The Washington herald., 1909-02-14
RECALLS DEATH OF LINCOLN
F. N. Heaton in 1907 Wrote an Ac-
count Of It for This Paper.
Tells of Anger and Grief of Crowds
and How Houses soon Were
Draped in Mourning.

The late 7. 81. Heaton, so well and Ia
vorably known IN Washington, had a
vivid recollection Of the stirring scenes
incident TO the assassination Of President
Lincoln. Two years ago he personally
wrote the following Renaissance for use
by this paper:
During the later years Of the civil
war, myself and family resided in the
old yellow brick dwelling. then standing
at the northwest corner Of Tenth and F
streets. now occupied by Rich's store
can recall some Of the scenes enacted
in that locality on the night OF April j.
1855. and the day following. II was in
the old Ford's Theater. nearly opposite,
that Abraham Lincoln feH az the hands
OF the assassin. Booth. The writer was
in the lobby OF the theater that night
and saw the President and Mrs. Lincoln.
with Mai. Rathbone and Miss Harris
aIight from their carriage and enter the
building. Upon the entrance OF the
President the people gave him an ovation.
standing and waving flags, until the
party were seated in the box where the
great man met his death
"An hour or 50 af,erward the sad Aews
Of the tragedy at the theater shocked the
city, and brought great crowds 10 the
vicinity. / joined the little procession
bearing the body Of the wounded Presi-
dent across Tenth street. While on this
short and soTrowful journey Mrs. Lin
coin asserted that her husband was dead.
~
her that the President was not dead. only
wounded. but she persisted that he was
dead. The body was carried into the
Peterson house where the President died
the next morning at % o'clock. a short
time thereafter the body was carried on
a bier Up Tenth 70 c street, and from
thence 10 the White House
Never shall I forget the occurrences
near nay dwelling during the whole of
that awful night. The greater part Of
the crowd were soldiers, and they were
enraged beyond any power of mine 10
describe. II they could have laid hands
on Booth. ne would have been torn limb
from limb, so great was their rage at the
death Of man 50 greatly beloved as was
Mr. Lincoln About midnight Booths
dagger was found at the mouth OF the
alley. where the building Of the National
Union Insurance Company now stands.
and this added fuel 20 the fame. and
the vast crowd was more furious than
ever. if that were pSsible. IN the morn
ing, when il was made known 70 the
great throng Of watchers al the corner
(now Sheetz) that the President was dead.
a hush seemed 10 fall on the weary crowd.
and the fun realization came that death
claimed him who. as Senator DOlliver
has said. was the greatest human being
who ever trod the planet.
But a few hours Of that fateful Sat
urday morning had passed ere the signs
Not only the houses OF the rich were
draped in black. but the novels Of the
poor bore some somber emblem of the
intense grief that everywhere prevailed.
Early in the DAY the supply Of mourn
ing goods in the city was exhausted. and
the merchants wired 70 Baltimore for a
fresh supply. A house in street, near
Tenth, had not been dcaped. ard the
crowd noticed II. A meeting was held in
front Of this house, and a committee Of
three appointed to wait on the owner
and allow him one hour In which to
place some sign Of mourning on his house,
and thirty minutes had not elapsed be-
fore a few yards Of black muslin were
properly displayed.
The swearing in Of the new President
at the KirkwOOd. where the Raleigh now
stands, the rumors Of the apprehension
OF Booth, and various other exciting re-
ports. served 10 make this period one to
be remembered By all persons living here
at the time. The death Of the President
coming Immediately after the closing of
the civil war, and when the whole coun-
try was in mourning, had peculiar sad
ness about II. The people loved Abraham
Lincoln. and as the date Of his untimely
death recedes the popular veneration for
the great President appears to grow
more infensa >,