The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-27
LINcoLN's LAST ~GooD-NIGHTy'


81 was the last person to whom lincoln
ever said good night at the White house.
Good night, Pendel, were his very
words to me as 1 opened the door for
him, and he went out to receive the
grieyous wound that caused his untimely
death. After that everything happened.
1 was on night duty. 1t was close upon
ID o'clock, recall. and I was sitting in
one of the big chairs in the alcoye
window facing the lower part of the
city. Suddenly I saw a confused mass of
hurried lights approaching the White
house from the direction of the theater.
They came up the avenue at a furious
gait, SO mixed that there seemed to be
blurr. My heart jumped, for L feared
that something terrible had happened. al
though formedsno tangible idea of what
it might be- Then there came a sharp
ring at the belfo 1 was young then and
1 sprang to the door without delay.
when l swung the door open quickly,
there stood Senator Charles Sumner, of
Massachusetts. He looked very pale and
worried He asked rather sharply
whether the president had returned.
When replied that Mr.. Lincoln was not
yet home, he inquired anxiously if L had
heard that anything had happened.
Sumner looked immensely relieved. He
explained that he had heard some vague
rumor that something had happened to
the president. Twas all of tremor, but
the better spirits of Mr.. Sumner reas-
sured me. The, senator and those with
him, several men prominent in public
life, left at once.I Then my sense of re-
lief disappeared. / closed the door and
returned to my seat in the window, but
7 could rid YnVcoIf of ba n
something of grave importance was I'M
pending. l tried to tell myself that only
a silly story had caused the interruption
of the quiet at the White house, but the
preSentiment of disaster grew stronger
and stronger.
Suddenly I heard hurried footsteps
coming up the gravel walk. These were
followed by a violent pull at the door
bell. The late caller was Isaac Newton,
commissioner of agriculture. He was
deathly pale, and there was a glitter in
his eyes that I did not like. His voice
was strained and unnatural as he blurted
out, hoarsely: BY God! they've shot the
PRESIDENT | was speechleSs with grief
and horror. 1 could not for a few mo-
ments realize the truth of the situation
Mr.. Newton stood near the door with one
of his hands over his eyes, the other
resting on the easement, and he was
trembling with excitement After a min
ute it occurred to me all at once that the
other occupants of the house should be
made acquainted with the terrible news.
Fastening along the upper corridors, /
came upon Capt. Robert Lincoln, the
presidents eldest son. He had not yet re-
tired, and / remember that he had a
medicine bottle in one hand and a spoon
in the other, as though in the act of
measuring out "a dose of the liquid. /
shall never forget the expression that
came over his face as / cried out the
terrible tidings Unconsciously he allow
ed the bottle to drop from one hand and
then the spoon from the other. The medi-
| cine was thick and black and gurgled out
| over the carpet. could not help at that
| time comparing it with blood and l drew
! back with shudder
| after a few minutes Capt Lincoln
| recovered his composure to some extent
and ordered mesto notify Maj Hay the
presidents military secretary, now Mr..
| McKinley's secretary of state. / gave
| Maj. Hay the grieEous news and he at
| once FASTENED down town in company
with Capt. Lincoln. THE bad news spread
like lightning. soon every one in. the
| house crowded around me- and with
them little 'TadsS Lincoln, the president g
baby and the fa4orite of the White
4 house. He was twelve years old at the
| time. and half dead from anxiety and
grief. as he put his arms around my
neck and sobbed: oh, Tom Pendel!
they've killed my papa All that night
l watched and waited until the presi-
dei3i breathed his last. On the next day
Mrs. Lincoln appointed me to he present
at the post norton examination .-Door-
keeper Pendel of the White house. in
Leslie's Weeks