The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-17
IiENfiSisCENCK
ot,he As.as.lnation Of Llneoin-Ea.s with
Witch pnath o.. i. ,h. rrh ..,.. -

which Booth Got In the. Theatre.
wIsnScToY, D. O., April 16..Consid5
cradle matter has been printed here in rerI
g I'd TO the assassination Of Mr.. Lincoln.
The following interview With Mr.. Harry
I. Ford, brotherof the owner of the thea.
tre, gives the scene about the building
with much detail. He was in the box
Office at the time Of the assassination:
"B9oth, you see, rs an actor and friend
Of The house, had the full run Of the place.
He could go anywhere he wanted TO-. 1t
was the easiest thing in the world for him
to fnl his way without hindrance and
without difficulty to the President's box.
He came in once during the day. 'Itold
min we expected President Lincoln and
General Grant al tue play that night. l
also told him that We were going 70 have
these two distinguished men on one side
and General Lee on the other. Booth
broke into a dennnciation; OF Lee for hay-
ing given up the sword of Virginia, which
he had promised never to surrender. He,
however, showed no unusual excitement
"Did you see him when he came TO the
theatre in the evening"
60; he came IN about SO clock. tae
stopped at tue box Office ana ehatted
lew ininutes. ia laid . cigar stump. on
the ledge IN front Of him. saying with .
laugh as ne did So:
.,'Hs who would this stump dlspi.ee,
Aa asss!' toian s 'ase .s " isss;
when did you next see HIM
Atter the shooting. we heard the shot
IN tho box olice, but pad no attention 70
Il at trst. III you recollect, there Iis ascene
in Our American Cousin, in which SIT
Edward Trelchzrd puts pistol 70 his
head With suicidal intent The pistol is
wrenched from his hand. We in tue box
oGics thought that the pistol had gone OF
accidentally, but the noise and confusion
which followed, and the remembrance
that the attenp.ed. suicide did not take
place until the third act, made US change
our mind. threw open the wicket look
ing from the bog office upon the stage.
Booth was crouched on the atage with 2
kniie In his hand; he was crolched upon
his sids. saw him get up and run across
the stage, from the rear Of which he made
bis escape. NO. ! did not hear the words,
sic s'nper tyrdnilii Tlleyiwereh used by
Booth in the box. i do not think there is
aRy doubt that Booth injured himself
when he jumped from the box. I5had, in
ths absence Of the aisn who usually at
tended such matters, arranged the box
during tho day. had procured the loan
Of flags from the Treasury Department,
and had hung in front Of the box Q pic.
ture Of Washington. Booth'sspur caught
In that picture. 1t was ripped down sew
eral incbes' = Y ri
"When you saw Booth erouehed on the
stage did you suspect what had occurred u
no. We thought that there ihad been
q fight and that Booth was IN i. We
thought that some one bad shot q him,
and that he had drawn his kniie tH self
defense. As soon a. We learned tho tacts,
and we were but short time doing 80, !
came 10 the conclusion that ] have sgef
since hOld, that Booth intended that knife
for General ursnt
"In rushing rom inc building, did not
ayes; be struck at Withers, the leader
of the nrnhestra, who had gone under the
stage at the close OF the art, and who en-
countered Booth. fhe lalnF hfd the
knife in his hand when he struck With
era, but he did not intend 70 stab him,
He held the blade OF the knife latteriy,
not perpendicglerly. Withers' clothes
were cut through, aud ~ incision was
also made In the SKID. %ler Bqeta got
to bis horse he, WIN tne putt e9q q hls