Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-12

IN sight. Even yet washington mas many
of the attributes of big village, and So years
agD with fields and commons" extending into
what are now the thickly settled portions Of
the CITY, with muddy streets every hand the
tiny, horse-drawn cars jogging along the little
travelled avenues the picture was indeed a
sharp contrast to the modern age.
In the State of New York, near the little
Dutch Colonial town Of Schoharie, lived, in
1851 James Tanner, and like thousands of
other youths of IT, fired with patriotism, and
thrilled by the opportunity to serve his country,
he enlisted in the Union Army. joining the
87th New York Volunteer Infantry in Septem-
Der, 1861. 1t was not long before he received
taste of war, for during the Spring of 1862 his
command arrived in the vicinity of Richmond
and participated in the Seven Days Battles and
the engagements at Fair Oaks and Malvern
Hill. At the second battle of Bull Run he was
wounded and suffered the amputa ton of both
feet.
Burdened with such a handicap, the young
veteran" came to Washington, where. through
the influence of Senator Morgan of New York
he secured position in the War Department.
Luckily he had learned photography in bust
school in Syracuse, continuing his study
under Andrew J. Graham in New York City,
and he became quite proficient. He settled
down as a resident of the Capital, securing a
room in the house of one Petersen on Tenth
street just below F street, opposite Fords
Theater
It was but natural that after the strain of
four years of war the people should begin to
relax, with peace in sight, and the places OF
amusement in Washington were well patronized.
The principal theaters-the National, on E
street near the Willard Hotel, and Ford's-were
doing a big business. Ford's Theater a
large. brick edifce the east side of Tenth
street, which had for Is years been occupied
as q Baptist Church, but three years before
had been turned into a theater. After the
night of April Il, 1865, it was never again used
as theater. It was taken over by the War
Department. and on April 9, 1893, the twenty
eighth anniversary of the surrender at APP
pomattox the floors of the building collapsed
resulting in the death Of % clerks and the in
jury of 6S.
During the week of April IA, 1865, the attrac-
ton at Ford's Theater advertised Is q
benefit" the play being Our American
Cousin" with Laura Keene appearing as Flor
ence Trenchard and Harry Hawk as Asa
Trenckard. It had been announced that on
Friday the President would attend the per-
Torrance, accompanied by Gen. Grant At
the last moment, however Gen. Grant notified
the President that it would be necessary for
him to proceed to Richmond on Friday and
that he could not, therefore, accompany the
presidential party to the theater President
Lincoln was loath to attend, but hesitated to
disappoint those who had arranged to go to the
play in the expectation of seeing the President.
So accompanied by Mrs. Lincoln, Miss Harris
and Maj. Rathbone, he entered the presidential
box shortly after the curtain rose. The Presi-
dent was seated IN a large easy chair, which had
been brought from the house Of the manager Of
tho theater, Harry c. Ford, which adjoined the
theater on the south.
On the evening of the 14th young Tan
ner had proceeded to the National Theater and
about 10 o'clock man came through the au-
dience shouting that the President had been
cd ont hat vyaq
of pickpockets, but one Of the officials Of the
theater soon came upon the stage and told the
audience 1t was all too true, and the people
sorrowfuIy fled out. Corporal Tanner, IS
he was always adeetionately dubbed, first went
over to the Willard Hotel, where he heard Of
the attempt on the life Of Secretary Of State
Seward, and then he proceeded to his home on
Tenth street.
BY that time the crowd in front Of Fords
had grown so great that it was difficult for him
to reach his front door, but when he assured
the guards that he lived there he was allowed
to pass through and enter. He proceeded to
the balcony which ran across the front Of the
house Just outside his room, the second floor
front. Soon Gen. Augur emerged from the
Petersen house. to which the wounded Presi-
dent had been carried by four soldiers who had
been witnesses Of the crime, and called out,
asking If there was a stenographer IN the
crowd Corporal Tanner responded and was
conducted to the room just back Of the parlor.
In the room was a small table on one side
Of which sat Chief Justice D. K. Cartier Of the
Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, and
the young stenographer was seated at the end
Of the table, where, with his notebook and PEN
Gil, he gathered the testimony of the witnesses
TO the shooting Of Lincoln as they we're brought
IN one by one 1t was unique inquisition, the
surroundings so tragic, the excited populace
outside wrought up to the highest pitch by the
suddenness Of the crime high officials and
Army officers hurrying in and out, messages
from the hand Of Edwin M Stanton, Secretary
70, Al and