Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-06
HAT FOUND AT FORD'S TFEATER
SAID TO BELONG TO LINCOLN
Fishing Lines, Halter and Saddle Blanket
Used by Booth Also Picked Up
After Tragedy.

| from the stage at FOrd'S when Booth
leaped from the presidential box; An
drew G. Mainwaring and william Brown
OF the Soldiers Home, John Grafton,
member of the Veterans Reserve Corps
and attached to the Record Hospital on
Fourteenth street. and John Fletcher,
Majors Stable. 200 f street. who fol-
lowed Booth and Herold to the Navy
Yard Bridge.
A hurried report of the assassination
was made at police headquarters at IL
O'Clock, 80 or 40 minutes after:
| AT this hour the melancholy intelli-
gcnce OF the assassination of Mr.. Lin
coin. President Of the United States, at
Ford's Theater. was brought to this
office and the information obtained
from the following persons goes to show
that the assassin was a man named j..
Wilkes Booth. Secretary Seward and
Doth hrs sons and servants we're attacked
at the same hour by man supposed to
be John Surratt. Case assigned to
force"
| The following persons" we're those
named just above. These early identi-
hcations Of the assassin refute the stories
widely circulated by certain writer's that
for long time stage folk and audience
could not furnish positive identifica-
ton.
| Material Witnesses.
| At am. Saturday. April IS, the
records further show, two material wit
nesscs were brought to headquarters In
the persons OF Edward Spanglcr. scene
shifter and carpenter at Ford's Thea
ter, and John Borer Tor Burrough)
known around the opera house as Pea
| nut john" whose duty was to keep
unauthorized persons out OF the rear
entrance and who on the night Of the
14th held Booths horse in Baptist al
ley. Peanut John" was not made a
defendant at the trial of the conspira-
tors, but Spangler was supposed TO have
made a wooden bar for the box door
80 Booth could cut off pursuit. and to
have bored a peep-hole through an in
ner door by which Booth got the lay
OF the land. Spanglcr also was believed
TO have cleared passage behind the
stage and to have promised to turn of
the gas lights as soon as the shot rang
out. One story has 1t that when Spang-
Ter went to turn off the light he found
some one sitting on the control box
whom he did not care to acquaint with
his villainy and that In consequence
OF his failure, Booth had to make the
best OF bad situation. whereas he had
been so sure OF carrying out every de-
tail OF the plot that he did not take
the trouble to affect disguise.
| Spangler and Peanut John" were
brought to headquarters by Detective
Sergt. C. M. Skippon They we're re-
leased by order OF Justice OF the Peace
Nathan H. Miller. but Spangler was
rounded up again when evidence
against him accumulated The Stanton
dragnet also took in Deboney, the actor
mentioned above. who was then board
ing next door to Callan's drug store,
and Joseph W. Barrett. 81. farmer.
who was arrested by Officer Kelly at
the instance Of Stanton, but was dis
missed April % by Justice Miller.
Good Friday night. 1868, was the
widest Washington has ever expert
enced. Fifteen hundred arsenal work
ers had started a parade at z O'Clock
from the Arsenal. out PENNSYLVANIA
avenue to the White House and then
back to the starting point It appears
that neither President Lincoln nor Sec
rotary Stanton addressed this process
sion OF noisy torch bearers. many OF
whom soon took drink and repaired
TO Ford'S or Growers for further enter
tainment. Homes we're gayly lit up and
decorated all over the city and where
gas light proved insufficient to express
Joy at the end Of the Civil War. candles
were brought into play
| Three fires were attributed to over
turned candles No mention is made OF
any FIRE companies turning out. but
even X not We can still see evidences OF
Booths handiwork. What could excite
more suspicion on dark night between
10 and 1890, a night now grown COM
paratively still and quiet. than lone
horseman or pair OF horsemen gallop-
| Ing madly through the heart of the
city? Yet whose suspicion would be
aroused II they galloped along In the
wake OF several fire alarms. as If going
to see the fires?
Many Caught In Dragnet.
| Suspicion was cast upon many inno-
cent persons. while numerous others
sought In the web Of circumstances
we're cast behind the bars. and with
difficulty proved they had nothing to
do with the assassination To illustrate
the atmosphere of suspicion which
gripped Washington. 1t Is only neces-
sary To cite the police record OF two
lnoffending Germans who bought new
trunk because they could not find one
second hand
AT $50 pm. Friday. April 81.
Theodore Peyson. No 428 Seventh
| obiUGI. UVkWccl ~ ana II, IcpOILeu tIlAt
on Tuesday night last about 10 o'clock
two German men came 10 his store and
asked II he had large second hand
trunk for sale. and being answered In
the negative. they purchased q large
| new packing trunk, the pattern Of
which Is at eomplainant's store. They
then took the trunk down Seventh
| street 10 Pennsylvania avenue. followed
by n man named Mr.. Kirsh. who saw
| them put the trunk on one OF the Navy
Yard cars In front where the driver
| stands. and while they were doing so
Mr.. Kirsh stepped up to the conductor
| OF the car and told him To keep an
eye on these parties as they looked sns-
picious kirsh lives In the same house
with peyscrs and Ia employed at Gross
meier's Clothing Store. on pennsylvana
avenue. near the Kirkwood House. One
| Of those men Is about 81 years OF age
| stout built fiorid complexion. and wore
fun suit Of drab corduroy; In about
feet q or o inches high The other
about the same height. but not so
stout"
These industrious Germans got their
trunk home. and for aught We know
have II 10 this day.
|
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