The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-17
LINC0LN'S MURDER.
The Anniversary Of the bastard Deed
ReVives the Memory OF 1t.
j. Harry FOrd's Remintscencs-Incideo OF
the Terrible Night.

The Washington Critic Of the 18th, recall
ing the fact that asst night was the twentieth
snniverary OF the shooting of Mr. Lincoln,
gives the following interview with J. Harry
Ford, still in town here, who was in the box
cfiice OF Fords Theater the night OF the as
fascination:
Booth you see as an actor and friend OF
the house, had the fall run of the place. He
could 90 anywhere be wanted to. 1t was
the easiest thing in the world for him to find
his way without hindrance and without diff
6eulty to the Presidents box. He came in
once during the day. told him that we ex-
pected President Lincoln and General Grant
at the play that night. ! also told him tba.
we were going to have these two distin-
guishsd men Oh one side and General Lee on
the other. Booth broke into q denuncia-
ton Of Lee for having given up the sword
of Virginia, which be had promised never
to surrender. He, however, showed no IN
usual excitement"
Did you see him when he came to the
theater in the evening"
Yes, he came in about o'clock. He
stopped at the box Office and chstted a few
minutes. He laid a cigar stump on the ledge
In front OF HIM saying, with a laugh as he
did so: He who would this stump displace,
must meet j. Booth face to face "
When did you next see him."
- fter the shooting. We heard the shot
in the box office, but paid no attention to il
at first. If you recollect, there is q scene in
Our American Cousin in which Sir Ed
ward TrenchaTd puts pistol to his head
with suicidel intent. The pistol is wrenched
from his hand We in the box Office thought
that the pistol had gone OIL accidentally, but
the noise and confusion which followed. and
the remembrance that the attempted suicide
did not take place until the third act made
rs change our mind. threw open the
wicket looking from the box Office upon the
stsge. Booth was crouched on the stage
with knife in his hand. He was crouched
upon his side. l saw him get up and run
across the stage, from the rear of which he
made his escape. No, 1 did not hear the
words, Sic semDer tyrannisn They were
used by Booth in the box. do not think
there is any doubt that Booth injured him
self when he jumped from the box. l had,
in the absence OF the man who usually
attended TO such matters, arranged the box
during the day. l had procured the loan OF
flags from the Treasury Department and had
hung in front of the box q picture of Wash
gton. Booths spur caught in that picture.
| Ii Wss ripped down several inches
When you saw Booth crouched on the
stage die you suspect what had Oecurred2'
No, we thought there had been fight
and that Booth was in it We thought so ne
one lad shot al him and that he had drawn
his knife in self defense. as soon as We
/ learned the facts, aud we were bat a short
time doing so, / came to the conclusion that
! have ever since held that Booth intended
! that knife for General Grant"
| In rushing from the building did not
] Booth il jure some one else?"
Yes. he struck at Withers the leader of
the orchestra, who had gone under the stage
st the close OF the act, and who encoun-
! tered Booth. The latter had the knife in
| mis- hand when he struck Withers, but he
/ did not intend to stab him. He he'd the
/ blade of the knife latteTally or peTpendic1
! lsTly. WitheTs' clothes we're cut through
/ and an incisien Was also made in the skin.
/ When Booth got to the horse he with
the but end of the pistol knocked the
man down who had the animal. The man
F, who brought the horse TO the appointed
place was Spsngler, our stage carpenter
| SDangler was great admirer of Booth, and
veHld do anything for him. That he knew
nothing of Booths intention was evident
from the fact that he gave the horse to an
other man. Epangler, however, had to spend
three years in the Dry Tortugss.'
How long after the shooting was it before
the President was removedP'
About ten minutes. He was taken to 5l6
! Tenth street. The house was the home OF the
Peterson family. tits now occupied by the
| Washington Sentinel"
Were you suspected Of completely in the
| crime?'
Yes, there was come talk of it at fret :;
but the examination showed that il was I'm.
founded. We were held only as witnesses"
Yes" continued Mr.. Ford, there was
The greatest excitement in the city, and it
seemed as though it would never quiet
down. The attack on Seward and Johnson,
the latter at the old kirkwood House, on the
corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Twelfth
street, added to the craze of the people. 1t
vas the widest time ever saw or ever expect
to gee"