Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-05-12

other employees Of the war depart
ment. happened once to follow him
Is be entered the old war depart
ment building, located on Seventeenth
street near G street. As he passed
through the long hall, which ran
from east to west along the length
OF the building to his room. not a
clerk or employe could be seen; on
seeing him approach every officer
and clerk would dart into their
rooms, which ran off on either side
of the hall, and would remain there
safely ensconed until he had passed,
and was in his private office.
The reason of this was that the
dreadful wear and tear upon his
nervous system by the multitudinous
cares and anxieties of our great
struggle had made his temper so un-
certain and irritable that he was
terror to all around him. He was, |
believe, an entirely just man. but
often acted so ha tily and from i'm
pulse of the moment that he many
times committed acts of great injus-
tice. Woe to any officer or employee
that he thought had committed any
otfense, or worse still. had neglected
any duty The glare that he gave to
offenders through those spectacles of
his made them tremble, and with him
it was too often punish first and in.
quire afterward.
A striking illustration of this was
seen during his visit to the room in
which the preside is body was laid.
The two brigadier generals, Hardin
and DeRussy, would sometimes while
away the hours of their vigil by 60
ing out, leaving us to watch until
their return. Fortunately, however,
they were both present when the
dread secretary of war came in.
heard one of them whisper to the
other as they saw him coming: y
am mighty glad we are both here"
During the evening of our watch
and during the whole Of the day fol-
lowing there was a continuous stream
of mourning visitors to the room.
These included almost all the emf
nent statesmen and politicians of that
famous era IN the history of our re-
public. Among the visitors on Mon.
day morning were two Quaker ladies';
one OF them. Quaker missionary,
whose name ! cannot recall. broke
out into one Of the most sublime ex-
temporaneous prayers l have ever
heard. While tears streamed down
her face she blessed the memory of
our martyred president and implored
the guidance of the great Jehovah
for our country in this its hour of
trial and sorrow.
! had often seen the tall and I'M
calmly figure of President Lincoln
during life, and gazed upon his home
ly, quaint and quizzical face, but
had the opportunity for the first time
to carefully examine the contours of
his head and body. There was a
massiveness and grandeur in the pro-
portions of his head and face and,
indeed, of all the rarts of his body,
that were very striking on close ex-
animation. In my opinion, all the
busts and statues of him that | have
ever seen in this respect fail to do
him justice. The statue of him in
front of our city hall is, in my opin-
ion, a regular caricature, and should
be forthwith removed.
| examined the wound on President
Lincoln carefully. The pistol ball
fired by the assassin entered the left
side of the back part of the skull, one |
inch to the left q its center. and
passing forward in IN oblique diroc-
ton toward the right side of the
brain, lodged Immediately behind the
ball OF the right eye. OF course, this
was necessarily mortal, and no hui
man skill could do more than slightly |
delay the inevitable death.
| may here say that | possess as
one of my choicest treasures some of
President Lincoln's hair, which |
secured that day in somewhat irreg-
ular manner. Many locks of the presi-
dents hair had been cut off for his
family, and | had very urgently
pleaded for one of them, but to no
avail.
One of the generals who was pres
ent, however, noticed that in cutting
on the hair one of the locks had
dropped upon the floor and had re-
manned unnoticed. He said to me.
Doctor, can't give you any of the
presidents hair, but | see a lock of
1t has dropped upon the floor, and If
you capture it | shall make no OBJ
)ectlon.' You may be sure seized
upon the precious relic at once. and
l. committed larceny on that
occasion, it is one sin that has never
ourdened my conscience.
And now, in conclusion, LET me saw
that deeply lamenting, as we an did.
The great loss the nation sustained.
yet my belief is that his death was a
happy one. Suddenly stricken down
BY the hand of an assassin as he was.
there was no expression of pain on
The placid face. How many great
statesmen and warriors have lived
otng enough to dull the brightness Of
heir early glories by the errors and
mistakes of their later years.
Nothing like this can be said Of
him. He died in the zenith of his
'lory, with the citizens of our whole
country, yea, with even the nations
Ind peoples of the whole world, for
lis mourners. A man can die but
nee. What more glorious death can