The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-02-04

sSlNCININAll, w., tfeD ia
imam who saw Abraham Lincoln
fall from the assassin's shot will
lattend the Lincoln centenary
celebration in this city, Feb. 10.
He is Capt. Oliver G. Catch,
now in his seventy-third year, a
lretired farmer, whose home Is
near this city. He was the first
aian to enter Lincoln's box in
kord's theater after John Wilkes
I outh had fired the bullet that
ailled the heart of the great
emancfpator.@1,
IL Until recently Capt. Catch has
|lRen reticent upon the subject
With even his closest friends he
refused to discuss the great trag-
Iedy. Recently, however, he was
prevailed upon to give an account
|of the shooting, and the history
making incident he witnessed on
the fatal night. To a correspond
|ent of The Times he talked for an
hour, repeating and amplifying
the story recently told by him.
Capt. Catch and his brother, DR..
Chas. Catch, now dead, left Wash
|ington during the excitement fol-
lowing the assassination of Lin
eoln without giving their names to
The authorities, and it never oc-
burred to them that their testi-
|hiony was wanted. 'It wasn't nee
|essary," says Capt. Catch.
Z Capt. Catch, while hardly more
than boy, enlisted in the army,
land was captured by the confed-
|erate troops and imprisoned until
March, 1864, when he escaped
from his captors and returned to
his home, which was then at Mil
ford, near here. There he met his
brother, DR.. Catch. Together
they went to Washington on Off
|cial business. On Friday night,
|April. IA, 1865---good Friday
they went to Ford's ';theater, at
|tracted thither by the announce
|ment that President Lincoln was
|to be guest.
Our seats were In the balcony,
land, had we. desired, we could
have touched the sentry stationed
|at the entry of the box to be oc-
|cupied by the president" Catch
declares. "In fact, we were so
|close to the presidents box that
1--WE could hear him chuckle at the
Jokes of the play. but we couldn't
see him." sF
{ During an intermission In the
|play, which was the elder Sother's
great success, 'The American
Cousin" Capt. Catch and his
Brother, cramped from sitting in
|bne posture, stretched themselves.
as they. did SO they noticed a
handsome young man watching
the show from position against
the wall near Lincoln's box. 1t
WAS John Wilkes Booth, who mur-
aered Lincoln. ~
+ IT saw him edge toward the.
box" Catch says. Suddenly he
|entered the passageway. A few
seconds later we heard a shot.
Bedlam reigned in the audience.
"a MAMMAL. Rathborne, Lin
coins guest, 1t was-rushed from
THE presidents box and shouted:
Feet q doctor, My brother said
he was a physician, and. he and i
were dragged into the presidents
box. My brother raised Lincoln's s
head to probe for the bullet, and
the index finger OF his left hand
came in contact with a Jagged
hole at the back of Mr.. Lincoln's s
head. When he withdrew his
hand It was filled with the presi-
dents brain, which. was oozing
|out 1t the ghastly hole"
Capt. Gatch's brother told those
In the box that the wound was ia
|tal, and advised that he president
|be taken to private residence
Near the theater, and not to the
White House, as was suggested.
A shutter was hastily secured as
|a etretoher, and Capt. Catch and
his brother, with others, raised the
president from the floor Of the
box and carried him down the
|atnira and out OF the theater.
The eobbinx Of the people and
&E9 HHof f6111n oI thu nnnxoo chiuu