The sun., 1898-01-02
WHEN LINCOLN WAS Killed.
oniy rive OF the Company Playing at Ford'r
Theatre Now Lvtng.

BNoHAMToN, Doc, 30-Among the members
OF q theatrical company playing q weeks en-
gagcment In this city is Mrs. Katheryn NJ.
Evans, who was one Of tho members Of tho COM
pany at Ford's Theatre. Washington, when
President Lincoln was assassinated. Mrs.
Evans's husband was arrested on suspicion after
the assassination, but was soon released. Mrs.
Evans said to-day:
There were twenty members of the company,
only four Of whom are now living besides my.
solf. They are Harry Hawk, who is still upon
the stage, but where I do not know; W. J..
Ferguson. now playing with Frohmans Empire
Theatre stock company; NJ. A. Kennedy and
Jennie Gourley, who has retired from the stage
and livos in Brooklyn. / was living in Wash.
ington upon + street Mt the time with my hus-
band and Harry Hnwk, who roomod at our
house, which was only few doors from
Ford's Theatre. My character the night Of that
awful tragedy was Mrs. Sharp q housekeeper.
Upon tho tragic night OF the assassination wo
had not seen Booth around the theatre, and
none Of us knew or thought any thing about him
until during the third act, while Harry Hawk
was alone on tho stage.
I'VE were all in our dressing rooms when the
pistol shot was heard. We rushed upon tho
stage and saw Mrs. Lincoln holding the head
OF her husband between her hands and heard
her calling for help. We did not SEQ Booth leap
upon tho stage, nor did we see him afterward.
Harry Hawk looked up toward the box which
contained the Presidential party and ho saw
Booth spring upon the edge Of the box and leap
down upon the stage. with a knife in his hand.
Two or three days before the tragedy Hawk and
Booth, who had always been almost insepara-
ble had a quarrel over young woman upon
whom they wero both calling, and Booth told
Hawk that II he ever called upon her again he
would run q knlfe through him. Hawk had
called upon tho young woman the prev ious
evening" and when he saw Booth standing on
the edge of the box with knife in his hand and
jump toward him. he naturally feared for his
life and ran.
"As Hawk ran from tho stage Booth jumped
up from where he hnd fallen and limped off with
his leg broken. 1t was Hawks running from the
stage .a ana oonsealng himself in his dressing
searched before, they got ON the right track
his horse, which was waiting for him at the
stage door. Hawk was accused of being a con-
spiratOr in the plot and came near being muir
MY husband, j. H. Evans. was we'll nc
quainted with Booth. and on the same evening
that the shooting occurred was with him for a
placed under arrest, but was released shortly
Booth at the time. Ho was lively. and a social
glass was taken by them before they separated.
As Hawk, who was supposed at first to be
an accomplIce, had his room at our house, it
was searched from garret to cellar. upon the re-
mote possibility that Booth was concealed some
where under the roof. Walls were sounded,
beds pierced through and through with swords
and bayonets, the trunks and wardrobes broken
open and searched, and every possible place OF
concealment priod into. The sound Of galloping
hoofs outside the door. as messengers rushed to
and fro, was almost deafening, and 1t was not
for weeks afterward that any degree of quiet
and order was restored.
q! remember poor spangler, whom I knew
well and who was stage carpenter near the thea
tire. He happened to be standing at the outer
stage door as Booth ran toward him after the
shot. and In his confusion opened the door for
Booth TO escape. He was entirely innocent OF
any criminal intent. but was imprisoned for six
years and came near losing his life. w. j. Fer
guson was call boy at the theatre"
Mrs Evans says that the discussion which the
death of George A. Parkhurst in New York in
July. 1890, caused as to whether he was tho last
surviving member of Laura Keenes company,
enabled her to learn tho whereabouts and sub.
sequent history Of the members of the company.