Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-09-07
A "REMINISCENCES
OF the Assassination of Abraham
Lincoln.
The Manager Of FOrd's Opera HOUSE
Gives Ills RecOllectiOnS OF the
Terrible AEair.An Odd
Experience.
Washington Star.I

" asblngtbn Star.
A Star reporter finding himself costly seatet
in the Office at Fordls opera house, and Harr,
Ford III a vein Of Renaissance led Mr. Ford
mind back score of years to the events at
tending the assassination of President Lincoln
at the Tenth Street theatre The day Of The
assassination said Mr. Ford. about IL H.
Booth came down Tenth street to the theatre
and stopped there to read letter can re-
member very well seeing him sitting on the
steps outside. told HIM then that Presiden,
Lincoln and Gen Grant were coming to the
theatre that night ] said that President
Lincoln and Gen. Grant would occupy one
box, and added, as IA joke TO tease him, that
jeff Davis and Gen. Lee would I've in another
box. He denounced Gen Lee very vigor-
ously for having surrendered the sword of
Virginia. That evening, after the perform
ance began he came to the theatre, and as
he passed the box-ofiice he looked into the
window and, putting his arm through,
placed cigar which he had partly smoked
on n shelf inside and said in a mock heroic
style:
Whoe er this cigar dares displace
Must meet Wilkes Booth face to face.
Then he passed into the theatre"
did he ever return for the cigar?' asked
The Star reporter
NO. Those were the last words l ever
heard him speak. He must have said them
u mislead Us, for his plans, it seems, were
already laid, and it was part of the plan, as
heard afterwards, that Payne was TO assas-
sinate Seward, Atzerott should kill johnson
at the kirkwocd house, and Booth shoot the
president simultaneously. SO he knew just
what he was going to do and how much time
he had.
Later in the evening"" continued Mr.
Ford, 1--WE heard a pistol shot in the theatre.
Joe Sessford and were in the treasurer's
office. We thought at first that it was the
pistol fired by Asa Trenchard in the play
Laura Keene was playing Our American
Cousin, but then it struck Us as little too
early in the evening. We opened little
window that looked into the theatre and saw
Booth crouching on the stage with knife in
his hand. Even then we could not tell what
mad happened, and no one seemed to know.
We thought at first that some one had in
suited Booth and he had pursued the mar
across the stage. A few minutes, which
seemed an hour, lassed before the whole ter
rible truth was known"
You Were among those who were ar-
rested were you not asked The Star re-
porter
81 was arrested, | think, on the Sunday
following tle assassination, and taken down
10 the Old Carroll prison, fronting upon the
capitol grounds. | was treasurer Of the
theatre, and nay brother, James r. Ford, bet
ter known as Dick Ford, was manager. NV
brother, John T. Ford. who owned the thea
tire, Was arrested at his home in Baltimore
after his return from Richmond He had
run down there to see our uncle, mothers
only brother. William Greaner Nearly
every une around here professionally related
TO Booth was arrests d, and the Virginia and
Mary land farmers along the river who were
to have assisted Booth in his escape
IN any way, by harborinS him, given him
food or shelter, or boats. were arrested, and
they were all sent 10 prison where was So
we had plenty of company.
did enjoy it, Wen, would not have
missed the experience for a great deal. 1t
was rare mixture-deserters bounty
jumpers and prisoners of state, governors,
legislators and men of every station. Still it
was rather rough the first week. We were
kept in close and solitary confinement
Each man had a room by himself and was
not allowed to leave it or to see any one
that when my brother was brought
IN l saw him in the yard. The guards would
not let me go to BIN or speak to him. After
John 7. was arrested his family came oves
rom Baltimore. His wife applied to Secre
AIRY Stanton for a pass to go TO the prison |
md see him, and Stanton refused. There we |
were left alone in our dungeons in dreadful |
| remember the day of the |
uneral ceremonies at the capitol / could |
zee nothing, but could hear the solemn BOOM |
ng of guns, the dismal beating of muffied |
lrums, playing dead marches, and the /
teady tramp Of feet. That was not very /
heering music for our ears We did not |
now but the people in their excitement |
would mob the prison and lynch us, for some
# the men arrested had been stoned i'm the |
treet. Our fare was coarse prison food
cup and beans and dry bread