The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-06-28
OLD HISTORY
Assassination of Abraham Lin
coin Retold by an Eye
Witness

Tulsa. Ok, June 2S. Lorenzo
Chubbuck, one of the c~aretakers at
Sand Springs Park. a local suburban
resort, il one of the few men living
who witnessed the assassination of
President Abraham Lincoln. He was
sitting fourth fIom the lower right
hand box, we'll to the front, in Ford's
TheateI en- the night of the tragedy.
Chubbuck tells an interesting story of
his experience.
~ was working in the Agricultural
Department in Washington" he said.
land was lodging at the Model House
in Ninth street. Isaac Newton was
commissioner of n~grieulture. One of
my friends was James Ferguson. who
conducted a saloon IN a building add
joining Ford's Theater. On the day
of the assassination Ferguson asked
me TO go with him to Ford's Theater
that night. l had no wish to go, but
finally consented to accompany a young
woman who was a relative of Fergu-
son
Late in the afternoon / was stand
ing on the sidewalk in front of the
saloon talking to Ferguson. when John
Wilkes Booth rode up on horseback.
Booth and Ferguson were we'll ac-
quainted. Booth was riding a fine
chestnut horse. and asked us what we
thought of his mount. He invited us
TO drink with him. and we remained
in the saloon probably fifteen minutes.
Booth left the saloon and rode away,
and went to my boarding house and
got ready to go to the theater.
My seat gave me a full view of the
Presidents box. which was gayly
decorated with flags. During a shift
ing of the scenery Ferguson leaned over
| and said to me:
" There goes Booth over Wonder. |
wonder where he can be going9'
II Locked and saw Booth entering
the rear of President Lincoln 8 box.
In n second or two there was the report
Of a pistol. Ferguson exclaimed: MY
God Booth has shot the president.
For a slight period Of time before
the echo of the shot had scarcely died
away there was no demonstration on the
Il Hhtb VI liC huhItnICr bOOLH DdSS5u Ill
front of the dying president, stepped
upon the railing of the box. and made
a jump for the stage. His foot did not
clear the long strip of flag design hang
ing on the front of the box, and he
landed heavily. but did not fall. He
showed, however, a marked limp as
he escaped through the wing.
t.TL.
Ferguson and / took orr ladies TO u
place of security in an upstairs room 10
the theateT, and then joined the crowd
of excited men that was entering
Ferguson's saloon, where the assassin
was thought to have hidden himself.
Many of the men had pistols and rifles.
Ferguson got On top of the bar and
told the men that John Wilkes Booth
had done the shooting, and thar he
was not in the saloon, but probably
had escaped on horseback. The police
soon took charge of the saloon, drove
everybody out, and securely fastened
the doors. Because of Ferguson's &C.
quaintance with Booth, both he and l
were locked mp, to insure our being
present at Booths examination, If he
should be captured. Afterward we
we're vouched for and given our liberty.
Il was rooming with a man who
was running a tugboat up and down
the Potomac River. One night be
came in rather late and woke me up.
saying that he had brought the body of
Booth to Washington on his boat. /
asked him what was done with the
body. WELL, he replied, they took il
to the prison ia the navy yard, tore up
the floor of a cell and buried it below.
A day or two later he took me down to