The Lamar register., 1891-09-19
MURDER OF LINCOLN.
TALES TOLD OF THAT NIGHT BY
ONE WHO KIN NOWS! m 4
Memories OF thr Doork seper or Ford.
Ihester-Th- Subsequent story OF
the Old BnfiiinE-tosrrn-
nent Property.

ingham In Kate Fields Washington;
so you see my theatrical experience
extends over a good long time. Fo,
most OF these years | have seen the
theatre from the doorway. and for
nearly thirty of them have taken the
tickets of the Washington theater-
going public. know the faces. |
think, of most Of the people in town
who, are fond Of the play. and haze
bad the pleasure of admitting many
celebrities to an evening of recreation
from the cares OF state. At this sea-
son. however the celebrities are very
sparse indeed. -g
Among the prominent men in the
last congress who came often to the
theater we're Mr.. breckenridge OF Ken
lucky. Mr.. Carlisle and Mr.. Eustis.
President Harrison likes an evening
here. and is greater thsater-goer
than any president since Arthur
Harrison Arthur and Lincoln make up
the recent presidential patrons of the
drama Between Lincoln's time and
Arthur's no president showed very
much fondness for the thcater.
| was tending the door at Ford's
iheaier the night that Lincoln was
shot The impression 1t made upon
my mind is still so vivid that don't
Ike TO talk about L. but for all that
thero was nothing OF the horrible
scene often described Tho soldiers.
who werc almost Immediately upon
the spot. did not charge upon the
crowd with fixed bayouets, as Is soms-
times erroHeousiy stated There was
very great difiealty in making the
people leave the house Hardly two
minutes after the shot was ar,.t the
audience seemed 70 foW over into the
orchestra and upon the stage. This
state Of things lasted for some time
until at the request Of Mr.. Harry
Ford. / went out To the sidewalk and
spoke TO Mr.. Whllach. for many years
mayor Of the city. He came in. and.
going rs iar ~ be could down The
aisles. addressed ti-s crowd and ASKED
them 10 leave. tie Eus we'll known
and the people obcyei with to,e-able
prouptness aad tina, Is the way the
throng was really dispersed When
they worv anhliy gone locsctl the
doors and quilted the building.
AL this. Of coarse. s. more or less
widely known 10 The public. What Is
less familiar Is tho subsequent history
OF the old house A provost guard was
put Ii charge and the soldiers made
sd havoc with the appearance of the
;hoaier We had for instance. a
pretty ilttls waiting parlor for ladies;
hero the guard cooked and ate their
rations, until lSor aud furniture were
n a. l.
the boNe- too. u great deal. and alto
geiher loft fhs place IN n sorry coR-
diu0a- Mr. Eord obtained permission n
70 open again on the 10Th Of July.
The play Was The Octoroon and
was billed oil oFer tho clsY. The
provost guard Was not ordered out
until the ias; moment and after that
40 attempted 70 put things In order as
best We could. Tho theAtcr was
cleans1. and bsuxht roll o, Grape
and afaped the box which President
Lincoln had occupied We we're suSy
ali day On the 10Th and I hurried
home late 20 dress for the evenings
business \ lif:le before timo for the
pcriorfnnnea came bacS and found
row % soldiers or the stops Mr. Ford
came up aud told me that he had been
summoned 10 appear az the war de-
pnrtment. and that there could be no
performance thzt evening. He went
70 sec Secretary stanton The building
was bought by the government for
slOo. 900 and has no, been used for
theatrical purposes since
keep a. nernentocs gOot-si1ed
scraps OF tho wall paper and box cur
taius OF the old theatre. bat these
pieces have grown smaller and smaller
and smaller. until all | have ieit are a
fow little bits which have had pho
iographed- l haze cut OF little FOR
drst one friend ana thea another until
have had TO put the remaining pieces
under u glass aud frame them TO pro-
tect them from my own hand.
think Washington theaters are dif-
fercnt from even tho best houses in
many other cites. In she quiet and do
cornm OF the audience. and the alb
sonce OF any large door crowd nade up
OF people who come to sec the audience
and not the play Ladies come TO the
theater with each other and With
out the need OF other escort and moth
ing wolld be considered more untor-
tuna,e by the managers than 70 nave
this custom fan into distavor. Our
audiences are very varied for what
calls out one sot OF people will not at
tract another. and. Of course, the win
ter audiences and tho summer ones are
made up in the main Of different
classes. Still. you would be astonished
to find how many society people like
to drop in TO summer opera If they are
in town. For my own part l have
reached the point where / care very
little what is going on inside the doors
am often asked what the piece is,
and have TO st0p. moment before L
can collect my thoughts and answer-
IL has made SO little Impression upon
my mind. 81
superstIsIons Aoont insects.
In Germany. where cEicizets are sell
dom seen, rs cry is thought TO be a