Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-16

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the theater were crowded with ex-
them back from and around the Presi-
dent and those who were bearing him
on an improvised stretcher, probably
door which had been torn from one
Of the boxes
Hating few moments at the curb
to determine what was best to be done
to get the President some place where
he could be given attention, lights were
observed in house directly across the
street, and young man standing in
the doorway was reckoning to those
in charge to bring the injured man
right in here"
OF course that invitation was prompt
ly accepted. Several different versions
have been given as to the circumstances
Of the bringing Of the President into
the Petersen house and who invited the
surgeons to do so. The writer leans
Bersch. who painted that remarkable
picture of the scene, now on exhibition
in the Lincoln Museum in the Ford
Theater Building. The painting is the
property Of Mrs. Carrie L. Fischer Of
Annapolis who Is the daughter of
Carl Bersch. Mrs Fischer has gener-
ously loaned the picture to the Lincoln
Museum as she felt that was the proper
setting for it. 1t is a most remarkable
picture because of the circumstances
that surrounded the making Of it.
Letter by Bersch.
Mr. Bersch's story can best be told in
his own words. from letter written
to his family at the time. Mr. Bersch
occupied quarters on the second floor
home, on the north. This house,
although now used for business pur-
poses, is much as 1t was at that time
so far as the front is concerned. There
was small balcony just outside Of
Mr. Bersch's front window and stepping
out on to this he had an unrestricted
view Of the surging crowd-could look
right down upon the scene.
Mr.. Carl Bersch's story:
All Washington was celebrating, de-
lirious with JOY. Houses were lighted
up and hung with bunting. Parades
marched through the streets, waving
flags and carrying many transparencies.
Women with wide skirts, and wearing
large poke bonnets, were about as nu-
merous as men. President Lincoln was
known to be at Ford's Theater, SO
Tenth street was on the line of march.
observed no rowdyism. just crowd
of jubilant people, crazed with joy. The
scene was so unusual and inspiring,
that I stepped out upon the balcony in
fvnv NJ yfvad Until acn1
and sketch papers, determined to make
picture of the whole scene and
transfer 1t to canvas. The very wierd-
ness Of the scene-aside from the his
toric nature Of it-appealed to my ar
tistic sense. Quickly, but very accur-
ately. I made detailed drawings. I had
more than an hour in which to do
this. Shortly after 10 o'clock silence
fell upon the surging crowd of jewellers.
The marching line halted. A loud cry
came from a window of the theater,
President Lincoln has been shot; clear
the street. soldiers and police attended
to that. In the course of 10 or IS
minutes, out Of the north door of the
theater appeared a group of men, carry
ing the PROSTATE form of an injured
man on an tmprovised stretcher. They
stopped q few moments at the curb,
hastily debating where to take the In
jured man to give him the best atten-
ton most quickly. They observed lights
in the house of william Petersen, my
next door neighbor, and a young man,
Willie Clark, whom I know very well,
standing on the topmost step of the
winding stairs, leading to the Petersen
house.
Reckoning Of Clark,
CLARK was reckoning to those who
had charge, to bring the injured man
right in. This was done as quickly as
the soldiers could make a pathway
through the crowd
MY balcony being IL or IA feet
above the sidewalk and street, I had a
clear view of the scene, above the heads
OF the crowd. I recognized the lengthy
form Of the President by the Pickering
light Of the torches, and one large gas
lamp post on the sidewalk. The tarry-
ing at the curb and the slow, careful
manner in which he was carried across
the street, gave me ample time to
make an accurate sketch of that par
ticular scene; make it the center and
outstanding part Of the large painting
shall make, using the sketches made
earlier in the evening, as an appro-
pirate background. A fitting title for
the picture would, think, be Lin
coin Borne by Loving Hands on the
Fatal Night Of April IA, 1885, Alto
gether it was the most tragic and i'm
pressive scene I have ever witnessed
I am already busy with palette and
brush and hope to transfer to canvas
what may be one Of the strangest pic
lures of all time"
The painting is admirably displayed
in the Lincoln Museum in Ford's Thea
ter and is one of the many interesting
and historic things shown there.
Lincoln fingered in the modest little
room In the Petersen house, for more
than nine hours-unconscious all OF
the time-passing peacefully away at
% minutes after z on Saturday morn
ing.
So intensely interesting is the whole
story that the only way I cen find an
end is by abruptly stopping. Before
doing so, however, just few pertinent
thoughts.
The assassination occurred on Good
Friday-which recurs this year on
April IA.
He was first laid out in state on
Easter Sunday morning-68 years ago
this very day.
The rest you can read in the histories.
TL> Ca. H..