Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-04-28
MisctllauenMs.
A TREASURED COAT.

man who leads the orchestra ut the Cali
forna theatre, and when not marshaling
his musicians is writing music in his
room at the Brooklyn hotel. lie is so
retiring that few can claim to know him
we'll, although his musical genius has
for thirty-fivc years given him standing
amoug the composers and leaders of the
country
Mr. Withers Is ffty-fve years old
now, yet looks to be not more than
forty, and would appear even younger
except for an episode that occurred on
the evening of April IA, 1865, at Ford's
theatre in Washington. That evening
Withers almost had the unpleasant dis
tinction of being murdered by Wilkes
Booth after the latter had fred the fatal
shot at President Lincoln and was rush
ing madly from the stage to an entrance
where a confederate had n horse in
waiting.
Mr.. Withers' most valued treasure is
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 stroke
for the wearer's neck, had missed it by
little and descended upon the gar
ment. The other cut, nearly over the
center Of the space under which the
wearer's right shoulder blade would be,
is 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 Dcked through the upper cut.
The coat was new when Mr. Withers
put it on to lead the orchestra on the 90.
casion of Abraham Lncoln's visit to the
play, but the coat has never been worn
since, so great was tho sentimental de-
votion Of the musician to the great man
who won for friends all who came 10
know him.
Every one knows the story of lin
coins assassination while sitting in an
upper box of Ford's theatre enjoying
"Our American Cousin" but few have
learned what occurred just after booth
had fired the shot, because William
Withers is the only man who can tell
the story, and he does not often do it.
"When the fatal shot was fred" be
says. 81 thought some property man
had fired the pistol just then | heard
heavy fall on tho stage and the people
began to yell: Hang him = Lynch
him y Stop him ! and saw man run.
ming across the stage toward me. When
he got near | saw his eyes were almost
starting from his head and there was the
most fearful expression on his face ever
saw.
II recognized Wilkes Booth and at
that instant be put down his head and
came rushing on, saying: Let me pass,
let me pass
Il was standing where could not
move much, the passage was so narrow
He came on and when he got near
struck me with bowie knife and kept
saying Let me pass = I felt the cut
and turned little. Then be struck the
knife into me again near the back Of the
neck aud | fell When was down he
rushed 10 the stage door, grasped the
knob with both hands and dragged the
door open. saw Peanut John stand.
iig outside holding bay horse Then
Booth pulled the door shut.
VERY soon Detective Stewart ran
over me and out Of the door after Booth
The crowd came upon the stage and
grabbed me and wanted 10 hang INC
right there, but some who knew me
shouted that was not the man. ! was
arrested, however, aud taken 10 Jail,
when Mayor Wallack examined me.
81 thought was severely cut, but
when took of my clothes | found that
the knife had only pierced my clothing
and cut the skin little. The cuts were
as clean as though razor had made
them, and | have never understood how
I escaped. The knife was found in front
Of the patent Office, where Booth had
dropped 10 az he rode away after the
murder.
II had seen Booth before the show
standing near the Tenth street entrance
10 the theatre, and after the performance
began saw him again standing against
the rear wall Of the parquet circle, and
then noted that be had gone into thu
balcony. After President Lincoln CAM
in Booth stole down tho balcony unit
he could look through hole that hat
been bored 10 the box door and locat'
the President exactly. Then he opene'
the door little, taking careful aim an'
fred the fatal shot Tic burst through
the box and jumped fourteen feet to tn