Evening star., 1928-02-13
REMEMBERS NIGHT
LINCOLN WAS SHOT
Capital Woman Sat in First
Row of Balcony as Booth
Killed President.

While people all over the United
States Yesterday were talking about
Abraham Lincoln, his birth. his politics
and his terms as President, a little
woman who has lived in Washington
since the days of the Civil War, unused
gently upon the events Of that Good
FRIDAY night in '65, when she sat in
the audience at Ford's Theater. on
Tenth street, witness TO one of the
greatest tragedies ever played in this
country.
She is Mrs. Leonora H. Prudential
Of The Cairo Hotel and although she's
s. wears old she tells the story Of Presi-
Csent Lincolns assassination as she saw
4 with a gentle firnlneSs that seems
not Of her years. And vet. that was
IS years ago that she sat in that seat
Of the first row Of the balcony. 1t
seeInS-hut that's her story:
You know. my sister was VISITING
Us from New York" Mrs. Prudential
will begin She wanted to see the
President and the papers said he'd be
AZ that Show--it was Our American
Cousins you know-So we thought that
vouli be cood time to see hin, we'll
and that's how We came 70 be there
that night,
Were in First Row.
There was my husband and my
sister arc I and we were in the first
roU of the first balcony where We were
right across from the Presidents box
an6 we could see him perfectly"
Now 63 years is a long time to re-
member and some little details may
sip her mind Mrs Prudential said
yesterday tu: then there are things
she'll never forget. For instance. she
recalls vividly that the first ect had
been played and the in:ermission was
tust about over
They had turned down the gas
yen know they used that for illunlina-
ton t,2en-aao everybody was waiting
for The second act 10 begin" she re-
calls. Suddenly We heard a pistol
sho, but everybody thought at first
/; vas part ot the play Then l saw
.ooth Jump out Of the Presidents box,
.here was a big flag draped about the
box, though. and Booths foot caught in
I. and he fell down 10 the stage. He
recovered himself quickly there. and
before sou, could move he stood down
-here II the dim light-he was really
handsome. I thought then-ana he
cried Sic semper tryannis.
You know he had great big knife
IN his hand ayd after he shouted from
the stage he turned 10 run of and ne
sv;-leo that knife around il front OF
him ana i anybody had gotten IN MS
way they'd have gotten 1t. lnsn
somebody cried out the President Is
shot and oh II seemed awful Every
body was frightened and surprised ano
for minute they didn't move. Tnen
ri, NnrfnQ
chairs 10 reach Mi Lincoln and by
tngt ti.cie the people in the audience
we're milling about eycitediy. AND
then-they took him out Of the thea
ter
Followed Down Steps.
On the way out Of Ford's Mrs.
F-euderthai said she and her sister ana
her husband went down the same steps
that Lincoln nad been carried down.
leaving ben.nG him trail OF MS o!ooc
Tnos2 steps and that tragic tran nurn
t,2.c her memory. TOO. foT Mrs. Freuoec-
,nal's ssster. then Miss Gertrude Dunn
~.red fro.1 tbs steps with her unoer-
sE.rt a. sae. ran some OF the oy'ne
Presidents blood.
Ooce ii the lobby q. Ford's: Mys j
F-euSertlei said she saw the Players
ot the s.qow that vas SO t-agicaily enc
es little 7. cntai note has survived
tt.a wear Of years N Mrs Freuoenthais
memory. she recalled yesterday trsi
Laura Keene. leading woman IN .Ae
Show. struck hsr as beng an a"lai
s.gn: out there with her paint am
powce. OF"
erca through which they had jusl
nassed. Mrs. Prudential remember.
and she said,
.'Wa al felt We needed something TO
r,,sef CIR nerves: we just COULDN'T g.
forne Ike that for we were neaFiy
frantic. 50 we walked down TO HarVe!s
-vol, know that place was famed LOT
..s steamed oysters-ano so there We
had steamed oysters and glass Oh
v,sr4 When We had clieied down
bit we went outdoors again 70 go folh,
src / newer saw such slght as 'oAg
a. I've lived! Everybody seemed 70 o.
CIT. soldiers were milling about anc
t,4e erc3ter1en. was something terrible
70 behold BIT we Eert right nome -
or house over on Capitol H..
Many Crepes Displayed
The excitement seemed no Jess ram
part tie following day. Mrz- FTeuoen-
trsl remembers. foz everybody wao vas
..iova!" was called upon 70 put crepe
or ,g.e front o. his hore-ano crepe
hung from the door 0! the house 0!
Preferential. the little white -nal!eo
s.1i!!rg-eye woman said yesterday.
Anc th2t. hrs. Prudential saio,
the s.3ry she has tod for years. why
sne tod !: 70 q group 0: Indians who
were VISITING II Washington ore time
wears after tl2e assassination o! the
president. Enc recalled that incident
YESTERDAY. = seems she hac never
7asaed TIE house IL which Lincoln CLEO
a.c o.ae cay--st wAs long, long ago
.ne went there A. the same time, u
naJEFneo q group ot Indians we're visit
ing The shrine with tneir Interpreter.
Falling into conversation, a. DurlS,h
VII. Lsrg FTe1centsazl mentioned that
sne vas IN the audierce the night
Lincoln pzA shot. aE!c then !iotn'flg
vo1.c co bat she tel the Indians
t1yoagtl tnel. interpreter. all sbou, IL
Were Childhood Ghums.
As child Hrs FreudentnAl lived IL
Rev Yggk City alc II ~ AApiIeneG
tlazt the little bog 2?ao lived nezl door.
william Henry Freuden,nAl, and she
became cs.9n.k. He'd buy peEHys
worth y! candy oz3e Gay afc shfc n4y
q TIE ne1t and theyc always snare IL
Es4e recalled those gays yesterday
Then saey family moved W Brr.ki3n
arc she c46n't Aee the little my iof
long lsne. un'l size w&s Ie IN fart,
~f4Fn ne v2y. then tal youth was
.e1ntro6 rec ~ !ler. = wasn't long
after that tIzt TIE cogp.e walked
away" &i.c were nxyslec. D4t the tTlce
IA i.et rlfAg "tpr Il %Ililc sf'eE~ayf
A. 4zst t..e story NaE b1Ic anf IN etie
tln4e HY ara Mtt. FSe1Gc..ts.al naosec
" Elezzncria, Va
During ~ C.,.l w. NF Freuden-
.,ag NJ il. gi-e t!aAsyyrt2tao:} criyot of
~ 14Aghrn4aetEr Lepas. mint. at.c j.
WzS Dg~afc tHe enc u ~ epni3kct that
~ co4pie :4a9fta u Washington. MI
yYe4oefth2i 3JDoeQueftIy be,anle chief
- M tFz1la.yoItatiD:. ctpyt Wi!.tn