The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-30
ONE OF BOOTHS PURSUERS.
cor. STEWIRTs S~IRRIrITE or THH
SHOOTING or LINCOLN.
Orchestra when the shot Vas Ftred-
IeaPed on the stage AMI sought to seize
the Horse on which Rnoih Earnnrh.

Orchestrn when the shot Was Fired
ieaped On the stage AMI sought to seize
the Horse on which Booth Rscnped.
The recent articles in THE Sry rel, tive to the
survivors OF the spectators at Ford's Theatre
upon the night of tho assassination OF Presidents
Lincoln recall the description of that event given
by Col. Joseph Il. Stewart.
Being n native Of Kentucky. the title Of Colonel
naturally gruvitatcd to Joseph h. Stewart, coun-
sellor at law, and during the most active years
OF his life he was known ny his acquaintances
and associates as Col. Stewart He was .
lawyer in the city Of Washington during the
civil war. and for some time thereafter. Later,
some time in the 'Tns, he came 60 this city
and followed the practice OF his profession until
his death. which occurred in 1882 or 1888. He was
q man OF magnificent physique, standing over six
and a half feet in height, and Of corresponding
proportions otherwise. He will probably be re-
nembcred by many as a rccaicitrapt witness
who was subjected to thirty days Imprisonment
for contempt for refusing 10 testify before n sem
ate committee In relation TO certain Credit Mobi-
lier matters, he claiming that the information
sought 70 bo elected from him was privileged. in
that 1t had bccn obtained by him in his profess
si0ral capacity as counsel for some of the parties
involved. Invested Of adiectives umewhat ex.
prcssivC and more or less lurid in character.
Col. stewards narration OF the tragedy which
plunged a nation into mourning was substan-
tally as follows:
Upon the morning of April II, 1855. some
members OF my family expressed a desire to at
tent the theatre that evening to witness the
play Of Our American Cousin and requested
ME TO procure tickets for the same. asking that
they be located a few row back of the orchestra.
The matter. however. slipped my mind in tho
morning on my way to my Office, and upon pass
ing the theatre in the evening I suddenly re-
memhered that | had been rrmiss in not fulfill
ing the mission intrusted TO me. Upon apply
ing at the box Office I was informed that
the only seats in the house undis-
posed OF were located in the front
row Of the orchestra. Having no alternative,
I was com PEELED to take them. although I us
liked very much being placed in such proximity
TO the band. However. making the best OF a bad
bargain. we were on hand al the rising of tho
curtain and took our seats, which were located
near the centre, in the front row. The an
no%uncement that the President and Gen. Grant
would be present hal no doubt attracted n
great mum Der of people, and the fact that Rich
mond had iallcu and Gen. Lee had sure udered
and that the war WIS virtually over had In
spired the audience with enthusiasm.
The Pre- sidential party arrived about 0
and took seats in the box which had been
for them. Gen. Grant, however, wus
not present. He had. as is well known, started
for Bordentown, y. j., to visit his children, who
were attending school at that place. The play
smoothly and pleasantly until about
O'Clock. when I was suddenly startled by a
pistol shot, and much more so when l saw a man
leap to the stage from the Presidents box. His
caught in the flag with which the box was
and he stumbled and fell He regained
feet. however, and limped. or rather jumped.
across the stage, brandishing the bowie knife,
with the blood of Major Rathboue, and e1-
claiming in dramatic accents: sic sempoR
I comprchended the situation az
once, and arose in my seat and shouted:
stop that man He HIS shot the President!'
:" YVES 4 younger man in those days and con-
sider' Die or an athlete. and under ordinary cir
fba 81 an ,a he The leap over o the space Occupied by
paratively easy matter. However. as l jumped
upon the rail Separating the orchestra from the
the mu sicians, l regained my feet as quickly
pursued him in the direction. be took. but a door
that only a second before had stood open betors
t bliaaly 'nG at. 0P] haphazar eiae for a ran few ef0n mol
reached the alley, where I saw Booth mounted
on his horse. bowie knife in hand. l made an
care to avoid contact with the knife, which,
knew would speedily find a resting place in my
CURED; In spite OF my efforts to grasp the bril-
die and arrest the tieht of the murderer, he suc-
Of e 20 lae.'f there Ps S ~ss great deal of con.
fusion. and l have often Teen thankful for two
that | did not succeed in capturing
Booth. In the first place, feeling as I did. eN-
asEeratri by the assassination of the President,
| had once laid my hands upon Booth / am free
TO say that Boston Cor5ett would never have
been heard OF and the hangnan Of the District
Of Columbia would have been defrauded OF his
to take the life of any human being. but If the
had then been presented it would
have been a struggle to the death, and as I was
much the stronger man, barring the bowie knitat =
I think that / y would have beet the survivor.
Another reason was that there were 4 great
many soldiers in the audience, md the proba-
bility Is that II l had succeeded in experimenting
Booth there would have been some prnmiseuouS
INDUCED IN. in which my regular
might have been increased by the addi-
ton OF some ounces OF lead. Even as IL was, /
for some days followed by detectives, proba-
arising from the fact that l had been seen TO
10 the sta e Immediately after the shot was
tred- When / ascertdlned that / was under
surveillance, | at once called upon Mr.. Stanton,
he Secretary OF War, and laid the matter before
aim. He was rather incredulous as TO my asser-
was a thorough Union man and q stanch
friend OF the President: but upon my convincing
aim that such was really the case he at once is
sued the proper orders 10 the detectives 10 dis
their operations. and informed them
hat he would be responsible for my appearance
wanted
No one who knew Col. Stewart in his life
ine, especially 'mong those who had listened
% his graphic description OF the tragedy and
his immense size and giant strength,
doubted th"t his contingent prediction OF
he result of n tdnl.to-hand struggle bet ween
Booth and himself would have been fulfilled by
he death OF one or the other OF the particf.