The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-01-26

met him the very afternoon OF the
day the murder took place" said Caz-
auran, "and he asked me in to take a
drink. II was about two blocks from
Ford's Theater, and remember that
Ford wanted an attraction in Baltimore,
and 1 asked him il he would go on
there. He said no, he wouldn't; he
didn't think he'd ever act again. L
laughed at the idea, and asked him how
he was going to make living. He said
he didn't know that he needed any, but
he wouldn't act at any rate for any
amount of money. He was sick OF it.
He said he had another object In view,
and whether successful or not, there
wouldn't be any necessity of his going
on the boards any more. While talking
we walked out of the saloon and down
the street, urging and he refusing.
When we got opposite the theater, he
asked me if was going that night-the
President was to be there. said l
didn't think / should, as wanted to do
some writing. This was true, as was
rather hard up at the time. We
parted and shook hands, and
this was the last L saw of
him till L saw him on the
stage that night. went up to the
Chronicle Office, for which was writing
occasionally, to see if there was any
thing for me to do. When 1 got there,
the editor asked me if I'd like to go to
Ford's that night and write up the re-
ception of the President, who had just
returned to Washington. He wanted
two columns about it, and said I'd go.
He gave me the two tickets Ford had
sent to the Office, and then 1 went out
to take my dinner. Afterward / saun-
tered slowly to the the ter, went in and
took my seat. l could see there was
going to be jam, and there was. The
curtain went up on the first act OF "The
American Cousin" The Presidents
box was draped with American flags,
but there was no President in it. The
curtain fell on the first act, and still
everybody was looking up at the box to
see the arrival Of Mr.. Lincoln. 1t was
evident there was great deal of enthu-
siasm In the house, and great disap-
peintment about the non arrival. / was
seated right underneath the box, and had
the two aisle seats four rows from the Or
chestra. When the curtain had gone
down on the second act end the Presi-
dent hadn't come, 1 made up my mind
he wasn't coming at all, and went back
to the Office to tell them. The night
man told me there had been dinner at
the White House, and no doubt this
made the President late but he'd go
because he said he would, and he ad-
vised me to go back. So L did, and when
l got there, found that Mr.. Lincoln mad
arrived. went down to take my seats,
and found them occupied. BY natural
movement, cast my eyes over on the
other side of the house, and saw that
the two corresponding seats to mine were
unoccupied. L made up my mind these
people had mistaken their seats, and
went quietly over without disturbing
them, and took one of those that were
vacant. The play went on, and several
times | cast my eyes up at the box and
saw him with his wife and his niece. 1t
was the same good old face / had seen
SO often. Every now and then there
would be cheer, and then he would rise
and bow in his homely, awkward way.
One time that / looked up, saw John
Booth standing by the Presidents box.
hOVlCCi lc lOOhtQ Dhlt
and sick. When L looked up again, /
saw he had disappeared. The fourth
act was on, and remember distinctly
that Harry Hawk and Mrs. Muzzy were
on the stage, going through their scene
together"
"That's SO, broke in Ferguson, 81
can bear you out in that, because was
standing in the wings, just ready to go
on with Laura Keene."
"The whole house was intent on the
acting, when suddenly heard the sound
of shot, coming, as 1 thought then,
from the Presidents box. I looked up,
and saw Mr.. Lincoln fall forward with
his head on the cushioned balustrade
before him. Almost at the same mo-
ment man put one leg over the front
of the box and gave leap down to the
stage. saw one of his feet catch by
spur he bad or, not to the American
flag banging in front of the box, as was
said, but to one of the heavy curtains
that hung down on each side. His spur
made rent in the curtain all the way
down, and he fell, as it were, on one
foot. This leg bent beneath his weight,
and he fell on one knee. Then he rose
aud limped slowly across the stage, look
ing fully at the audience. It's all non
sense saying that he shouted Sic Sem
per Tyrannis. He shouted nothing at
ALL"
yes, 1 can vouch for that, inter-
rupted Ferguson again, /" for the wing
in which Laura Keene and 1 stood was
directly fronting the Presidents box,
and we were looking at it when Booth
walked across the stage to come out by
the very wing we were standing in, and
passed by us so near that he touched
Miss Keene's sleeve. He looked us
straight in the face and never said
word. We were too much surprised to
make movement or utter cry"
That was the case with the whole
said Cazaran. I" They
didu't appear to realize what had hap
pened till the yonng lady in the box
with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln bent for
ward, aud, with her body outside shout
ed, Help Help! the President is
shot Then there was an immense
through the house, and |
rose up, talking and crying
out, all wanting to know who had done