, 1884-10-19
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
The Scotch Cap and Military Cloak
Story a Fabrication.
Zoe Howard confsssea That Hs
Evolved II from the myateri-
Gus Depths OF His Journals
istie Imagination.

Joe Howard in Philadelphia Press
I bad been delegated by Che paper I reprs-
sented TO accompany Mr.. Lincoln and his
family from Springfield, Ill. 70 Washington,
and. OF course, | did 80. l stood within d
yard Of INN when in Trenton, be made the
memorable sSsssrtion8 that It was time the
government put its foot down firmly. and /
was with him in Phiiadelphia when he was
comfortably Housed in the Continental hotel,
where the best people IN the city We'd with
each other 10 do him honor and pay him the
respect - honestly his due. And, by the
way, this Is about IS good a time rs any for
me 10 explain the Scotch cap and military
cloak story. which long since passed into his
tory, and can be found IN all the cyclopedias
OF the day.
There Isn't a word Of truth In it. The in
tentiou was. after the reception and parade
IN Philadelphia, Mr. Lincoln and his party
reviewing the torchlight wlde-awakes and
bands of music, and attended by. thousands,
from his rooms on Chestnut street, % go by
the early train 10 harrisburg, where, a. In
big places u reception was 70 be given, and
a procession had In his honor. and thence d.
rect 10 Washington. This plan, however, was
thwarted by information brought b the Con-
tinental, and communicated, l think, first to
Mr.. Kingsley and subsequently intrusted 10
Mr.. Lincoln, although the wisdom OF that
step was then and has ever since been
doubted. The information was 10 the effect
that the train from Harrisburg was to be
thrown from the track IN the hope Of killing
the president-elect. without regard to the
lives or safety OF his wife and children and a
large number OF notables who were accom-
panying them Mrs. Kingsley and Lincoln and
gentlemen In charge Of the party, who were
Col Wood, subsequently superintendent Of
buildings ia Washington; Ward Lamon, sub
frequently marshal Of the District OF colum.
bia; and a detective in the secret service by
the name OF Burns. brother OF the Burns
who used TO keep the Pierrepont house in
Brooklyn. kept the secret well. Il was an
anxious night with those people and with
Nj. Seward, Jr., who accompanied the de
tective from Washington and brought the
Information 10 the parties Interested. The
next morning the presidential group started,
and II continuous ovation greeted them all
the way to Harrisburg, where a very credit
able turnout was made with speech, band,
and fireworks accompaniment. | went to
my room In the hotel at night, and was pre-
pairing my dispatch to wire to this city when
Detective Burns entered the room and
locked the door.
booked az him In amaksment, and asked
him what he meant. He told me 1 couldn't
len' q the room until the following morning.
| asked why, and 10 make a long story short,
IN spite Of my threats and representations OF
serious embarrassment % me personally and
professionally, the conclusion was that | was
not to leave until the following morning, as
IL was for the public good, which he, upon
my promise not to ilse, explained, saying
that Mr. Lincoln had already left by a
special engine and car, and hat gone back
over his track In time tolcatch the evening
train from New York, while bis family and
the rest OF the party would continue their
journey in accordance with the prearranged
programme He also Informed me that
the wires had been cut. and that communi-
cation with New York was a physical
impossibility, but hat nevertheless his or
ders were that none of the newspaper men
should leave their rooms that night. at
once wrote a dispatch beginning as follows
abraham Lincoln, president elect of the
United States. is safe in the city Of Wash
ington, - and then proceeded TO narrate the
circumstances, as unfolded 10 me by the de-
~tective, who, with considerable mystery, said
that no one would recognize Mr.. Lincoln at
sight, rnd that the plans Of the conspirators
we're fortunately foiled.
asked myself what possible disguise could
Lincoln get in Harrisburg, and, as | wrote
on, | imagined him in a Scotch cap, which
would be about as marked and opposite to his
high silk hat as one could conceive, and a
military cloak, which 1 borrowed, in my i'm
%agination, from the shapely shoulders OF Col
Sumner, who was travelling with the prssi-
dent-elect My dispatch was sent very
early in the morning, sand, by good
luck, reached The Times office just as
the day editor entered his room. His first
thought was swell. this Is a pretty time Of
day for Howard's dispatch to arrive and,
taking It mechanically glanced at it.
The first sentence attracted his attention.
Hurriedly reading it, and seeing its import
ance, he ordered it put up and an extra got
ten out at once. The first thing known in
this city by our esteemed contemporaries In
especial and the public in general was when
900 newsboys electrified the town with
the extra Times and It's astounding revelation
Of the d'abolical plot against the chosen head
OF the nation immediately the illustrated
papers took the matter up, and one and all
printed pictures OF Mr.. Lincold fleeing from
Harrisburg. arranged in this chimerical
garb, u Scotch cap and long military cloak.
The story was absolutely correct, the trim
mings we're pure imagination.