Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-05-08

Drawing u Pistol to shoot Booth
ON the Morning Ut the Trag-
edy.

ALSASY, April "A number OF mein'
bers Of the Assembly were Ia Assem-
blyman Wren's parlor q lev evenings
ago, aud the conversation turned upon
the Law respecting the carrying OF con
cealed weapons Assemblymen LINDSAY
aud STANLEY aud others expressed Vari'
Gus opinions about the iaw, hut Mt.
Wren said nothing, tie sat quietly
smoking a bTierwOod pipe and listening
~ all that his colleagues had to SAY. ~
length MIR. Lindsay asked him what hr
thought ui the Law, aud whether IL had
done very much to prevent tie carrying
oi concealed weapons ~ New luTk'
"Wrll, I've hal NV lesson, saii MI.
Wren, "and II was one that taught me
the danger o carrying weapons. hal
my hand on NV pistol 10 shoot John
Wilkes Booth once, aud ! wish ! had
for | drew ON him On the morning oi the
very day that he assasslnat~t lincoln'
There was no further talk about con'
craled weapons. The Assemhiymen
were anxious to learn more oi the met
dent that Mr.. Wren referred ~.
"Didyou know Booth = asked MI
Lindsay.
"Iutimately. | had acted with him a
season la Richmond, and been Ou tho
Southern circuit several times with him,
| have slept with Booth many and many
4 time, aud there was M Que ct my
friends that was better liked,
Mr.. Wren being urged tn narfa'c
rus iNCIpsSr, utGAS:
when | had served my time IN Ia"
army aud got my discharge, ! made AL
engagement with MIR Grover, who then
had Que ui the Washington theatets un-
der lease. There were quite u number
/ ot nav old friends ~ Washington, actors
Who were n~ell.known, at least 10 he
proirssion. There Was jim MCIullom,
sam Chester, John Jennings, sam Ven
ncy, and others, Uud We used To meet
sncially every sunday night. N"tuv-
times Wilkes Booth would Join rs Ito
would frequently tell Va, when w asked
hun where he'd hgcu 81 long Tor We
would not see him around somrtlINr"
iot days. and then he would suddenly
appraT that he had been taking horse
back rides. lie used to argue With rs
ON the merits ui the Southern cause,
On the afternoon that the Marine
baud scrcnadrd Lincoln when he re-
turned from his visit To- R~tcnulond, sam
Nemey, jennings, aud myself went I"
th, White House, aud IN our return
ssut To the office oi G. H. Hess, WIN
Mas manager Tor Nit Grover. w" were
going tn hear u ncw play read. WowrrI
pIaying aladdin at Growers, Hui
Miss EtHe Oiermun Was leading lady,
M, Mas in Mr.. Hess office with the
others. if remember WIght At all
events. Booth cane IN, aud greatly ia
| torruptcd us with his violent secession
talk. think this Was uu the WcInes'
Lay before the assassination. bonib
asked asked Mr Hess at that time, too,
when President Lincoln Wa- guing 1"
lh, thratcr To src Aladdin iur the
pr,sidrnt hal been invited Ia hr pres
vnt, aud had promised ~ du s".
"1he next day a numlgr ct ~, after
rchuaTsal, we're standing ~ lrunl 81
Growers. aud aitrrwari VIZ went into
the luhhy ul the thcatcr. ~ now r.
member, There were a. II Hess, vi.
Nrrnry, Ma. 1]cuuiugs, aud our ~ tWn
other gentleman, Roth cUuuc Sattniu'.
lng ia. Ny impression Was that Tao
uNp ugGN pgINHIND.
IIr b,uan AT once 10 talk about the
war. We didn't pay much attention To
his Mild talk, lot We hai heard Ncly
much Ut il, hut he finally spoke at lh"'
coin hy u very vulgar aud proiauc i'r"t
That mado mo very angry.
John" said | what 10 YOU talk nat
way iur? Tho war is over. Your side
!. L,at,u. What Is the usc at erwin.
now llyuu feel ~ bad, Nhy dtiu
yuu gu into the southern army, m ! d"'
IA the Northern 1t don't i"uN well i'
bray nov, when yuu nrVug sh"uldrtrd 4.
muskel lot yuuI side
"prrhapH I've dome us much ~ Nuil
did lur the cause ANT eau Ito more. ~
yuu mcau Iu Siy that I'm coward
81 didut EtV So, John, | .rrpIirlr
but dli Say that YOU ought I" have
shaved your courage hulurc yuu iaiN a.
You du nov,
AT thus he got very angry Nut,
call mr a coward, du your said lac, AMI
lac drew his pistol at once,
81 was angry, too, aud 4 guud dca|
more iunlish, hating u hot hcadWi yuuu.
fellow then vi -, hat alsn runrmhcI.
that hc hal me at an advantage
"'liuld On, john, ! uiicd, Throwing
M NY hands, | am nui liked. II you
lire nov you will pruVr yourself a
coward let INC gu home aui get hnrdr
and wr'h have this uut-hhoui ou SiEhl,
II you say a.
1T had Just that moiodrLmailc au.
foolish hluHlrr, aud Was silly enough o.
hc IA earnest IN what ! Said, iur booth,
after booking at me "a minute, pat az hs
pistol aud said, You want tu bv pre-.
parcd the next Imr Yuu sro mr, and |
went home aud got NV revolver, hul
didn't see Booth again that rfrning.
Tho neat morning, which Mas lly
day IT the assassination, ! went round
o. Furd's Tlcater Ia SEE Mtss Laura
kcene, aud passing down the front
lobby .suppOsing that a rehearsal Was u'
progress, | saw II. CLAY turi aud al'i
Booth, who turned toward ne aud, aS !
supposed, made u movement a. rartN
his throat into execution. had uu u
light oyercoat aud my revolver IA thr
pocket, aud | put NV hand un u PIE
pared tn shoot through the packet at
Booth, loo | supposed II Wan going I" b,
the best thing Ia
uEI rus tIEsT EliuI,
Fortunately lur me-, perhaps unlur.
~tunatrly iur the country, ! waited au IA.
slant, and saw BuuIh extend hlS hand tI
me. Tie came up saving. Won't yuu
shake hands, ueOrguf ! wasn't myself
Yesterday. let hygunes be- byguuc,
III cnursc that waS the cud Ut thy
trouble,
THAT evening. While Miss O,rTuuu
MAS sinying sherman has marched III
the sea- aud ! was standing Ia ia,
wings ready I, ~ ca, G. u. Hess cant,
rushing ~ tu the wings, and said o. ute.
With a lace like death, lincoln hW,
b,su shot Ia his box at furI's said
AT once, aud | presume Nj, Hess will
remember II, That John Booth lid
IL am sorry war prulanc, bat per.
haps that will hc paulunrd, Jm Me
Cullom. sam Hail, aud ! vent up a.
Booths fathers larm, IA Maryland, the
next morning, looking iOT him, iur ",
had heabl hin talk about suIuu caves
that we're there. We wont armed b. ia,
teeth, acIur-iikr lhvu Mr.. Wren smiled,
and ia q very h,sInUnic banner oi
course Nc drdn't hnd him. AltrrwarI
vent D. the gan buSt aud saW Booths
body IL Mas the poor irllpN, iasl
enough. have been ,ugllurt in late
years. as | have recalled his Wild and
unreasonable manner all that WiRirr, :,
have charity enough lot Booth ia bClcy,
that his mind Vas doransrd
From that dAy to this, continue,
MI. Wren, a. hu pillcd his pIpc, 81
have not carTid Weapons, though use,
lo wish | had shot Booth. II every
body had the experience | have hal
there would be- no nrui loo any iaN at
the matter