The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-12-29
A TREASURED COAT.
IT WAS SLASHEO BY WILKES BOOTH
WHILE RUNNING AWAY.

The Coat Was Worn by the Leader Of
the Orchestra the Night Lincoln va.
AssassInated-A New story About an
Historic Tragedy.
William Withers, Jr., s the quiet
man who leads the oche.tra ut the Cali
fOrnia theater, and when not marshal
ing his musicians In writing music In
his room at the Brooklyn hotel. He is
sc retiring that few can claim to know
him we'll, although his musical genius
has for thirty-ive years given him stand
ing among the composers and leaders Of
the country.
Mr.. Withcrs is fifty-fve years old now,
yet looks to be not moro than forty, and
would appear even younger except for
an episode that occurred on the evening
Of April IA, 1865, at Ford's thcater in
Washington. That evening Withers al
most had the unpleasant distinction Of
being murdered by Wilkes Booth after
the latter had fired the fatal shot at
President Lincoln and was rushing mad
ly from the stage 10 an entrance where
a confederate had a horse in waiting.
Mr.. Withers' most valued treasure is
4 dress coat, now IN part destroyed by
the moth that cOrrupts all wool, but on
the back Of the coat can be plainly seen
two clean cut Sits, made with a sharp
edge. One, high up, as though 1 stroke
for the wearer's neck, had missed it by
a little and descended upon the gar
ment. The other cut, nearly over the
center Of the space under which the
"aarer's right shoulder blade would be,
IL longer but equally well defined, and
made with the same sharp steel.
Wilkes Booth made both these Sits,
and the wonder is that his victim was
not fatally slashed, instead of being only
mixed through the upper cut.
The coat was new when Mr.. Withers
put 1t on to lead the orchestra on the &C.
CasiCn OF Abraham L~incoln's visit to the
play, but the coat has never been worn
since. 50 great was the sentimental de-
vc'jon Of the musician to the great man
WtD Won for friends all who came to
know him.
Every one knows the story of Lin
coins assassination while sitting in an
upper box of Ford's theater enjoying
Our American Cousin" but few have
learned what occurred inst after Booth
had fired the cowardiv shot, because
William Withers is the only man who
can tell the story, ard he does not oftsn
10 it.
when tie fatal shot was fret" lac
says, Il thought sorns property mM had
fired a pistol. just thsn | heard q hesvT
palI on the stage and the people began
to yell: Hang him! Lynch himr 'S,op
him! and | saw a man running across
the stage toward me. When he got
near | saw his eyes were &inost starting
from his head and there wss the most
fearful expression on his face | ever ga ".
Il recognized Wilkes Booth and al
that instant he put down his head and
came rushing III, saying: Let me passl
let me pass
Il VAS standing where ! could not
move much, the passage was 90 narrow.
He came on and when he got near struck
ne W 18th n bowie knife and kept saying.
Let me pass | felt tho cut and turned
= iittIs. Thss ~ saEzck the knife into
ne again near the back Of my neck and
fell. When I was down he rushed TO
the stage door, grasped tho knob with
both hands and dragged the door open.
/ saw Peanut John standing outsid.
holding n bay horse. Then Booth pulle3
the door shut.
Very soon Detective Stewart ran
over me and out OF the door after Booth.
The crowd anne upon the stage and
grabbed me and wanted to hang me
right there, but some who knew me
shouted that | was not the man. ! was
arrested, however, and taken to jail,
when Mayor Wallack examined me.
Il thought l wss severely cut, but
when took OFF my clothes 1 found that
the knife had only pierced my clothing
and cut the skin a little. The cuts were
as clean as though n rsgor had made
them. and | have never understood how
| escaped. TIE knife wa found in front
If tie patent office. where Booth had
dropped it as he rode awsy sitter the
murder.
Il had seen Booth before the show
Standing near the Tenth street entrance
% the theater, and after the performance
Logan saw him again standing against
the rear wall Of the parQuet circle, and
then noted that he had gone into the
balcony. After President Lincoln eanc
in Booth stole down the balcony until se
could look through a hole that had been
bored in the hox door and locate the
president exactly. Then he had opsHed
me door a little, taken careful alma and
tired the fatal shot. He burst through
the box and jumped fourteen feet 70 the
stage.
1T was such an experience a. | never
wish to have again. It made ms sick
for weeks, and | get excited now when /
think of it. | taught little Tad Ltncoln
to play the drum, and vas always kindly
treated by the president. The whols
shooting and escape wero done in q few
seconds and Unexpectedly. Booth had
evidently made his plan carefully, and
was prepared 10 resort 10 any means TO
ov0iI arrast kaen that old cost now.