The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-09-22
AuaersuB gmteIEfgeuter.
Saw Lincoln Shot.

In a letter to the New York Sun Mr..
George l.. Cook gives his personal re-
collections of the circumstances attend
ing the assassination Of President lin
coin on April II, 1865. Mr.. Cook
writes:
~ was then Il clerk in the treasury
department, ~ years Of age. Learning
that President Lincoln and ten. Grant
were to attend the presentation Of
"Our American Cousin" by Laura
Kecnc at Ford's Theatre, a party of
four, of which | was one, was made up
to attend. | purchased the tickets.
securing the first four seats, right-hand
side, Of the second row in the dress
circle. At the close of office hours
that day l went from the treasury de-
partment down Pennsylvania avenue
to the Kirkwood House barber shop,
at Twelfth street. AS | took my seat
in the BARRIERS chair 1 noticed in the
next chair on my left a very handsome,
curly headed countenancc undergoing
the usual operations. When its owner
had gone I was told that he was Wilkes
Booth, and at once remembered the
face.
"An interesting aftcr-dinner game
of cards delayed our party somewhat
and we did not reach the theatre until
the curtain was up and the first act was
in progress. Our party took seats so
that l occupied the fourth seat nearest
to the President box, which was on
a level with us. When, amid great
cheering, the president party entered
their box, Mrs. Lincoln was so seated
as to be the best observed Of the party,
the President sitting on the south
side Of the box looking toward the
curtain and mostly screened even from
our view. The whole front of the box
down to the stage was profusely deco
rated with flags and c%olors. Shortly
| after the commencement of the third
act, in which the whole house seemed
absorbed to the point Of almost perfect
stiffness, a shot was fired which was
distinctly heard, I think, by the entire
audience. The instantaneous impress
| sion was that it was from somewhere
behind the scenery and was a part of
the play, but a moment later a man
appeared at the box opening, Chamber
ed ovcr the sill and seemed to slide or
glide down the outside through the
folds Of the f%cstooned flags until he
reached the stage floor, where he re-
manned in a sort Of crouching position
on one knee. Then he threw one arm
above his head and there appeared a
long flash, as of a long-drawn, bright
blade, and then 1 distinguished some
words ending with the word tyrannis,
or, as I thought at the time, 'tyran-
ous.' The head was bare, and [ imme-
diately recognized the face | had seen
that afternoon at the barber shop. The
man went rapidly, in a stopping, creep
ing posture, ~diagonally across the stage
and disappeared in the scenery.
son turning my eyes again toward
the box I saw Mrs. Lincoln standing
at the front, %wringing her hands,
moaning and gesticulating frantically,
and the realization reached us all that
the President had been shot. There
was a dull sort of pain in the region of
the heart for an instant, as though the
| shot had struck me. The house was
at once in an uproar, many people on
their feet and making for the exits,
so that the aisles were damned. One
man jumped into the orchestra stand
and clambered Immediately on to the