Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-05-18
THE MUkG..itv I LINCOLN
New Light Thr vyn on tho Terribla
Tragedy o. 1865.
DR.. G. w. Pope Contributes an Inter
estinE Chapter to The History
of n Famous Night Will
liam Wfthers' Story.
Especial Washington Letter

Dr. u. w. Pope, long a Well-known
physician of this city. but whose name
has never before been mentioned in
connection with the tragedy at Ford's
theater on Good Friday night, 1865, has
recently been induced to make con-
tribution to the history of that awful
night. He says:
ION thatnight Twas hastily summoned to
the residence of Hon. Ira Harris, senator
from Albany, N. Y. Situated on the corner
Of Fifteenth and II streets, the present site
of Columbia college and opposite the old
Saint Matthew's church,. The senator and
family. including Col. Rathbone. were old
friends and patients of mine The family
and servants were in great excitement and
distress, Miss Clara Harris, whom Col.
Rathbone subsequently married. being
the only one who retained sufficient calm
ness to render assistance and keep order
on this occasion.
"Clara Harris was young lady of re-
markable courage and presence of mind in
many emergencies, as l had known. She
had personally conducted or planned the
removal of the dying president to the house
opposite the theater, in company with Col.
Rathbone and others; but the colonel, hav-
ing received dangerous wound from the
assassin's dagger, tainted from loss of
blood and was taken home in a carriage,
Clara herself having wrapped handker-
chief tightly over the wound, after the
manner of tourniquet, which partially
stanched the blood. l greatly doubt
whether any of our modern society women
would have been equal to such an emer-
gency, and not have occupied the. time in
screaming and fainting and hampering the
efforts of others.
THE colonel was lying on his bed, dress
coat. vest, and undergarment being re-
moved, disclosing the wound. 1t was a
IA doc pf,vs cln h moi,
the inner part of the left upper arm. close
to the armpit, penetrating the biceps
muscle and grazing the bone. 1t came
within about one-third of an inch of what
Is called, in surgical language, the bra
chial artery and deep basilic vein, which
lie close together at that part. Had the
blade OF the dagger severed those vessels,
the colonel would have bled to death in
about five minutes.
"Col, Rathbone was as pale as corpse.
almost eXsanguined smaller blood vessels
having been severed. He was also in a
high state of nervous excitement, almost
amounting to delirium, and frequently ex-
claiming: The president is shot-assas-
sinated! He will die! God in Heaven save
him! What will become of our country!
o, poor, poor. dear Lincoln, our beloved
president! This awful crisisn and similar
calculations. (All the Harris family and
the president were warm friends)
Miss Clara Harris was the only one
who showed presence of mind. She sup
piled the water bandages, towels, ETC., and
an army surgeon, who had also been sum-
nloned, assisted in sewing up the wound,
and it was dressed in the usuar manner. I
visited the house daily. and in short time
the colonel, having recovered his strength
and calmness of mind, related the follow
ing. which is still fresh in my memory as If
told but yesterday.
II was seated on the left as you front the
the halt,ctr1Ia Mrg lincoln
was seated at the opposite side; the presi-
dent was seated q little to my right near
the center of the box, and Clara near him.
We We're interested in the play: "Our
American Cousin" Laura Keene being the
principal actress. We did not see Booth
enter the box. Suddenly came the pistol
shot. The president did not fall from his
chair, burt sat unmoVed, with his head
bowed down on his breast.
Immediately after. Booth stepped
swiftly out from the smoke of the explos-
| Ion, which nearly filled the box, strobe
right between Mrs. Lincoln and myself, and
| placing one foot on the balustrade was
about to spring out on the stage. We were
all COMPOUNDED and dazed for a moment by
the sound of the shot and suddenness of
up from behind. and, clasping my arms
around Booths body, 1 dragged him
back
Col. kathbone was man of medium
stature and rather slender build, but
was possessed of great nerve power and
remarkable physical strength. Booth
was slightly taller, of equally slender
build, but more muscular than the
colonel.
81 grasped him with all my strength,
which was doubly increased by the horror
of the scene, but might as we'll have at
tempted to held a giant. He seemed en-