davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1915-02-07

had the leading role of Pescara in "The
Apostate." benefit performance for
John Mccullough. He had previously
acted a number of times at Ford's The
ater, and was granted free access to
all parts of the house as an employe.
and he was familiar with the entrances
and exists. as we'll as with the en-
ployes. The last time he appeared on
the stage all his fellow -conspirators
were in the audience as his guests.
The play being staged the night Lin
coin was assissnated. Good Friday
night, was Our American Cousin by
Tom Taylor. 1t was a benefit perform
ance for the star of the cast, Miss
Laura Keene, who was appearing in it
for the one-thousandth and last time.
This same play had been given at the
close of the republican convention in
Chicago, in May 1860, when Lincoln's
portrait was flashed upon the screen as
the nominee of the convention. 1t
Evening star., 1915-02-07

shot rang out during a lull following
monologue by the sole actor then on the
stage there was the widest excitement
Nal Rathbone sprang for Booth and
grappled with him. He was thrust aside
Booth was a vigorous and robust man.
In this melee the major suffered several
slashes in his arm from the assassin
knife. Booth dropped his Derringer,
placed his hand on the railing and vault
ed over on to the stage.
Maj. Rathbone made second attempt
to grab him, but merely clutched at his
coat tails as Booth leaped from the box
But the murderer's spur caught in the
silken folds of the flag. He fell to the
stage and landed on his knees. He put
forth both hands to recover an erect posi-
ton and dashed across the stage toward
the rear door.
In the wings he encountered William
Withers, jr.. leader of the orchestra. who
had been talking with J. P. Wright, the
stage manager. Booth fourished his dag
ger at Withers and slashed through his
coat, vest and underclothing. He struck
a second blow, the point of the knife cut
ting the back Of Withers' neck and fell
ing him.
Joseph B. Stewart, an attorney, who
was sitting in the front row of the or
chestra on the same side the Presi-
dents box, sprang forward and climbed
over the footlights as he saw Booth jump
to the stage. He pursued him, calling out
stop that man" AS he reached the door
through which Booth fed it was banged
in his face. In the darkness Stewart
fumbled on the wrong side of the door
for moment and that delay allowed
Booth to get his start.
The screams of Mrs. Lincoln first dis
closed to the audience that the President
had been shot. Pandemonium ensued
The people surged to and fro in the wild
est excitement. Finally few cool heads
took charge and dismissed the people
for the last time from the theater
The story of the tragedy. as seen by
a member of the Presidents own box
party is thus told by Mai. Rathbone:
When the party entered the box, a
cushioned rocking chair was standing
farthest from the stage and nearest to
the audience. This was salso the near
est point to the door by which the box
was entered. The President seated him.
self in this chair, and. except that he
once left the chair for the purpose OF
Evening star., 1915-02-07
IS Box at Theater ON Night Of April ~, 1865

there was but one actor on the stage.
Harry Hawk. as Asa Trenchard. Hs
was A close personal friend of Booths
brother Edwin. He thus described tina
scene that he was enacting.
Mrs Nuzzcy. I'm the role OF Mrs.
Mount chesington. having discovered
that Asa Trenchard-m role-was rot
the man of wealth she supposed, hpd
turned ansrily to her daughter Geor-
gina the part taken hy May Hart. ar.
ing: 80 TO your room. YOU may go 10
your room at once Then turning to
me she said. Sir. il is plain to BE-
seen YOU are not accustomed to man
ners of good society Then she turnc'.
haughtily and made her exit on tho
left. leaving me alone and looking aft
er her My lines We're. Society. ell :.
Well I guess I know enough to turn
you INSIDE out. old woman. YOU darned
Old sockdologing man-trap. was
looking up at the Presidents box a.
Evening star., 1915-02-07

of the fatal evening. They timed Ger
maine as she brought the papers, re-
turned over the same route. unlocking
and locking, and entered to hand the
papers TO Il detective who would rep
resent NJ Bedor. The same lamp burn
ed With his back to her, the party
representing Bedor bent over the desk.
Shadows flickered. Approaching, Ger
maine repeated her phrase of the fatal
night: Monsieur, the papers.
Then she screamed and ran. 1t was
her dead master, white-faced. terrible.
who turned from the desk to her!
While specialists were putting the
half-crazed woman through the third
degree, the reconstruction went on.
Everybody was timed, doing over again
just what they claimed to have done.
They even pushed the reluctant Ger
maine downstairs, to continue her part.
From this magnificent reconstruction
it resulted that the assassin must have
entered the premises at 935 and quit
them before 10 pm.
MY master was all right after I had
reached my bedroom volunteered the
servant girl. in weak effort to show
innocence. He was still working five
minutes before I went to sleep"
How do you know" they asked.
Il glanced out my window on the
courtyard and saw his light she said.
Il did it by impulse"
They made her do it again, and they
thought the impulse the more strange
when the window was found to be SO
high that she must stand on her bed
to look out
ut was just an idea" she persisted.
"Yet, during that time the assassin
must have taken your keys from the
kitchen. just below you, in the dark
and you heard nothing"
On this Germaine took refuge in ST.
lence.
And the mystery thickened. All Paris
was divided over the guilt of four
deeply involved persons, Frederic. Nine.
Bedor. the partner, Paul Charles and
Germaine. One or more would doubt
less have been convicted and probably
guillotined, when suddenly "a Sherlock
Holmes emerged from the Bedor work
shop.
What if he is hairy. slouchy, none too
clean. and loves red wine? Factory
hand as he is, Paris proclaims him once
aRain-Billemains, the workingmaH
Sherlock.
On the tenth day. Billemains asked
N. Hamard to step into a cafe.
THE assassin is other than You
Evening star., 1915-02-07

bone and Miss Harris. They reached
the theater at $50 o'clock.
AS the Presidents party entered, the
orchestra struck up Hail to the
Chief" The audience caught sight OF
him, and. rising as a body. they cheer
ed again and again. AS the President
entered the box he turned smilingly
to the spectators and bowed.
A few minutes after o'clock Booth
arrived with the horse that he had
in the rear of the theater. for which
he had for a long time paid rent.
At ten minutes after 10 o'clock Booth
entered a cafe next door, north Of the
theater. and called for brandy. In
few minutes he entered the theater
lobby and asked John E. Buckingham,
the night doorkeeper. what time 1t was.
Then he ascended the stairs and pass
ed around the dress circle. taking
place near the door to the Presidents
Evening star., 1915-02-07

floor office. Had he not disputed win
his partner" Had not Bedor wished to
enlarge the business, and he, tharles'
desired to draw out money DESCEND
ing to the workshop, NJ Charles was
troubled. How ignore the tendency OIL
those terrible question: iheE 1faV.
ersed the salesroom by the Ugh, OF
wax matches Can we go to Nine
Bedor a moment2' said a pollcler He
led them. At that instant. striking
another match. he saw at his feet. the
dead body of his partner, staring with
CLASSY eyes.
He screamed and ran to the court,
reflected. THAT was an unworthy
trick" he said you put dummy
to frighten me. 1 am done with you,
except by force. Are you going to ar
rest me-?
shortly after, Frederic Bedor. having
passed a comforting evening at the ex-
pense of a pleasant stranger, was LED
home by the unknown. AS Frederic
let himself in by the side-street door,
the unknown was speaking of ghosts
a future life and divine vengeance
Frederic Bedor stumbled over some
thing soft. The unknown struck a
match. And Frederic screamed as his
dead brother stared at him with CLASSY
eyes.
"IIe has come to haunt me- cried the
wretched brother. Instantly the cleo
trio lights shot up and he was sur
rounded by police experts. On the spot
they put him through the thlrd de-
gree. Frederic broke down. gaboied
and fell into a fit. He will confess to-
morrow" said the partisans of his
guilt; and they complimented the GIT
ed detective. who. with painted face
had impersonated the victim.
The widow was a brunette. The com
missary and NJ. Hamard asked to see
her husbands sword-cane. Whiie
watching her they reconstructed the
killing. He drove the blade in like
this, (Gesture.) He pulled and thrus'
up, like this" And the commissarS
fell to the ground, writhing. DO you
know any one who hated your nus
band?"
She rolled her liquid-black eyes The!
were dry. Il cried all day yesterday,
she said. Now 1 can cry no more
see no one to suspect"
They speak of the sudden d1sap.
pearance of friend" said NJ. HaInard
IT'S false cried Nine. Bedor. lash
me no more"
Meanwhile they had reconstructed tho
whole drama. At pm. some fifteei
detectives, variously stationed. viii
watches and notebooks. made the Wit
nesSeS 80 through all their evolutIous
Evening star., 1915-02-07

coin. followed by the bodyguard and
led by an usher. would quietly walk
into the box which had been reserved
for them, and as they did SO the audi
ence would rise and stand in silence
until the President acknowledged this
mark of respect with a dignified bow,
in which recognition Mrs. Lincoln
Joined by a graceful inclination of her
head.
AT the conclusion of the play Mr.. and
Mrs. Lincoln and their guard would re-
tire from their box and quietly leave
the theater. Such of the audience as
was in the aisle simply made way for
them. Then they would step into their
carriage. Forbes would close the door
and retake his seat beside Burke, who
would speak to his horses. and away
the carriage would roll toward the
White House.
Mr. Lincoln never wore evening dress
or any decoration or insignia to dis
Evening star., 1915-02-07
Now ] % @ ] ] ]

tinguish himself from the millions of
his countrymen with whom he stood on
d plane of equality. For as much as he
believed that he was living and breath
ing he believed that God had created
all men to be equal, and that any diff
ference such creates caste, or even
exclusive circles of society, was purely
artificial, and therefore, in his opinion,
ignoble.
Mrs. Lincoln. when she attended the
theater usually wore a gown cut low
in the neck. but did not wear full dress
except at the opera. Neither she nor
the President was a musician. but both
We're fond of good music.
On that fateful night. half a century
ago, the President and Mrs. Lincoln
entered their carriage at the White
House at $40 o'clock. They drove to
the residence of Senator Harris. at 18th
and H streets, calling for Maj. Rath-
Evening star., 1915-02-07

therefore had a peculiar appeal for
him.
x !:
President Lincoln enjoyed moderately
a really good theatrical performance
by competent actors, but not with the
enthusiasm shown by Mrs. Lincoln,
who was very fond of the drama
When the President and his wife went
to the theater they would step into
their carriage at the White House and
drive directly to their destination. On
arriving in front of the theater. Burke,
the burlv coachman. would pull up his
horses, and the footman, Charles FORBES.
would swing down to the sidewalk and
open the door of the carriage, where
upon Mrs Lincoln and the President
would step out, being met at once by
a bodyguard whose business 1t was 10
be on hand when they arrived.
Without any ostentation or display
whatever, the President and Mrs LIN
Evening star., 1915-02-07

showed that the screws had been loos-
ened in both locks, SO that even if
they had been locked 1t would have
been easy to force them open. A hole
was bored in the door furthest from
the audience, supposedly for the as
sassin to watch through and get a good
view of Lincolns position. This hole
appeared have been bored with a
gimlet, and then cut around with d
Knife.
The box was decorated under the di-
rection of Henry Clay Ford. He Sc
at the sides of the box and draped a
silk flag that he had borrowed from
the Treasury Department across the
front of the box, with picture of
George Washington hanging in the
center. He had some of the furniture
removed from the box and high
back chair and sofa brought up from
cred rocking chair was brought from
his own sleeping rooms on the third
floor of the next building and placed
in the box for the President. 1t had
not been in the box during the season
until that night. 1t was placed near
est to the audience and well to the
front of the box.
at 1890 o'clock that morning had ap-
piled at the box office of the theater
for tickets for the President and Mrs
Lincoln and Gen and Mrs. Grant.
These tickets We're delivered to the
personally by James Il.
Ford. manager of the theater This
was less than an hour before J. Wilkes
receive some mail. Thus it was that he
naturally learned of the Presidents
plans i'll sufficient time to mature his
plot.
Evening star., 1915-02-07

the stage, with my back toward the
door. when [ heard the discharge of a
pistol behind me, and, looking around,
saw through the smoke, man between
the door and the President. | instantly
sprang toward him and seized him.
He wrested himself from my grasp and
made a violent thrust at my breast
with large knife. l parried the blow
by striking it up and received wound
several inches deep in my left arm be-
tween the elbow and the shoulder.
The man rushed to the front of the
box, and 1 endeavored to seize him
again, but only caught his clothes as
he was leaping over the rail of the
box. AS he went over upon the stage
/ cried with a loud voice Stop that
man.. ] then turned to the President.
His head was slightly bent forward and
his eyes were closed ] saw that he
was unconscious and supposing him
mortally wounded rushed to the door
for the purpose of calling medical aid.
On reaching the outer door of the pas
sageway l found it barred by a piece
of plank, one end of which was Sc
cured in the wall and the other rested
against the door. This wedge or bar
Persons from the outside were beating
upon the door. When the bar was re-
moved several persons representing
themselves to be surgeons, entered"
DR.. Charles Taft told how he took
charge of the removal of Lincoln from
the box, a S follows:
1 was in the theater when Mr.. Lin
coin was shot. and was in uniform
When a call for surgeon was made. r
fought my way to the stage and was
lifted up into the box by the peonIe
underneath. Two army paymasters
mad already entered the box from the
dress circle, and had ordered the Presi-
dents carriage to take him to the
White House. AS soon as l had locat-
ed the wound just behind the left ear
l countermanded that order and direct
ed that the President be removed to the
nearest bed He would not have lived
to reach home, because the joIting over
the cobblestone pavement would have
brought on fatal hemorrhage. In leav-
ing the theater l took charge of the
head, others the rest of the body, and
several men proceeded US and tore up
the chairs from their fastenings to
the floor
When Booth fired the assassin bullet
Evening star., 1915-02-07

rested. Being horribly and dramatic
ally surprised in the usual way. he
broke down and made a full confession,
He was to be married i'll a month t0
good young girl. He had Dragged
Of his savings and furniture already
bought. and the girl and her mother
were coming next week to see the
furniture.
Matthew was desperate. lie had often
seen his employer put a wallet bulging
with banknotes in the safe. but not in
the double-locked cash drawer. 1t
seems to have been Bedor's private
fund for pleasure and expenses
Mathieu claimed that hat he only only intended nesdi
back was turned. He had hidden in
the archives ever since closing time
at o'clock. He declared that he got
scared. What if his master should
off his shoes and slipped downstairs
through the salesroom, and up to the
private fiat. All was silent.
From the hall rack he took NJ. Bedor's
sword cane, which the experts found
too slender to make the wounds. with
this can defend myself" he swore
that he said to himself. Then he hid
under the stairs. NJ. Bedor came, lamp
in hand.
II thought he saw me- ran the con-
feSSlOn, ana tlldt lOoh was ldtdl 10
him. I Jumped out and struck at him
with the cane. He grabbed it. The
sheath remained in his hand. I had
the blade, and he ran on it. We fell
together, rolling down the stairs. The
lamp chimney was smashed. but the
lamp still burned. 1 righted IT. NJ.
Bedor lay writhing. the blade still in
him 1 pulled it partly out and thrust
again several times"
He took Bedor's safe keys from his
0ocket-there was no combination
and after using them returned them
to the dead mans pocket. He dared
not touch personal valuables or cash
drswer-only the coveted wallet. He
took the lamp up with him, naturally;
to see by. Then he carefully Washed
and dried the blade of the sword cane
and sneaked up and replaced 1t IN the
rack.
One mystery only remained.
It's solution is the curious and new
thing-the story of today.
1t turned out to have been mystery
to the assassin himself But for the
Intervention of the Workingman Sher-
lock, it would have cost the convic-
tion of one or more of four perfectly
innocent persons-Brother Frederic.
Nine. Bedor. the partner Charles or
Germaine. 1t threw crushing circum-
Evening star., 1915-02-07

think" he said. M. Charles. the
brother Frederic, the young wife and
the servant girl are all incapable or
such crime. | have found the as
sassin.
Explain yourself said NJ. Hamard.
The secret of the crime must be with
the watchdog Diane" continued the
workingman Sherlock. 1T is certain
that the assassin stood beside her when
he put the lamp on the table. yet she
made no sign. Therefore l asked my
self who among us, knowing the offices
and stairways we'll enough to go about
them in the dark. could have passed
that ferocious mastiff.
Most of the workmen are my
friends" he continued, with proud hu-
mility, and filled another glass. To
gether with Francois lombard, an ar
tist in repousse leather. l asked them
all if they would do a certain thing.
All, as one man, swore an oath to pene-
trate, one by one, alone, at different
times, in the quiet of evenings, to the
private office where NJ. Bedor was
killed. and make a call on the dog
"Well?"
The dog received some barking vi
ciously. and others with silent benevo-
lence."
Huh" said NJ Hamard II don't think
much of that test-it proves too many
guilty
"It was nothing" replied Billemains
patiently "The good fellows came to
us and Dragged about it. with-"Diane
knew me- Only one failed to keep the
engagement, and that was serious. be-
cause he was the one among US all
whom the mastiff loved, the man VINO
fed her and tended her box, the as
sassin of my beloved employer! refer
to the automobile chauffeur OF the
firm, Auguste Mathieu!"
He took another drink. He told how
he and Dombard had caused Matthew to
be shadowed by dozen friends or
theirs.
NO suspicion has fallen on Matthew,
because he did not sleep on the prem
ises," said Francois Billemains. ALSO
you discarded robbery as motive"
effectively" said NJ. Hamard. The
safe cash drawer. opening with two
keys, one held by NJ Charles and one
found in the dead mans pocket, was IN
tact Nothing was missing"
yet robbery was the motive. and
successful insisted the wet whtskers.
"Mathieu, who was borrowing small
sums from companions week pre-
viously, paid $50 francs cash for lot
of furniture the day after the crime
"If you can show that I'll arrest
him" said NJ. Hamard.
They showed it and Matthew was ar
Evening star., 1915-02-07

broken lamp chimney on the stairs.
while the lamp with which NJ Bedor
worked and regularly lighted himself
home to the fiat had disappeared. Brother
Frederic denied having picked il up.
Undressing the body, they discovered
several Gashy triangular wounds. The
blade of d sword cane. probably, had been
thrust through NJ Bedcr several times
Robbery as a motive had to be set
aside. The victim had still his gold
watch, valuable jewelry, pocketbook
full of banknotes and the keys to his
safe. In the second floor Office, Diane,
the dog. would have jumped at the
coInmissarys throat had not Brother
Frederic quieted her with word. All
was in order. But on the desk stood
the missing lamp. The assassin had
come up with it after the crime. Yet
the terrible Diane had made no sign.
The door to the double stairway was
found locked. but that to the stairs
descending TO the workroom was wide
open. And that was all.
AT O'Clock the next morning NJ
Hamard, chief of the Surete, in person.
had all key-possessing employees be-
fore him. All produced their keys
except Germaine. who found. to her
stupefaction, that her ring, with the
keys to the street courtyard door and
the private office stairway door, was
missing. She had locked both behind
her when quitting NJ. Bedor to go to
her bed Who could have taken them
afterward? Only Nine Bedor and
Frederic were in tthe fiat.
The police examined everywhere. The
assassins weapon was not found. True,
the dead man had owned a sword-cane
II was III its place in the vestibule, and
experts found it too slender to make
those wounds. And the motive? If
not theft, was it revenge? But Bedor
was beloved. and why should an enc
my carry the lamp up to the Office
How could he enter the street door
to steal keys which Germaine had at
9 pm. and after? And how could a
stranger pass the terrible Diane?
There remained the drama intime.' -
Bedor's beautiful wife, twenty years
his Junior. had worked in a famous
millinery house OF the Rue de la Paix.
The servant, GerInaine, was elderly,
long known as serious and discreet.
The brother, Frederic Bedor, on the
other hand. after a rackety youth, had
settled down to going in and out of
sauatoriums. He often complained of
his brothers meannesS with respect to
wine at table and pocket money at all
times.
There was VI. Paul Charles. Bedor $
partner. Al 9 O'Clock of the next night
he was with the police i'll the second
Evening star., 1915-02-07
Fd That Was Expected That Grant Wife Would
Accompany
They Were Unlocked That MghTh Preparations Made Booth for the
Box Par-Boohs Diary

he fired the fatal shot or afterward as
he dashed across the stage. In his diary
Booth himself wrote that he made the
ejaculation as he stood in the box before
he pulled the trigger
The attention of the audience had been
centered on the stage, and SO when the
Evening star., 1915-02-07

putting on his overcoat. remained so
seated until he was shot Mrs. Lincoln
was seated on "A chair between the
President and the pillar in the center
of the box.
AT the opposite end of the box. that
nearest the stage, We're two chairs. In
one of these standing in the corner
Miss Harris seated At her left
and running from the end of the box
to the rear stood "A small sofa. Al the
end on this sofa. next to Miss Harris
| was seated. The distance between the
sofa and the President was about seven
or eight feet. The distance between
where the President sat and the door
was about four or five feet.
When the second scene of the third
act was being performed. I was in
tently observing the proceedings upon
Evening star., 1915-02-07

1000 francs on my inheritance" says
Germa inc. Il took a great resolve. |
wrote to Rupert that ] would go with
him to the Orinoco. How my hearr
nuttered. l regretted it immediately.
He came That night We're to fly.
He was in the kitchen. | had admitted
him when / fetched the paper. My
valise and purse were on the table.
Rupert said Where is your umbrella"
Run up to your room and get it
When | returned. Rupert WAS gone,
Fifteen minutes later the alarm WAS
made for Bedor. II is easy to ima girc
the feelings of poor. deluded Germaine.
She supposed her braggart Rupert To
be the Rupert who had
simply gone off with her 1000 francs
leaving the keys inside the courtyard
street door.
When the true assassin. Matthew,
confessed. Germaine was glad to re-
main quiet about her adventure.
What would the neighbors have
said?' whimpers the inveterate ro-
mance-monger. "They would have
called me the bandit queen"
STERLING HELLO.