Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-15
A NIGHT OF TERROR.
A Veterans Recolieotion OF q

A Veterans Recollection OF Ao
Assassination of Lincoln-
TIE GREAT TRAGEDY WHICH OCCURRED rvrxss.
SEVEN YEARS Aeo-A pRIzzLy MORNING., nn
THAT OF ropAy-THE SCENES AROUND poap's
OLD rHEArrs-rHr KunoRs OF TEE xIoul.
'Tt was Just such Q morning - this tvssey.
seven years ago" said veteran Of the lats vss
10 SrAR reporter today, shat President Ikpp
coin gave up his life at the hands 81 he
assassin. John Wilkes Booth. No one Who -
not in Washington can form any ides Of the N
tense excitement that the tragedy occasionsl
Ever since the fall Of Richmond the city had been
full Of rejoicing at the collapse Of the rebeihsp
and the close OF the long civil war. There hee
been professions during the day aud a. night
and the whole city had been illuminated IN
honor OF the glorious news. Everybody ~
happy. Even those in this city vhs had
sympathized with the south, and there
we're many families here who had sons, broth.
ers and fathers in the ranks Of those who had
fought TO destroy the government we're GlAe
ones would soon come back to then, sysQ
though they had failed in the struggle 10
state rights and 10 establish an independent
confederacy. 1 had been on duty in the Judge
advocate generals Office for more than year
and had made good many acqu.in.a noes in
the feelings OF the southern symPathis-
ers. The chief clerk Of that Of
nee had son in the southern
army, and though at heart this old man vas
loyal to the Union, his love for his son and his
early training made him hesitate 10 credit he
news OF q Union victory until It was absolutely
confirmed That was the case in q good many
families in Washington. They had been living
Oh the general government, aud yet some one
or more of the male members had gone south
TO aid in the destruction Of that government
that had supported them So they we're a4
greatly relieved from the long strain thss hsd
been upon them when it became absolutely
certain that the war over.
Tho assassination of President LkncolA,
therefore, came upon the community with Q
horrible shock. Even those who believed in
the justice of the southern cause had oone 10
believe in the goodness and humanity Of Mr.,
Lincoln and were satisfied that when the end
Of the rebellion came his broad charity would
stand between the bitterness Of the extremists
OF the north in any desire for vengeance upoa
those who had been conquered.
II had been invited TO attend the tAsstsa q
the l4th Of April by young man. who I'D yu9
come to Washington and who wanted psrtiss.
larry to 20 because he had never seen the Pres.
tdent, and it had been announced that MT. Line
coin would occupy box on that occasion,
which was to be q benent to Laura Keens, sn4
the play was TO be Our American Cousin I
declined because l had seen the play several
times and had also seen the President eftsny
besides, had some work at the efioe that
wished to attend 10.
PRESIDENT LISooLS's LAST srEEoL
Tsuppose I heard the last public speech
that Mr.. Lincoln ever made. II vss on the
afternoon Of the 14th OF April I had been over
TO the Treasury Department on rome Deafness
and went back to my Office, which in the VIM
der building, through the White House grounds
/ saw . crowd at the entrance and Presidents
Lincoln was making speech. just a. reached
the crowd heard him say: Now ] want 70
say word TO the band wssa them
70 play S,. Dixie DIX ,bins Away. Did M:
captured it We are entitled to play IL Ivass
them to play Dixie And the band played
Dixie while the crowd chesred and Me pre-
cession marched away.
That night vent up to the once and
from the window / could see . preeeS-
sion winding its way up the With
House grounds. The band stopped Q fsw
minutes and I came to the oonolusion
that the President was making a speech and
thought that my friend would get fooled e the
President had not gone to the thestsr. Then
the music commenced again and the crowd
with its torches went away.
81 finished my work and went 70 my room,
which was on 9th street between q end b,
about Q O'Clock and az once retired hsA tmt
got into q comfortable dozs vhsa I vss
the remark, prank. get up, the Presidents
has been shot" growled out something more
emphatic than elegant about being woke mp
by any such q guy, when the voice, which be-
longed to a gentleman who roomed on the same
floor, repeated the statement about the shooting
adding that it had taken place in Ford's TheatsH
and that he had just come from there.
THE EXCITEMENT AROUND THE THEArxR
"You may imagine that IL did not take me
long to get into my clothes, and - We hurried
along + street he told me that the ssssssi.
nation had been by John Wilkes Booth,
and that IL was supposed the fresi-
dent had been instantly killed We
got down to the theater just - thsy we're
taking Mr.. Lincoln across the street 70 the
Petersen house, and we saw then that he was
not dead, although it was evident he was
fatally wounded The excitement vas,
Of course, Of the widest kind u
had even then become known that an at
Seward, and 1t was rumored that all the meme
bers of the cabinet had been killed There
were ell sorts Of stories flying about,
each man you met had some new
tale Of horror to tell No one
seemed to know who the assassins we're except
Booth; who had been recognized az he jumped
from the box in the thester after he had hred
the fatal shot ct the President
''Soon guard OF soldiers appeared and cleared
everybody out Of the square on 10th street be-
u
the line OF sentries but those who we're con.
nected with the administration. I rsmem.
Der one hack that came dashing down y street
at Q tremendous rate and AZ il halted be-
fore il was allowed TO pass the lines saw thai
the driver was Chief Justice Cartier Of
the District Supreme Court The Judge told
me afterward that the driver was afraid and he
put him inside the carriage with Surgeon GEN.
eral Barnes and jumped upon the box himself
xIoHr or AxxIETT.
"Ar that night the streets we're Alsd with
people, and officers and soldiers we're riding
through the city in their efforts 70 capture
Booth, who vss said to have escaped int
Maryland ever the navy yard bridge
and on street anxious to hear the slightest
news that came from the house in which the
dying President lay. I stood about until
nearly o'clock and then went 10 my room
got up early the next morn
ing and went down on y street.
finding . mass Of people still there. There
seemed to be no information more than was
given in the morning papers, and that was Of
the most uncertain character. II however set