The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-02-12
SAW LINCOLN SHOT.
ONE WHO WITNESSED THE
GREAT TRAGEDY.
Story of the Man Who Was the First
to Reach the Side of the Wounded
President-His Clothing Stained by
the Blood of the Martyr.
Our Nat,on,s Darkeet pay.

There now lives in Philadelphia gen.
tleman who saw the whole scene of Lin
coins assassination, and was the first to
reach the wounded man in the prevailing
panic. William Flood is the gentleman 5
name, and he gave the following graphic
account. which is taken down in his ex-
act words:
''At the time the President was shot" )"
said he in answer to a query, Il was in the
United States navy and was acting en-
sign and executive officer on board the
steamship Teazer. Captain Silas Owen
was the commander, and the ship was To-
Gated at the navy yard on April II. That
evening Captain Owen, who had been
over in the city during the day, came
to the ship and suggested that we go to
the theater that evening, as Laura keene
was to play Our American Cousin, and
the President was to be there. We went
to the theater and secured seats in the
parquet or orchestra chairs. The Presi-
dent occupied the second box up from the
orchestra and second from the stage. Just
as the curtain fell on the first act heard
a shot and saw a man jump from the
Presidents box to the stage. AS he jump
ed his foot caught in the folds of the flag
that draped the box. and he fell sideways
on the stage. 1t was quite a good jump,
and he came very near falling back into
the orchestra. He got up and limped
away across the stage, brandishing a
great long knife in his right hand, and
shouted, Sic semper tyrannis.
''In less time than it takes to tell it
was on the stage. How | got there over
the heads of the orchestra ] really don't
remember Just as l reached the stage
7 off hoy hIl
was crying and wringing her hands and
said: They have shot papa; will no one
come? | answered that | would come.
and Immediately climbed up the side of
the boxes to the one the President occu-
pied.
"The President was sitting as if he
had fallen asleep. He was breathing,
however, and we at once laid him ON the
floor of the box. looked for the wound,
but at first did not discover it. Miss
Keene brought pitcher of water and !
bathed his forehead with that so as to re-
vive him. | then discovered the wound
in the back of his head, where the ball had
entered, and the blood ran out on my arm
and down the side of my coat. Some army
officers brought in stretcher and he was
placed on that and carried out. | then
went to the front of the box and motion
ed for the audience to remain quiet. Every
one was talking, and there was general
uproar AS soon as it ceased for minute
l told them that the President was still
alive but had been shot, and was no doubt
mortally wounded Captain Owens and l
then went out to the front of the building
and found a platoon of police in the
street. The sidewalks were so crowded
with people that we had to get out in the
middle of the road to get down the street.
We went to the National Hotel, and by
the time we got there the mob was SO
dense we could get no further so a couple
of police took us through the hotel to G
street, at the rear, and we got a cab and
were driven to the navy yard. l was SO
bloody from the wound. my right hand
and arm being covered, that it is a wonder
that was not hanged by that mob. They
were intensely excited at the time, and it
would have taken very little to have
driven them into frenzy.
"The next day our ship went down the
river to head Booth off, and did not return
until after he was killed. I was then
sent for to go down and Identify him.
recognized him very readily as he jumped
from the box as ]. Wilkes Booth"