The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-06
LINcoLN,s ASSASSINATION.
Gen. Hamlin's Recollections of the Tragedy
at Ford's Theater
New York Letter.


New York Letter.
81 had never been able to see the play
called The American Cousin" said Gen.
HamlE, though had several times made
engagements to go and it, and have
never yet seen it fully performed, SO that |
Lave a sort of superstition about the piece.
The night that Mr.. Lincoln was murdered l
observed that The American Cousin was to
be played, and l took my sister, who is now
deceased, and another lady to the theater.
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, but was not
visible to the audience where he
sat, having place back in the
box, from which he could the better
see the stage. Indeed, from where l sat be-
low l could see no person in the boxes. Not
long before Mr.. Lincoln was shot there was
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
theater. 1t was so noticeaby long that |
aIterward wondered, in connection with the
murder, if there might not have been some
irresolution or perplexity on that stage. Not
long after there was d 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 was a pistol,
and l reflected that | had never heard of
pistol being fired during THE American
Cousin
THE next thing saw was Booth getting
out of that box. l had seen Booth play on
two occasions, and knew his face perfectly
we'll. There never was a more deliberate
thing than his stepping out on the sill of that
box and leaping from it. He made as pretty
Jump as l ever saw. If he had practlced
that leap it could not have been more ele-
CANT. He alighted in a crouchng position,
= hi 4
break the shock of the fall. While it was
good jump in height, in was not a dangerous
one at all perhaps from where he leaped, to
the stage, nine to twelve feet His spur tore
flag, and that seemed to bring HIM around
somehow, so that he allghted with his face
turned more to the audience than would have
been the case had he merely hoped directly
downward His face was marble pale.
In his right hand he held a knife, and in a
theatrical way he stretched it upward and
distinctly said the words, Sic semper tyran-
MS. 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 I still remember, who, hearing some
one exclaim, "The President has been shot"
lifted himself, sailor fashion, up the wood
work and decorations Of the private box be-
low and climbed into the box above, and he
came down the same way in the audience,
and he had upon his hand little piecs of the
brain OF Mr.. Lincoln, with blood attached,
which he said he was going to keep.
"Of course, the audience was dismissed,
and as | was going up the street few min
uteS afterward | met friend in the service
who said to me: This is terrible news. Mr.,
Stanton and there 1 forgot the officer men
toned by General Hamlin) and Mr.. Seward
we fear have been MORALLY wounded At
this l went Immediately to my office and
took the responsibility as chief of staff of the
artillery of ordering out the field batteries we
ed the next thing would be some kind of
rebel rising i'll 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"