The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-20

TO PREVENTING IT.
A number Of members OF the Assem-
bly, were in Assembiyman Wren's par
loT, few evenings ago, and the eonver-
satiOn turned upon the law respecting
the carrying Of concealed weapons. As
semblymen Lindsay and Stanley aud
others expressed various opinions about
the law, but Mr.. Wren said nothing.
He sat quietly smoking a brierwood
pipe and listening to all that his col
leagues had TO say. At length Mr..
Lindsay asked him what he thought OF
the law, and whether it had done very
much TO prevent the carrying Of con-
cealed weapons in New York.
"Well, I've had my lesson" said Mr.
Wren, "and il was one that taught me
the danger of carrying weapons. had
my hand on my pistol % shoot John
Wilkes Booth once, and / wish / had,
for drew on him on the morning Of the
very day that he assassinated Lincoln y
There was no further talk about con
cealed weapons. The Assemblymen
were anxious to learn more of the Incl
dent that Mr. Wren referred %.
'Did you know Booth 2'' asked Mr.
Lindsay.
ultimately. I had acted with him q
season in Richmond, and been on the
southern circuit several times with him
I have slept with Booth many ami
many a time, and there wss no one o.
my friends that was better liked"
Mr.. Wren, being urged 10 relate iae
incident, began:
"When / had served my time in the
army and got my discharge, made an
engagement with Mr.. Grover, who then
had one of the Washington theaters un-
der lease. There were quite a number
OF my old friends in Washington. actors
who were well known, at least to the
profession. There were Jim McCullOm,
sam Chester, John Jennings, sam Yer
ney, and Others, and we used to meet
socially every Sunday night Some
times Wilkes Booth would Join Us. He
would frequently tell Us, when We asked
him where he'd been so lOng-for we
would not see him around sometimes
for days, and then he would suddenly
appear-that he had been taking. horse
back rides. be used to argue with us
on the merits Of the Southern cause.
ION the afternoon that the Marine
band sereBaded Lincoln when he re-
turned from his visit 10 Richmond. sam
NerDey, Jennings and myself went 10
the White House, and on our return
went to the Office of &. ID. Hess. WHO
was manager for Mr.. Grover. We were
playing Aladdin at Growers, and
Miss EHie GermOn was leading lady.
She was in Mr.. Hess's Office with the
others. II / remember right. Al all
events, Booth came in aud greatly in.
terrupted Us with his violent secession
talk. / think this was on the Wednes-
day before the assassination. Booth
asked Mr.. Hess at that time, too, when
President Lincoln was going to the the
ater to see Aladdin for the President
bad been invited TO be present, and had
promised to DO so.
"The next day number Of Us, aftei
rehearsal, were standing in front OF Gro
ver's, and afterward We went into the
lobby Of the theater. As ! now remem-
Der, there were Mr.. G. II. Hess, Mr.
Nerney, Mr.. Jennings, and one or two
other gentlemen. Booth came saunter-
ing In. Ny impression was that he had
been drinking. He began at once tC
talk about the war. We didn't pay
much attention 20 his Wild talk, for We
BAD heEiI very much Of t. but he
nnally spoke OF Lincoln tv a very vul-
gar aud proiane tern. TIT made me
very angry.
"'Johu,' said I, what d. Won I'M, tl,a,
way for2 The war is ove,: ...,,, do !.
beaten. What is the use of ef,.,.. IN,
If you ieel SO bad, why didn't Won d.
into the Southern army, as I did ,t,' ~,
Northern? It don't look well 10 80
now, when you never shouldered a u,ns
ket for your suie.'
"'Perhaps I've done as much as vo,
did for the cause, and can do more. D
Eou mean to say that I'm coward p
az didn't say so, john ! replied
sbut did say that you ought to hav
showed your courage before you talk a
you do now
"At this he got very angry.
"rYou cali me coward, do you
said he, aud be drew his pistol at oncl
81 was angry, too, and a good de'
more foolish, being hot-headed youn