Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-28
ASYLUM LIKE HOTEL
Maj. Rathbone, Many Years
Prisoner, Has Every Comfort.
STORY OF A TRAGIC LIFE
Was in Presidents Box When Booth
Shot Lincoln.
EXPERIENCE WRECKED NERVE
Gradually Lost Mind and Finally
Killed Wife, With Whom He
Had Lived Happily.
EXPERIENCE WRECKED NERVE
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

The beautiful monastery that was built
by the Prince-Bishop Bernward of Hides
helm in 1901 for the Benedictine friars in
converted into a hospital for the insane in
attractive suite of rooms is an American
patient. Maj. Henry R. Rathbone, for
merly of the United States Army.
Maj. Rathbone was we'll known in
Washington forty years ago. His resi-
dence on Lafayette Square was torn down
last summer to make way for the new
part of the Cosmos Club. He was the
son of Jared Lewis Rathbone, prominent
and wealthy business man of Albany,
and his mother was Pauline n. Pinney of
that city. He was born in Albany in 1888
and was educated at Union College.
His father died when he was
seventeen or eighteen years old, and his
mother married Judge Ira Harris of the
supreme court of the state of New York.
who, in 1861, was elected to the United
States Senate to succeed William III. Sew
ard, Secretary of State in the cabinet of
President Lincoln.
There was a young brother. Jared Law
renee Rathbone, who was born in Albany
in 1874, graduated at West Point in 1865
served in the army for several years and
resigned to take charge of the celebrated
stock farm of Senator Leland Stanford at
Palo Alto, Cal, where he developed the
breed of horses for which that farm was
famous. RathbOne was consul general at
Paris during the first administration of
President Cleveland, served through the
war with Spain on the staff of Gen. Wes-
ley Merritt and Gen. Otis, and when the
war was over resumed his residence in
San Francisco. where he was one of the
most popular and influential citizens. He
died in 1905
Came Here in 1861.
Senator Harris had two sons by his first
wife. Col William Hamilton Harris, who
graduated at West Point and served thir-
teen years in the regular arms, when he
resigned his commission and settled in
Cleveland. where he was engaged in man
ufacturing. The other son served in the
army through the civil war. when he re-
signed, engaged in manufacturing in KAN
sas City for several years thereafter, and
is now residing in Paris
Maj. Henry r. hatnbone, a boy OF
twenty-tWo. accompanied his mother and
stepfather to Washington in 1861, when
the latter came to take his seat in the
Senate. The other member of the family
was Miss Clara Harris. daughter OF the
senator by his first marriage. The young
people were great faverites in society.
and particularly at the White House.
President Lincoln gave Henry Rathbone
commission in the army. and he served
with credit as staff officer in the field
and at headquarters at Washington,
where he was under detail at the time
Of the surrender OF Richmond. in April.
1861 At that time he was engaged to
Miss Harris, the daughter of his step
father.
When President and Mrs. Lincoln ac-
cepted an invitation to see Laura Keene
at Ford's Theater the night of April IA,
1865 Gen. and Mrs. Grant were to ac-
company them, and the announcement APP
peared in the evening papers. but Gen.
Grant was. called out of the city and left
by an afternoon train. Mrs. Lincoln then
invited Miss Harris and Maj. Rathbone,
and the Presidents carriage called for
them on the way to the theater.
Tried to Save Lincoln.
When John Wilkes Booth appeared in
the Presidents box with his pistol in his
hand Maj. Rathbone sprang at him, but
was too late to prevent the fatal shot.
Booth dropped his pistol and struck at
Rathbone with dagger which he car
ried in his left hand Rathbone received
the blow on his left arm: suffering a
wide and deep wound. Booth then placed
his hand on the railing Of the box and
vaulted to the stage. Maj. Rathbone
shouted, stop him. Stop him!' and rush
ed to the door of the box to summon aid.
A Young officer named Crawford respond
ed and two army surgeons, who declared
the wound mortal, and under Rathb0ne's
direction the President was carried to
the little house across the street. Ratn-
bone exhausted by loss of blood. tainted
and was carried home, where he lay Ill
for several weeks.
The shock so unsettled Rathbone's
nerves that he was unable to perform
any serious duty thereafter. He resigned
~
daughter of his stepfather, and, having
abundant means, they spent their sum-
mers in European travel and their win
tiers in Washington There were two chill
dren. son, who now lives in Chicago,
and q daughter who lives in Washington.
Maj. RathbQne never recovered and his
nervous condition gave his relatives and
friends great anxiety, but his manner
with his wife and children was affec-
tionate and his disposition so gentle that
they felt that he was better with them
than he would be in the custody of strang
ers. They spent the summer and fall of
1875, at Hanover, and took an apartment
there in which they expected to spend the
winter. Toward the end of the year Maj.
Kathbone's disposition seemed to change;
he became very irritable and developed
Authorizations that gave his wife great
alarm, the most persistent being that she
was planning to leave him and take his
children away. He continually begged
her with great earnestness not to do SO,
but no assurance seemed to satisfy him.
Christmas eve this delusion seemed to
possess him more fiercely than ever and
before daylight Christmas morning Mrs
Rathbone found him fully dressed and
wandering about her room. He was in
quiring for the children, and she begged
him not to disturb them at that hour He
insisted upon doing SO. and when she
tried to restrain him he drew q revolver
and shot her dead. He then found a
knife somewhere, with which he tried to
commit suicide.
Insanity Not Questioned.
+ Rathbone was tried for murder in the
Hanover courts, and, there being no ques-
ton Of his insanity. was sentenced to the
Hospital of St. Michael's for life. For
twenty-siX years he was an inmate of
that institution, living in great comfort