The Princeton union., 1881-03-10
A NIGHT OF HORROR.

Gen. James r. O'Beirnes Account Of the Assas-
sination Of President Lincoln
James r. O'Beirne, ex-United States
provost marshal Of the District of
Columbia. incumbent of the Office at
the time of Mr.. Lincoln's murder in
1855, has published in his newspaper,
The Sunday Gazette, of Washington,
very interesting account of his own
experiences of that most atrocious
assassination. After speaking of the
general situation, Gen. O'Beirne says !:
Bunting and flags were brought out
in profusion, and the city was gen.
orally decorated, some OF the public
buildings being literally covered with
drapery of union flags. AS the
joyous masses surged to and fro, the
congratulations became harmlessly
boisterous. The public buildings,
and lastly the white house, received
visits from thousands, and Mr.. Lincoln
in good spirits and in charitable
accents, greeted people on the au-
spicious occasion, He was so full of
forgiveness that he consented
jocOsely, in response to a call from
one OF the crowd, that the serenading
band should play "Dixie," for, said
he, "as we have captured Richmond,
and, therefore, the confederacy, we
have captured Dixie with it, and
are entitled to hear it played, it is one
OF our own tunes noW.' This great
public rejoicing was, however, Of
brief existence, for the assassin, by
whose hand the center of all this glad
scene was to be removed from it's
midst, without a moments warning,
was abroad in the streets that day,
and even mixed up unsuspected with
the jubilant throng. -
Barely twenty-four hours had elapsed
after the rejoicings were exhausted
and the participators had resumed
the serious business of everyday rou-
tine and habit, when pale, youthful,
hght-haired, young man, Walter Hell
len, the son of a banker by that name,
rushed into the Metropolitan hotel,
almost breathless with excitement,
and gasped out: president Lincoln
has just been shot while in a box in
Ford's theatre!' It was then located
where the army medical museum now
is, on Tenth street, between E and T
street. This was said to a small group
OF persons, among whom were the
provost marshal of the District and
one of his special detectives. The
former, jumping into buggy at the
door, precipitately rode to Ford's
theatre, but q few blocks distant,
where he found shutting crowd,
dazed and nic-stricken, moving
around outside the building. They
acted as if they knew not whether
they were going, nor what they were
doing.
Presently, a small bunch of men
was discovered to be carrying the
inanimate and apparently lifeless
body of Mr.. Lincoln up the steps of a
small house opposite the theatre. He
was carried into the rear room at the
end OF the hall, which had large
double bed in it, and had little other
furniture in it than few chairs, a
small table, and a Washstand of
cheap kind. Mr.. Lincoln was laid on
the bed after having been partially
disrobed. DR.. Charles "A. Teale was
holding and examining his head,
from the side of which, near the left
ear, blood was Oozing with some parts
OF the cerebral matter mixed with it.
which trickled. over the pillow and
counterpane. Life seemed extinct,
and no breathing was at first apparent.
The expression of Mr.. Lincoln's face
was, however, more that of one in
comatose than in dead state, and
without the slightest expression of
pain. The physician in loud tones
and peremptorily, after ,scrutinizing
Mr. Lincoln closely, as he held his
head slightly raised in his hand, said:
"Run and get me some brandy.'' The
provost marshal dashed from the room
and over the way to bar-room
opposite, where he procured a large
glass of brandy, with which he quickly
returned and assisted Or. Teale to
pour some liquor down Mr.. Iincoln's
throat. After a few moments the
presidents chest surged, and with a
spasmodic affort he drew a long breath
and continued thereafter in rapid but
short stertorious respirations.