The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-08-22

While in Maine recently I fell in |
with Gov. Hamlin, as the ex.Vice
President and Senator is generally |
called there. One Of his sons is in
partnership with Eugene Hale, the
youngest Senator from Maine. at the
town of Ellsworth, about fifty miles
south OF Bangor. From what
could understand the Governors
sons are much respected, though |
they.take but little part in manag-
ing politics. The elder son entered
the war and, after serving awhile in |
the field, became assistant to the
Chief of Artillery of the Army ofthe
Potomac, and he gave me an inter-
esting description of being present
in Ford's Theatre the night Mr.. Lin
coin was murdered.
81 had never been able to see the
play called The American Cousin,
said General Hamlin, " though | had
several times made engagements to
60 and see it, and / had never seen
it fully performed, SO that have
sort Of superstition about the piece.
The night Mr.. Lincoln was murder
ed ] observed that The American
Cousin" T" was to be played. and l
took my sister ard another lady to
the theatre. We had seats far down
to the front, only a few steps from
the stage. Mr.. Lincoln came in and
proceeded to his box, which
was the upper one on the right,
bat he was not visible to the
audience where he sat, having a
back place in the box, from which
he could the better see the stage.
Indeed, from where | sat below, l
could see no person in the boxes.
Not long before Mr.. Lincoln was
shot there was a change of scenes
during an act, and it seemed to me
that it was the longest time required
to change scenes that | had ever
observed in theatre. 1t was so no
ticeably long that l afterwards won
dered in connection with the mur-
der if there might net have been
some irresolution or perplexity on
that stage. Not long afterward there
was a sound somewhat like the
slapping of your hands together
sharp, yet not very loud, but loud
enough to make me turn my head
and wonder what could have made
it, and whether it could have been
pistol.
"The next thing l saw was Booth
getting out of the box. / had seen
Booth play on two occasions, and
knew his face perfectly well. There
never was more deliberate thing
than his stepping out on the sill of
that box, and leaping from it. He
made as pretty a jump as | ever saw.
If he had practiced that leap, it
could hardly have been more ele-
CANT. He alighted in a crouching
position, like one who has brought
his body down to break the shock
of the fall. While it was good
one in height, it was not dangerous
one at all perhaps from where he
leaped TO the stage, was nine to
twelve feet His spur tore flag,
and that seemed to bring him around
somehow, so that he alighted with
his face turned more to the audi
ence than would have been the case
had he merely hoped directly
downward. His face was marble
pale. In his right hand he held
knife, and in theatrical way he
stretched it upward and distinctly
said the words: Sic semper tyran-
MIS-" Then in very STACEY stride,
still pale, serious and intense, he
went right across the stage and out.
Many people at this stood up, and
near me was naval officer whose
name don't remember who, hearing
some one exclaim, The President
has been shot = lifted himself, sailor
fashion, up to the woodwork and
decorations of the private box below
and climbed into the box above, and
he came down the same way in the
audience.
"Of course the audience was dis
missed, and as l was going up the
street few minutes afterward | met
friend in the Service, who said to
me: This is terrible news. Mr.
Stanton and (here l forget the officer
mentioned by Gen. Hamlin) Mr..
Seward, we fear, have been mortally
wounded. At this | went to my of
flee and took the responsibility as
Chief f-of.Staff of the Artillery of or
dering out the field batteries we had
in the forts around Washington. l
feared the next thing would be some
kind of rebel rising in Washington,
and summoned the artillery to come
down at once, and had them put in
positions to fire upon the town and
clear the main avenues if there was
to be any more violence"