The Southern herald., 1893-03-31


MS that Mr.. Seward was badly hurt and
the surgeon in charge would permit no
one TO see him. We then walked over
TO the white house and had barely
reached the door when a messenger
came and announced that President
Lincoln had been shot at the theater
Senator Conness turned to me and said;
Stewart, there is a tremendous plot
here TO assassinate all the cabinet Off
GERS. Then turning to two soldiers who
were on guard there he directed them
10 go in a hurry 10 the residence of
the secretary of war, Mr.. Stanton, and
they did so. When they arrived ut Mr..
Stanton's house large man ran away
from the door where he had been ring
ing the bell, and have no doubt that
the presence Of those soldiers prevented
the assassination of Mr. Stanton on that
night We three senators left the
white house and walked down to Tenth
street TO the little building across from
the theater into which Mr.. Lincoln had
been carried. Mr.. Conness and | were
informed that we might enter the
house, but that il was very warm and
that il would be better il fewer persons
We're there; so we turned and went
away. Senator Sumner, who had been
unable to keep up with us, then arrived
and was admitted under protest. lie
remained there until the president died.
II did not go to sleep that night,
but walked the streets, going from
crowd to crowd to hear the utterances
and ascertain the temper Of the people.
The war was over and there were about
$4,000 ex-confedcrate soldiers in the city
who had been surrendered, or were on
parole. 1t is singular thing but it is
a fact that wherever talk Of violence
originated, and there was great deal
of angry demand that every rebel IL
town should be killed, the quiet state
mcnt from some one in the crowd, my.
self on several occasions, that if Mr..
Lincoln were alive he would counsel
peace, quieted the angry people. His
recent inaugural address containing the
memorable words: with malice towards
none, and charity for all had endeared
him to the people. They knew that
he was man of peace, and,
while dying at the hand of an
assassin, the influence Of his name was
sufficient to maintain peace and order
at the national capital at the most crit.
sno1 ho,,r ~ ito ox,r4apaa I ,rao e+ov1.
ing in front of Willard's hotel when
Senator Solomon Foote, of Vermont,
drove up in common, cheap hack
which he had picked up on the street.
lie called me to him, saying that
he was looking for some senator
to accompany him to the resi-
Nlence of Chief Justice Salmon p. Chase,
whom he was going to get to admins
ter the oath to Vice President johnson.
got in with him and rode to the resi-
dence Of Mr.. Chase on the corner Of
Sixth and E streets, and he was speed
lily ready to accompany us. We three
then drove to the Kirkwood house, on
Twelfth street and Pennsylvania
avenue, and proceeded to the room of
Vice President johnson. hammered
upon the door and awakened Mr.. John
son, who had but recently fallen into a
slumbcr from exhaustion and nervous
strain. lie came to the door but partly
clad and admitted us. In his little par
lor, which was about twelve by four
teen feet in dimensions, adjoining tho
bedroom which he had just left, Mr..
johnson took the oath of president Of
the United States, which was admins
tered to him by Chief Justice Chase, in
the presence of Senator Foote and my
self. There were no other witnesses.
Some other people may have entered
the room, as has been stated in the
newspapers, but they were not noticed
by us and were not men Of prominence
in public life" SMITH D. Fry.