Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-12

Everybody loved him on the stage,
though he was a little eXcita.ble and
eccentric.
EnraRed at Lincoln.
The day before President Lincoln
was shot ! was standing in front Of
Ford's Theater when John walked up,
evidently In an agitated state Of mind.
He grabbed the cane from my hands
and said: Ned. did you hear what
that old scoundrel did the other day?
7 asked him who he was talking
old scoundrel Lincoln. He went into
jeff Davis house In Richmond, rat
down and threw his long legs over
the arm OF chair and squirted to-
hacco Juice all over the place. Some
body ought 20 kill him. I said, For
Gods sake. John. stop where you
are. ! am going to quit you With
that he pulled my cane down over
his shoulders with such force that
that cane.
"Of course. I was afraid Of becom-
ing involved in any trouble he might
get into, and that is the nearest he
ever came to saying anything TO me
about conspiracy. 1t never dawned
on me that he had any intention Of
doing any bodily harm to the Presi-
dent, for had known II, even though
was his friend. I should certainly
have done all in my power to prevent
IL. feel confident that at first bis
idea was not to kill the President.
but TO capture him and carry him
South to force an exchange OF prts-
oners by holding him as q hostage.
Realizing the hopelessneB OF this.
however, think he then conceived
the idea Of assasAnating him.
Plans Assassination.
'I was standing in front of the
theater on the day Of the murder
when q messenger from the President
rode up and asked for a box for the
Presidents party for the performance
that evening. Replying that the
theater was at Mr.. Lincoln's disposal.
Mr.. Ford. owner Of the theater, took
a pencil and wrote across the box OF
the state. The President and his
party viii be at the theater tonight
"a few minutes later Booth walked
in and, observing the notice, said,
What, that old scoundrel is going TO
be here tonight? Mr.. Ford said.
Yes, John, but I would not speak Of
him in that way If were you With
that Booth walked rapidly away and
disappeared. ! don't know where he
went. but my idea is that his plan
of killing the President and the heads
Of the cabinet was formed at that
time.
"On Friday night, April 10, 1865. the
theater was crowded and the perform
ance was going along smoothly. Mr..
Lincoln's party was late in arriving
and we were In the midst OF the sec
ond act when they arrived and went
up to the box that had been saved for
them. After some difficulty in quoting
the audience, the President seated
himself and requested me q was on
the stage at the time) to go on with
the play.
Booth Stays Lincoln.
After tho scene was over, it be
ing the first night that I had played
my part, / stood near a gas jet on the
stage. tust under Mr.. Lincoln's box.
reading over my lines. Suddenly a
shot rang out, apparently coming
from the audience. 1t startled me and
everything was confusion out in front.
l walked out to the center Of the stage
and while standing there ! was
amazed to see Booth, his hair In wild
disorder, leap from the upper box. He
the box and fell heavily, but this did
not prevent him from rushing franti-
cally down to the footlights, brandish-
ing a large bowie knife in his hands
and crying sic Semper Tyrannis.
Turning, he rushed directly across the
stage to the right and up the side
wall to the back Of the theater, where
he had a little stable in which he
kept his horse and buggy. There was
a boy holding the horse In the alley.
Booth mounted the horse, struck tho
boy in tho chest and galloped down
the alley to r street and out F, I
across the bridge into Maryland.
I'm the pAndemonium which fol
lowed no one seemed to know just
what to do, and 1t was nearly IL hours
later before any pursuit Of the assas-
sin was gotten under way. In at.
tempting to grapple with Booth as he
leaped from the box MAJ. Rathborn. q
member Of tho Presidents party. was
severely cut on the arm.
Laura Kean. ono Of the leading
members Of our company. was the
first to reach the box. and when 1
saw her she was holding the Presi.
dents head in her lap and the hand.
some yellow satin dress she wore in
her part was stained all down the
front with his blood.
All In Quandsry.
After q great deal Of hauling
around and tearing of OF the Prest.
dents clothes in search Of tho fatal
wound, he was placed on a shutter
and carried from the theater out into
the street. As no one seemed to know
what to do with him, he was taken
into a house across the street and car.
ried into a small hall bedroom and
placed on a little cot. There, sur.
rounded by his family and his cabinet.
he died the next morning"
Most Of the company In which Mr..
Emerson was playing wsre arrested
and he had to report to the police
every day until the matter was finally
cleared up with the capture Of Booth
and the execution Of his alleged con.
federates. That was the last play In
which Mr.. Emerson ever took part.
Perhaps the most priced relic in Mr..
Emerson's collection IL a faded and
! crumpled program with a small blood
spot in the upper left hand corner.
This program was found on the floor
| to the right OF Mr.. Lincoln's chair
with the wet blood spot on 1t when
Nv Epaorcny, br,rr{od I'm ia the hoy