The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-12-10

which President Lincoln died handled these
CHASTITY relics the other night, aud heard Mr.
Petersen's story Of the assassination. Petersen
owned the house just opposite Ford's Theater
into which Mr. Lincoln was carried after Booth
shot him. have visited the room into which
he was carried, aud il is not much different
now from what it was on the night Of the
assassination. IL is about 10 feet wide by 10
feet long and when Lincoln was carried INTO
IL IL contained a bureau, black walnut bed
stead. and a few chairs.
1t is a curious thing that John Wilkes Booth
slept in this same bed a few nights before he
shot Lincoln, aud that il was occupied prior 10
the assassination by an actor. Mr.. Petersen
chatted with me about tho affair rs we looked
at the coveriid which was spread over the dy-
ing President. IL was bedspread Of Irish
make aud its cOlOrs are, strange TO say, red,
white and blue
President Lincoln lay upon this piIiowease," {"
said Mr.. Petersen as he held up bloodstained
linen bag when be first came in. IL was
soon saturated with blood. and I brought him
another, aud on that he died. This was tho
pillOWcase" pointing 10 a second bag. upon
which he breathed his last ] suppose these
relies are worth hundreds Of dollars" he went
on, aud think they ought 10 be bought by
the Government. They are all we have left Of
the furniture Of the room. We sold the bed
upon which the President died for $50.
think IL Is now in Syracuse, ". Y. No one
has ever slept under the coyeTlid. IL would be
sacrlcge 20 Use %.
"You cannot imagine the rage the people bad
for collecting relics Of the President about the
time Of the assassination. Those who came TO
see the room took away everything they could
lay their hands on. They whitfield the furni-
ture, pulled the paper from the walls, stole the
spoons. aud carried away the mustard plasters.
ON the dooT-stcPs outside there were few
drops Of blood that had fallen from the Prcsi-
dents neck as he was being carried into tho
house. Men took little bits Of paper aud wiped
up this blood and carried them away as relics -
Were you present al the shOoting2"
asked.
"ko.H was the reply, 4" went 30 the other
theater that night. When came home found
the guards about the house aud they refused "a
4 let me in. j went around 10 the back and
climbed through a window. found the Cabi.
net present, together with Mrs. Lincoln, John
4 Hay, and a number OF others- The President
was unconscious. lie lay with his head on q
pillow. His eyes were bloodshot and almost
popping 0Bt Of their sockets. lie seemed 10 bG
trying 10 speak as ! came in. but he could not
The doctors asked me TO get some hot water for
them, aud ] helped them rub him TO keep uT
the circulation.
"The President died about o'clock in the
morning. The Cabinet were all present, aud
4
around Robert Linooln's shoulders. and Robert
! Lincoln's head was on his breast ] do not
| think that any good. accurate picture Of the
death bed scene has been published, and the
pictures ia which Mrs. Lincoln Is represented
az knoelinR at the beside are incorrect. She
| was in the other room at the time.
"As soon as the President was dead I went
out and announced the fact 10 the guards
aud this WAS the first notice the world had o
his death. Shortly after this his body was car
ried 10 the embalmer's, and IL was then taker
10 the White House and laid out in the Eas
| Room"
The liveryman from whom Booth got th,
horse on which he rode away into Maryland
after the assassination still lives in Washing
ton. His name is Allison Nalor, and he has
fine brick mansion just back OF that Of Vice
President Morton's. He had no idea Of TN
purpose for which Booth wanted the horse. an,
be never got paid for IT, " IL was taken of int
Maryland aud shot; aud il was said Mr
AailOT, "a splendid riding horse. OF cours
We never got anything for IT, and we were yer,