The times., 1898-06-12
TINY TALKS.

A thousand times moro interesting than
could be any historical reading on the
subject IS a talk with J. 5 Sessford
veteran theatrical man, who was assist
ant treasurer at 9ord's Theater on the
night that President Lincoln was shot
Mr.. SessfOrd has long since given up the
work, and is now employed in the Smith
Eonian Institution. but his recollection of
every detail that made that evening mem
orable is clear and most interesting.
Though not an actual witness to the
tragedy, he was spectator of the events
that followed. and has besides the dis
inction Of being one OF the last men to
whom Mr.. Lincoln ever spoke. Mr.. Sess-
ford was found at work the other day
when Times man asked him about the
details Of the case
The incident occurred IN a very ordi-
nary way" he said, rem.niscentIy and
II was not for some hours after il was all
over thar one could really realize how
much history had been made in that brief
peTsod. ] was not in the auditorium at
The time Of the assassination. and am only
qualified 10 speak OF events as they came
10 my attention. My conversation on the
subject must, therefore. be of most in
formal nature, though / am positive that
every portion Of the story which ] can
recall is correct in detail.
Il was assistant treasurer az Ford's OPP
era House at the time and had been for
rather lengthy period. l had. in fact.
been In the theatrical business since 1854.
On Good Friday night Laura keene and
her company We're presenting An Ameri-
can Cousin al the house and the Presi-
deut had signifed his intention OF being
present. ] arrived in the building al The
usual hour and took my place al the win
dow, selling seats for the performance.
knowledge that Mr.. Lincoln would Oc-
cupy a box had served TO increase the
size Of the audience and I was kept hard
a. work until after the curtain had risen
Then 1 remembered that our distinguished
guest had not arrived and was just going
oSit., TO ask Mr.. Buckingham. the door
keeper, if he had seen him, when the ia
ln!liar carriage drove up and Mr. Lincoln
entered the lobby. He walked straight in
70 the house, bowling as ] took off my
hat. ] think ne said. Good evening
after he passed the door I returned to
the Office and began reading the paper
The lime slipped by. and il was nearly 9
O'Clock. when ! was startled by hearing
a pistol shot. I stood up and listened a
moment. Inside the house l could hear
cries and groans and all sorts of noises.
The confusion appeared to be great. !
stepped up 70 little window which gave
a man in the box office a view Of the au-
dij0rium. and discerned that the audience
was on its feet and apparently wildly ex-
cited. The aisles were fuil of people and
many We're already rushing into the
street. The flag which had been draped
IN front Of Air. Lincoln's box hung down
TO the floor and was visibly Torn.
This view required but second. Il
was hardly over when my eye fell on the
stage. and ] saw a man running across
with knife in his hand. A gentleman.
whom 1 afterward learned TO be a Mr..
Stewart jumped over the footlights and
tried 10 stop him. but failed. The actors
seemed petrified and made no move.
attached no special Importance to what /
had no.ed, and concluded that some
drunken rough had merely tried TO kill
a member Of the company.
by this time. however the lobby was
fun of people, all asking what had oc-
cured The news had spread with light
ming rapidity and the street was packed
Police were coming in all directions
horses were dashing one way and an
other and the crowd pouring out Of the
theater added TO the general confusion.
] did not yet know what had happened
and in trying TO ind OUT ! missed seeing
the President carried across the way and
TO the house in which he died.
when I returned to the house the lob
bies were filed with officers and the place
was guarded securely. The players We're
dressing hurriedly and the stage was
crowded with excited people. L took
something in the way Of relics from the
Presidents box He had occupied one
on the south side OF the theater. Ordi-
narily il was double, being numbered
seven and eight. but the partition had been
taken down for that evening. / secured
a Bit Of the curtain through which the
bullet had passed and one or two other
things which / retained for some time.
selling them at last TO Manager Gunter
Of the Libby Prison Museum, Chicago
The articles comprised set of theater
checks. the key TO the box, mall can
from which Mr.. Booth had been getting
his letters. and several other things. But
have strayed from my story.
LAS soon as they had finished dressing
] got John Dyatt and Harry Hawks, two
members Of the company. aud went down
town with them. The city was ablaze
with light and the restaurants and other
public PAGES were crowded. Intense eX-
citernent prevailed but, TO the best of my
belief no outbreaks occurred Everyone
was deeply agitated, however, and ii
would have fared lily with Booth had he
been caught that night.
This state of affairs lasted some days.
Ford's I'm common with most other
buildings. was draped in black and closed
for some time When an opening was an
nounced and I returned TO work l found
the lobby full of soldiers and the further
use Of the place as theater was forbid
den. This has always seemed to be ri
diculous matter Of sentiment. In its old
state the house might have remained a
place Of historical and educational inter-
est and veneration- A suitable mark upon
ths upper box in which the President was
killed would have marked it for univer-
sal respect As il is the place has fallen
into commercial use. and is being util-
lied as a Government Office. But for the
tablet no one would ever know of the
great portion of American history which
was enacted there.
Ford's has been made the place of
many interesting matters outside of Mr.
lincoln's assassination. 1t was originally
a church, but was torn down completely
before being turned into a playhouse 1t
was once burned TO the ground, too. and
afterward rebuilt. Then occurred the
murder and finally the frightful acci-
dent few years ago which resulted in
terrific loss OF life.
In my humble opinion, something should
be done to make the building memorial