The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-30
THESE SAW LINCOLN SHOT.
MR.. COOK SAT NEAR MS BOX AND
mn TAFT ATTENDED HIN.

mr.. TAFT was with the President All Night.
To THE EDITOR or TuE SUN-Sir; In THE
CIV q, sunday, Aug. g, appeared an account by
NJ James n. Mills of Brooklyn of what no saw
Ia oxpcrienced at the assassination OF Pres
Iiont Lincoln, which Is very interesting. Az
.no,hor living observer of tho momcntous
.vents OF that fatal night permit me to submit
NV account, the first / have over written, of
what / saw.
Twas then n clerk in the Treasury Department
At Washington. 10 years OF age, and lived with
nv narents OIL II street northwest, between Sixth
and Seventh streets. south side, four houses
no.rer Seventh street than that which Mrs.
aurratt. a recent immigrant from western Mary.
land. occupied. Boarding in tho same house
With mo at the time were Col. Charles Foster,
then in charge of the Bureau of Colored Troops,
War Department, hut temporarily absent; Mrs.
Foster. Prof. Samuel Gardiner, Jr., the electrician
Mt the Capitol. and another lady, Miss Il. f. w.
IIpon the public announcement that Laura
Keene would present at Ford's Theatre "our
American Cousin, and that It was expected that
the President and Gen. Grant would attend. the
two ladies mentioned. with Prof. Gardiner and
myself, made up n party to see tho play. / pur-
chased tho tickets. securing tho first four seats,
r,uhthsnd side, of the second row in the dress
circle. At the close Of office hours that day
I went from the Treasury Department down
pennNlvania avenue to the Kirkwood House
barber shop, at Twelfth street. As / took my
sat In the barber's chair I noticed in the next
chair on my left a very handsome, curly headed
countenance undergoing tho usual operations.
When its owner had gone l was told that he was
Wilkes Booth. and at once remembered the face.
An interesting after-dinncr game OF cards do
layed our party somewhat and we did not reach
the theatre until the curtain was up and tho
first act was In progress. Our party took seats
In the following order from the aisle: Prot.
Gardiner, Miss W., Mrs. Foster, and myself in
the fourth seat nearest to the Presidents box,
which was on a level with us. When, amid
great cheering, the Presidents party entered
their box Mrs. Lincoln was so seated MS 10 be tho
best observed Of tho 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 floor was profusely decorated
with flags and colors. Shortly after the COM
mencement of the third act, IN which the whole
house seemed absorbed TO the point of almost
perfect stiffness, a shot WAS fired which was dis
tinctly heard, l think, by tho entire audience.
The Instantaneous impression was that it was
from somewhere behind tho scenery and was O
peared at the box opening. cl"mbcred over
The sill and seemed to slide or slide
uO"h t"o oAboLi hiouSh lho AOANo "
the festooned flags, until he reached the
stage floor. where he remained in a sort
threw one arm above his head and there ap.
peared q long flash, us OF II long.drdwn, bright
blade. and then 1 distinguished some words
at the time. ."tyrranoIs." The head was bare,
and ! Immediately recognized the face l had
seen hat aftern99n at the barber shop: Tho
posture. diagonally across the stage and disap-
peared In tho scenery.
. n, ,urni,r ,,p 80. ,-,in .o-onl ~. 49, r
saw Mrs. Lincoln standing at the front, wiring
Ing her hands, moaning and gesticulating fran
tcally. and the realization REACHED us all that
the President had been shot. There was a dull
sort of pain In the region Of tho heart for an in
slant, as though the shot had struck me. Tho
house WAS at once in an uproar. many people on
their feet and making for tho exits, so that the
aisies were Jammed; One man jumped into the
orchestra stand and clambered Immediately on
" the stage and followed the retreating figure
Of Booth behind the scenes.
In the nth and sixth seats OF our row sat a
army or navy surgeon. This gentleman turned
70 me and said he was a surgeon and would go
10 the Presidents box and see il he could be OF
any assistance. II l would see that his compan-
lon was protected while he was gone. Our party
had decided to remain quietly In our seats until
safety. especially as one of the ladies was a
ssrioas sufferer with heart trouble. The SUR
ssnts6OIsnd was gone what seemed a half hour,
s SHs Tas q p GS :. .s, under II h ht,se se @,n int Sre On his
.3Lh liz JUL IL IL tJulilu III CiE
and very deep. There Is no hope for him" Our
party then made its way out, and was detained
e. the top staircase landing to allow the party
they passed we looked on Mr.. Lincoln's living
Sogntenance for the last time and saw there a
which 9uivered with Q conclusive chill and
alg6. The party quickly passed and our party
fusion msHS a. an TH sp DO lns street W. where i9sd a" an Tas cont 6nt
ssort offeariulness pervaded the crowded street.
IA Making IN our way homeward as rapidly as posi-.
We reached home safely and informed our
friends Of the tragedy; Then we returned to tho
Vicinity OF Tenth and F streets and opposite tho
theatre where the President lay. but by that
time the police and military had been placed on
duty about the house and square. and VIC could
only walt for such announcements as might be
made. Frequent rumors OF the death of Grant,
seward, and other Cabinet officers pervaded
and terrorized the crowds into a fearful silence.
A dayllght came on the announcement that the
PRESIDENT, was dead went about and | returned
home for breakfast and what rest could be had
AFTER such n terrible nights experience.
will add that when Mrs. Surra,t came up
rom Maryland and took that house she made it
known that she had furnished rooms for rent,
and remember very well going into her house
at THAT time with a friend. in quest OF rooms.
VINO desired to be near me, to look at a room on
stoop from the street. AS my friend and passed
up the main stairway to the second floor, the
Hafior doors w,re open and we reoollected sec,
we subsequently recognized at the trial as Miss
surratt. Payne. and Herold. GEORGE L. Cook.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Sir: Referring
70 the inquiry In II Sun, a short time ago, as
70 what had become OF all the people who saw
Abraham Lincoln assnssinated. ] would say
that there is a man living in New York Mt pres
snt who not only saw him shot, but was the first
Or. Charles Sabin Taft. He was an army
surgeon at the time and was in uniform. He
leaped upon the stage when tho call for
q surgeon was heard and was lifted into
the box, twelve feet above. by those or
ne stage. BY his direction the dying
where he died. DR.. Taft was at the bedside all
night. and assisted at the autopsy at tho White
House next day.
In Littletield's historical painting OF the death
ped scene, DR.. Taft Is represented supporting
the head Of the President, a position which he
occupied all night.
He also administered the last thing Mr.. Lin
coin ever swallowed. a gill OF brandy and water
and felt the last boat of his heart.
NEW YORK, Aug. 81. WASHINGTON.