Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-09

few others whose names have escaped me,
| each subscribed $1,000.
ToRREsr's ENaAaKMENr.
AT this thsater Forrest played one Of his
most memorable engagements. lasting nearly q
month, and he was succeeded by Mr.
James H. Racket, whose Falstqf has had
no successor. Ali the stars Of that
period appeared on its boards, and 1t was
the theater Of the city, though the National, OF
| that time, was most admirably managed BY
Mr.. Leonard Grover and offered almost equal
attractions. From the time Of Mr.. Lincolns
| assassination up to the time when the
property was purchased by the government
| Mr.. Fords anxiety was Of course very great in
having SO valuable an investment locked mp and
rendered wholly Improbable. My impression
| Is that In the settlement with him an allowance
was made for those losses.
A strange fatality seems TO have attended
| those who were with Mr.. Lincoln on that night
at the theater. Maj. Rathbcns AMI Miss Carrie
Harris, the daughter Of Mr.. Ira Harris, United
States Senator from New York. occupied the
box with Mr.. and Mrs. Lincoln. and
think Maj. Rathbone was slightly wounded in
| the arm. The shock doubtless acting upon
Mrs. Lincoln caused the eccentricities which
| occasioned 80 much remark in her subsequent
| life. Maj Rathbone and Miss Harris were
married soon after the occurrence and the match
| was supposed to have been q very happy one.
Two or three children added to their happi-
ness, and they subsequently resided in Ger
many, where tho fearful tragedy oc-
Cured causing the death Of Mrs.
Rathbone. A sudden alteration Of mind
| and faithful wife, and his murderous Intention
was to have included In the tragedy the muir
der of his two children. That was prevented
| by the discovery Of the death of Mrs
Rathbone, and l believe up to this time
| Major Rathbone is confined in q lunatic asylum
| ne 20 hat xr>~ toe
est sympathy here, where Mrs. Rathbone was so
pleasantly remembered a. one Of the most
| popular and agreeable attractions Of the social
| life Of Washington.
THE NIGHT OF THE ASSASSINATION
The widest rumors on the night Of the asses.
sination and for weeks after pervaded the city
and the impression was that Booth had written
letter to the National Intelli9encer iu defense
Of his act. The search that was made for 1t
failed to reveal any trace Of such letter. and IL
was not until the winter Of that year that Mr.
John Matthews, who was in the cast ON
the night Of the assassination, revealed to me
| the fact that q letter had been given to
him by Wilkes Booth, addressed
to me. explanatory of and defending his act.
The circumstances as related by Mr.. Matthews
were that he with some friends we're passing
up the avenue, when Booth rode up
on horseback to the cufb and called
him and handed him the letter and re-
quested him to hand it to me the next day il il
was not recalled. Matthews and his friends
were on their way to the famed resort Of
Shoemaker, and putting the letter in his pocket
| he forgot ali about It,
| A REMARKABLR COINCIDENCE.
The remarkable coincidence In this matter il
that Mr., Matthews that night was cast as the
rascally attorney Coyle, and when the assassi-
nation occurred he rushed to his dressing room
| to change his costume and In his ex-
element his coat fell to the floor and the