Evening star., 1938-04-10
By John Clagetf Proctor.

- IAA h"ooN I1OuSS, JIldG once
stood on the northeast corner
Of Pennsylvania avenue and
Twelfth street, and yet this WELL
known hosiery of the Civil War
period played an important part in
connection with the events leading
up to and following the assassination
OF President Lincoln, a dastardly
crime which was committed on Good
Friday night. April IA. 1865, at Ford's
Theater. now the Lincoln Museum, 5ll
Tenth street NV, building which
was never church. as some writer's
persist in saying The death of Pres
ldent Lincoln took place at the Peter
sen house. SIS Tenth street the follow
ing morning at 7:22 o'clock, which
this year falls on Good Friday.
Andrew johnson, who succeeded
Mr.. Lincoln as President, was at the
time of the assassination making his
home at the Kirkwood House, and he,
too, was slated by John Wilkes Booth
as among those to be killed in his dia-
bolical scheme. Indeed, We are told
he strolled back and forth before this
hotel on the afternoon of the Shoot
ing and even sent card up to the
Vice President which read:
Don't wish to disturb you; are you
at home?
~. WILKES BOOTH"
But fortunately this card was not
delivered.
THE murder plot, it seems, as OBJ
tanned through the confession Of
George A. Atzerodt, one of the con-
spirators, was for Booth to kill the
President and Gen. Grant. Payne to
assassinate Secretary Seward and At
zerodt to kill Vice President John
SON Atzerodt stated he declined to
perform the part assigned him. since
he had gone into the plot only for
the purpose of capturing some one
and not to take part in murder.
However. it developed that room
was taken at the Kirkwood House on
the morning Of the 14th in the name
OF Atzerodt, and following the shoot
ing Of the President weapons and
black coat were found at the hotel in
the room engaged in Atzerodt's name.
Nevertheless. Mr. Johnson was not
harmed as planned, and about two
hours after the death of Mr.. Lincoln
he, In his hotel apartment. took the
oath Of Office, which was administered
by the Chief Justice of the United
States Supreme Court, Salmon P.
Chase
Shortly after this President john
son left the Kirkwood House and be-
came the guest of Representative
Samuel Hooper OF Massachusetts,
whose home was where the old Shore
ham used to stand, at the northwest
corner of H and Fifteenth streets,
which Mr.. Hooper had purchased in
1853 from J. H. B. Smith, the son of
Samuel Harrison Smith. founder of
the National Intelligencer. The Presi-
dent carried on the work Of his ONCE
in rooms assigned him in the Treasury
Building.
Regarding the residence Of Presi-
dent johnson after April is, the day
Lincoln died, there seems to be some
uncertainty, and the statement made
by Ben; Perley Poore regarding Mr.
Johnson's movements is not beyond
question, for in The Star of May
rs, 1855, we find that after Mr.. john
son was sworn in he moved to the
home of Attorney General James S.
Speed on I street between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets, did not take
possession of the public Office in the
White House until that date and that
his family did not move into the
Executive Mansion until much later.
The city directory for 1865 gives
Secretary Speeds address as the War
Department" In 1866 his address is
given as 2s41a H street, evidently
showing that he had moved from his
street home.
There seems to be q lack Of infor-
nation regarding the exact date Mrs.
Lincoln vacated the White House. but
even after she had done so she con-
tinued to reside in Washington for
some time before removing to Chicago,
WHERE Sne purchased property and
resided for several years in comfortable
circumstances.
OF ALL our Presidents, perhaps An
drew jackson. Abraham Lincoln
and Andrew johnson had the least to
start life with. They could not have
been poorer, nor could they have OBJ
tanned their educations under more
adverse conditions. II the boy and
girl OF today. who feel their incompe-
tency, will but read the lives of these
men, they cannot blame others for
their own shortcomings, for with al
most superhuman grit and determina-
ton these notable men actually over
came the almost insurmountable be-
fore being elected to the highest office
In the land.
"Andrew Inhnsoy, srcordinr n q