The bee., 1914-12-04
WHERE LINCOLN DIEO

Directly across Tenth s tree {
from the old Ford Theatre
building, in Washington, is a
dull coloied four story briok
building, " dyed in between
surrounding structures that might
have been pretsntious in the days
Of the Civil War. There are q num-
Der Of restaurants Ia the block at the
rear, and once an oil supply house
did business close &C had. On two
or three occasions there have been
Ore in the neighbOrhood. The dull
colored brick building IL decorated
with a sign, an American flag al
ways floats from one Of the upper
windows. II 10 the building In
which Abraham Lincoln died.
When the great emancipator was
taken out OF Ford's Theatre his con-
dltion was 80 critical that IL was not
deemed wise to take him to the
White House, though that was only
hall dozen blocks away. Instead
he was hurried to the first house,
Immediately across the street, which
served as lodging house. There
apparently was not even time to
select the best room, for at the end
of the hall entrance there opened a
long narrow bedroom. In this room
Lincoln died nine hours after j
Wilkes Booth had committed one
Of the most dastardly deeds recorded
In history.
The government OF the United
States purchased this building In
1897, paying 5000 for the property.
Mr.. o. II. OldroYd was induced TO
bring his Lincoln collection from
the Lincoln home In SPRINGFIELD,
and installIt In the building. For
about year the government paid
him salary, and then for some
peculiar inexpllsable reason the
stipend was dropped from the APP
preparation bill. Mr.. Oldroyd was
permitted to charge an admittance
to the building, but for many years
II was insufficient to keep up the
expense, but by mortaRing the
the priceless relics, aud by shook or
crook" he kept the wolf from the
door. He has over three thousand
articles In his memorial collection
pertaining to the martyred Presi-
dent, aud many Of these are almost
priceless. but instead OF parting
With any of these when dark clouds
hung low, he has added to the num-
Der OF articles.
The Superintendent Of Public
Buildings and Grounds keep the old
building In repair, but nevertheless
Ills . neglected, melancholy look
ing sort OF place. Mr.. OInroyd has
for years urged that the adjoining
buildings be purchased and torn
down, and that the old house be'in-
closed In Q new fireprOof structure.
he offers TO sell bis own priceless
collection 70 the govefnmkns ~ Its
own price. But there 10 no evidence
that anyone IL paying any attention.
and while great politicians, Includ-
ing the President ard Secretary Of
State. are worrying themselves
about the former home OF Thomas
Jefferson, which has been splendid
~ preserved under private onnsr.
ship, they have evidently overlook
ed the fact that within . halt -dOsed
squares OF the Executive Manslen q
priceless relIc-for such is this
house where Lincoln died, 10 kept
up by q patriotic Lincoln snthusi-
asst, entirely Of hts own initiative
and responsibility. To add Insult
to injury the local government OF
the District OF Columbia exacts q
tax OF $4,000 q year on the OldrOyd
Lincoln Memorial collections col
lection valuable because 1t contains
l0l original varieties of photographs
of Lincoln, the last piece of hand
writing by the martyred President,
a brief note hastily scrubbed as
Lincoln started for Ford's Theatre
that fateful night Of April IA, 1866.
There are books Lincoln used, ar
ticles OF household furniture, Carl
catures :of his administration, 255
funeral sermons and addresses aud
eulogies, an original black locust
rail split by Lincoln in 1886 with
affidavIts Attesting its genuineness,
his mothers family Bible, and hun