Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-14

in the main purpose of our visit. Gen.
Grant did not appear. This fact I'M
doubtedly defeated one of the plans OF the
conspirators and spared the country the
horror OF double tragedy.
was personally acquainted with Booth.
and met and chatted with him in a restau-
rant adjoining the theater just before he
went In to kill the President He preceded
me into the building, and went directly up
to the Presidents box. i worked my way
through the crowd more slowly. and had
Just passed down the aisle to the point
where a railing divided the parquet circle
IRON the orchestra stalls, when the noise
OF the pistol shot rang through the house
1 saw Booth spring from the box tearing
himself free from Major Rathbones hands.
as they tried TO pull him back. / heard
hlm shout, Sic semper tyrannisP though at
the distance at which / stood the words
were indistinguishable. The audience
seemed stunned for an instant nobody
realizing what had happened. The first
spectator TO Chamber over the footlights
and up on the stage was a banker named
Stewart, who boldly followed Booth, and
would probably have caught him but that
the fugitive actor knew all the ins and outs
behind the scenes. whereas the pursuer
caught bis feet in ropes and stumbled over
tail pieces and bumped against wings
losing ground rapidly, and being thrown of
the trail, so that by the time he reached
the stage door the assassin must have been
well down the street"
What did you do?"
i hurried as fast as could to the Presi-
dents box. A surgeon who happened TO
be in the house had already got there, and
had cut Mr.. Lincolns clothing open at the
back OF the neck, so that his wound could
be found and dressed. You know at the
start no one could see where the shot had
entered. Mr.. Lincoln wore a brad collar
and an old-fashioned stock. The surgeon
with his knife slashed down through collar
stock. coat and all. laying bare the orifce
OF the wound and showing the helpers
what they were to do. shall never forget
the appearance Of the dead President His
lace and upper neck were bronzed and
roughened by years OF exposure. but. Of
course, had paled a good deal from loss OF
blood. His body, however, where the cloth
ing had covered II, was as soft and smooth
ana white as the skin OF a delicate woman.
Where the President Died.
We carried Mr.. Lincoln across 10th street
ana up into what is now known as the
Lincoln house. There. in one room, several
or the friends and official associates Of the
President gathered around his bedside, while
IN the adjoining room an inquiry into the
awful business was begun. Everybody We
could find who could give any sort OF con-
nected story OF the tragedy was brought in
and cross-ouestioned. The answers were
taken down by Corporal Tanner, the late
commissioner of pensions. who was an ex-
pert slenographer and then a clerk In the
war Department As soon as I could be
spared, i FASTENED over to Pennsylvania
avenue and headed for WIZARDS Hotel which
was then the great rendezvous for every
pooy VINO had news or gossip. and Il oc-
CURED to me 1 might pick up some more
valuable information there. Just as reach
ed the front OF the hotel I met some men
running down from the corner OF 18th street
| calling out to everybody they passed that
Secretary Seward had been assassinated 1
waited 10 hear no more but made a bee
line Tor the Secretary's house. There I was
relieved to learn that the Secretary though
badly wounded. had escaped with his life
| His case shows how sometimes what we
cohsloer a misfortune proves a stroke OF
eooo luck. he had been out driving shortly
before this fatal day, and had been thrown
from his carriage with great violence freak
ing his jaw. The physician had fixed up a
s seeea mask or frame to hold the broken
oewailed the accident bitterly at the time Il
occurred After that Good Friday night
however they realized that Il was a bless
ing In disguise. Payne the boldest ana
| most desperate OF the whole group OF con-
! spirators, entered the sick chamber knife in
hand, and found Mr.. Seward in bed lying on
| MS left side with his face toward he wall
| The assassin pulled him over and stabbed
| NlciousIy at his neck. The blade struck the
I OLD mans face. on which three deep yashes
were cut but In descending TO the neck was
! met by the steel mask and glanced of This
alone saved the Secretary's life So IL Mr.
seward had not broken his Jaw in his car
riage accident he would have shared Presi-
dent Lincoln's fate
| One incident in connection with the tray
edy Illustrates the ease with which the pub
I lie Will sometimes jump to conclusions rnd
the way an Illusion will cling in the mind
| When once thus hastily fixed. The morning
| after the assassination the relic hunters
gathered In force near the house where the
| PRESIDENT died. In the hope of getting A
emp from The doorstep where it was spat-
| tered with blood. Everybody's assurnfion
| was that because Mr.. Lincoln had been
shot the blood on the steps must be his and
| that Idea Is cherished TO this hour by n,Lny
! Ir
one OF the party who helped carry the Pres
/ ldent over from the theater. / can testify
mat no blood fell from his wound on the
way; but Maj Rathbone, who was stabbed
| In the arm by Booth in the course OF their
/ struggle In the box. was too excited TO
| notice his own condition; he was bleeding,
| ana II was his loss of blood on the doorstep
| That attracted his attention to the necessity
OF doing something for himself. II was
Rathbone's blood. therefore. which was mis-
! taken for Lincoln's"