ~
When the party entered the box a
a sushioned arm chair was standing
at the end OF the fnrthtst from the
stage and nearest the audience. This
was also the nearest point to the door
by which the box is entered. Tho
President seated himself in this chair
and, except that he once left the char
fer the purpose Of putting on his ov-
ercoat, remained 80 seated until he
vas shot. Mrs. Lincoln was seated
in chair between the Presidents and
the pillar in the center above desr Ibed
At the opposite end Of tile box, that
nearest the stage, we're 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 Of the box to the rear, stood |
a small sofa. At the end of this sofa
next to Miss Harris, the deponent
was seated. The distance between
this dcponent and the President, as
they were 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 feet. The door, &C
c9rding to the recollection of this de.
ponent, was not closed during the
evening.
When the second scene Of the third
act was being performed, and this do
ponent was intently 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 tie
smoke man between the door and
the President. At the sans time de
ponent heard hun shout come word
which deponent thinks was Gree
DOM" This dsponent instantly
sprang toward him aud seized him -
He wrested himself from the grasp
and made violent thrust at the
breast Of deponeut with large knife.
parted the blow BY strik.
ing it up, and received wound sew
eral inches deep in his left arm, be-
tween the eloow and the shoulder -
The ortce Of the wounl is about An
inch aGd halfiu length and extends
upward toward the shoulder several
inches. ~ -f-. -rari ..- ~
The man rushed to the front of fhe