Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04

YOHN WILKES BOOTH played
at Growers National Theater
April II to 1S, 1868. and l find
~ a reference that President Lin
coin was present on the first
night. This is a note one seldom
comes on, and l have not found 1t IN
any narrative Of the tragedy OF April.
1856, or any narrative dealing with
Booth In the pamphlet by Alexan-
der Hunter and j. II. Polkinhorn,
printed In 1885 and entitled "A Rec
ord of Fifty Years of the National
Theater." the Rambler finds this:
"On Saturday, April IL, 1863, the
announcement is made that the dls-
tinguished young actor. John Wilkes
Booth, will make his first appearance
in Washington as King Richard III
"A very large and fashionable
audience greeted him and, Singh
lar coincidence President Lincoln ana
Senator Oliver P. Morton occupied a
private box. AS the great Lincoln sat
there, heartily applauding the young
actor, how little he imagined he be-
held his fate. and the delicate hand
that handed the signet ring in the
play to the governor Of the tower
was destined to hold the fatal weapon
that was to end his own life at a time
when he had climbed the very pima
Gle Of human greatness. Mr.. J.
Wilkes Booth played but one engage
ment in this house, the occasion re-
ferred to. After considerable trouble
and research we were enabled 10
procure the play-bill Of that engage
ment, and here reproduce It,"
do not know where the authors
of the pamphlet got the information
that Lincoln attended the play. There
Is nothing improbable in the state
ment. but one would like to have a
reference to the authority. Hunter
and Polkinhorn did a worthwhile work
in preparing a history Of the old
theater. vet In that work are some
!! loose Joints. For example. In reading
the quoted paragraph, one would un.
derstand that Booths engagement
was one night. Saturday, April IL,
1863, and that the only play done was
Richard III"
Turning to The Evening Star file.
find that John Wilkes Booth played
not only that night, but every night
from Monday. April 10. to Saturday,
April IS. and put on The Marble
Heart" Money" Hamlet" "Mer
chant of Venice" and Tanning Of the
Shrew." No mention Is made in The
Star that President Lincoln attended
the theater. but that Is not signin-
cant. The Star was paper OF four
pages, and It's news space was USED
for dispatches from the armies and
for local matters generally having re-
lation to the Civil War. 1t Is not
likely that the editor at that time
would consider important an item
that the President went to the thea.
ter last night"
TT Is likely that President Lincoln
saw John Wilkes Booth in one or
more Of his plays in Washington in
| 1853. April. that year, was a calm
war month. The most important
news was of fighting In Charleston
harbor between Confederate forts and
Union monitors. There was some
news from Grants Army on the
Mississippi. The fall Of Vicksburg
and defeat Of the Army Of Northern
Virginia at Gettysburg were but three
months in the future. but war news
| was slack when John Wilkes Booth
was playing at Growers. y great
many Of our people went to hear the
| distinguished young actor" Not to
| attend plays, especially Shakespeare 8
plays, and to express opinions Of the
| actors was to admit ones self not
| up to-date. The theater was matter
| in which the greater part of our
/
| current theme that people felt they
| must be informed and be able to
| talk about 1t.
| know that in the period we are
thinking Of there were adherents Of
| Christian sects who abhorred the
theater as they abhorred dancing and
| games. They believed the theater to
| be one haunt of the devil and his
train. Those people did not go to
hear John Wilkes Booth. but most
persons who took contrary view on
| life and after-life did go to hear this
| actor.
For nearly half a century Junius
Brutus Booth the elder was accepted
as the greatest, or as one Of the
great actors, and to tens Of thousa nds
of Americans there was magic In the
name Booth" So 1t Is probable
that Abraham Lincoln saw John
Wilkes Booth at Growers Theater in
4 1863. On the other hand. If he did
not. it would be easy and might be
|