Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-14
WITNESS OF LTNCOLN'S
! MARTYRDOM VIvIDLY
| PORTRAYS TRAGEDY
Stewart Macdonald Recalls
Scene in Ford's Theatre
When Assassin's Bullet
Ended Presidents Life
THOUGHT PART OF PLAY
Old Philadelphian Was Then a Young
Soldier of the Union
Army

Stewart Macdonald always likes on this
date to rehearse what he saw in Ford's
Theatre, in Washington, the night of April
IA, 1858. He was mere boy then, for
he is "A years old now but the memory
of the events OF that night stand out as
clearly today as they did then.
He realizes he is one of the few men
alive who can tell that story at first hand,
but the recital of it always makes him
cry. for he loved Abraham Lincoln as all
the Union soldiers did
Macdonald is old only in years. He
has all the fire today that he must have
had when he landed at the Walnut street
wharf on Thanksgiving Day in 1860 with
his bag and a whole lot of hope that he
brought with him from County Derry, in
Ireland, where he lived for 18 years after
his birthday. January II, 1912. At his
home 1926 North Howard street, he lives
with Mrs. Macdonald but any time you
go there you will find at least one of
his six married daughters who have run
in to spend the day with him He doesn't
work any more; his little cigar shop in
the northeast he gave up long sincs; also
the work he used to do as caretAker of
Norris Square.
The night President Lincoln was shot
Mac--he calls himself Mac-came in from
l the camp of the Twelfth Regiment Vet
ran Reserves right outside washington
.see the torchlight parade which was
h,,n celebration of Lees surrender.
MI lot doing in washington
az. Wand one of his crowd-there
80 nussnt, others beside himself-sug-
esto Ford's Theatre. The Presi-
e.. usoi"ling to he there that night.
uS.S i, Vas te of the quartet. and Laura
-, S % acting in great play. The
9le N@at they only had 81 together.
uo was Tit the dollar into four parts
"a tney ny. Sllery seats They were placed
~ tooN of the playhouse where they
were direcT
,-,,. THE SHOT WAS FIRED.
..,,,,y Doth shot the President" Mac
wren 4 none of us could figure out
1oiiaiu saened We We're only young
Via Via h"' he way he jumped on the stage
-, 'hu ID sic temper tyrannis' made
anu %snout % it was all part of the show.
ns oeheN-at hubbub arose and the show
- a $50 while the people were being
osoPpep-t of the theatre, we went around
slioIeu , pNesident's box to see what hap
~ te The President lay on the floor
peneq' 1 Keene was sitting down hold
an. anu Itur ,.t ms head in her lap. Then they
s I'm I'm out, headfirst, and into the
Sa ibss the street.
,ry, snt back to camp and decided to
we w, while instead of going to bed
g.ay up Z st as well we did for soon the
~ 4, was 1lw the long roll which meant
SSueN oii Officers came around getting
uansel' .,is ogether, and we told them
',,,,a anelt I'D seen. Then the reason for
tha wnt We we kBlr was known. At first they
ti .ne LpilF guerrilla attack had been made
vi nouSnt 81, hngton. Soon the search for
Pao.h n started"
49, bald related with a fair degree
. Mslci .Si how he had shaken hands with
ot Pr ~ eidiIGpston Corbett, who shot Lin
coins lerer. That meeting took place
at a .nodst camp-meeting in Wash
ington.
GIANT WAR RECORD.
The broke out shortly after Mac
Donald aded on these shores, and the
first II he tried to enlist he failed be-
cause,kh put 1t, 'he looked like such
kid 1862, though, he was success
full, a las assigned to the Sd Regiment,
Pennsyria Reserves, Company c.. He
fought South Mountain, Antietam and
at Fred;ksburg was captured and sent
to Libbrlson. He weighed ITO pounds
when Invent in there and 90 pounds
when heme out. In May 1868, he was
sent to lapOlis and exchanged back to
the Uni ranks. Subsequently he was
assigned the Veteran Reserves, with
whom Ras when he saw Lincoln shot.
Mr. ADonald is a past commander of
the Pemlvania Reserves, Post 1911, G.
A. r, I; arganizer OF the Bucktail Rifles,
Pennsylia Reserves, and past colonel
EhcahlplJ NO Z, OF the Union veteran
Legion
1t waite tragic death of Lincoln that
gave riso the organization which has
come to known far and wide as the
Militaryde of the Loyal Legion. The
prganizn consists of officers who
served the Civil War and their sons.
their 50 sons. and so on, and thus 1t
will cO,ue to live while 1t won't he
such time from now when men will
no more able to describe first hand how
they saMncoln shot.
Colonohn p. Nicholson Is the direc-
tor of pennsylvania Commandery of
the LoyLegion This year no special
steps arsing taken to observe the 51st
annivers, Last year, though, when it
reached half-century mark there was
O notabllebratiOn.