Evening star., 1941-04-13

made his escape by way of a rear
door, and crime was conSummated
that made a Nation weep and the
whole world mourn.
From that time on the building
has been the property of the Gov
ernment, for, although Mr.. Ford was
anxious and willing to continue the
theater building here, yet he was
practically forced to lease the prop
erty to the Government, by Secre-
tary Stanton, who wanted the build
ing for War Department purposes.
The lease provided that the Gov
ernment might later purchase the
property for 100000, the lease
money to be deducted from the pur-
chase price.
Bought by Government.
Indeed, it is said that Mr.. STAN
ton was SO afraid the Government
would not buy the property that he
altered the interior to such an ex-
tent that to restore it to its original
condition, at the expiration of the
lease, would cost almost as much as
the stipulated purchase price. The
Government bought the property, as
Mr.. Stanton believed it would.
After Mr.. Lincoln was shot, he
was carried across the street to the
building still standing at sic Tenth
street, then occupied by William
Petersen, a well-to-do tailor Later
Petersen sold the building to Louis
Schade, a lawyer and journalist, who
published here for many years the
Washington Sentinel, trade paper.
Strange as it may seem, Schade
was the attorney who later, as an act
of mercy, defended Capt. Wirz, sub
sequently executed in the rear of the
old Capitol Prison, for inhuman
treatment of prisoners at Anderson
vile Prison during the Civil War.
At an early date, Capt. Osborn H.
Oldroyd rented the upper part of
the building from Schade and as
sembled here what became later
known as the Lincoln memorial COL
lection The building was erected in
1849; in 1896 the Government pur-
chased it from Mr.. Schade for $780,
900. Meanwhile Col Oldroyd re-
manned in the building and con-
tinued to make additions to the col
lection. Upon several occasions he
refused to sell it to private parties,
feeling that it should be Govern
ment owned. In 1927 his wishes in
the matter were respected, and Con-
gress purchased the collection for
$4,000
Bed Owned in Illinois.
1t was in the upstairs back room
that Lincoln died. The bed on which
he died in some way was sent to
Illinois, and is now owned by the
Chicago Historical Society.
AS one enters the old building of
the National Museum he will find
Immediately at the right the Lin
coin case, containing his black
broadcloth coat, black silk cravat,
black cloth waistcoat, black broad
cloth trousers, black silk hat and
iron wedger marked "a. L." which
he used when he was splitting rails
at New Salem, Ill; the little model
invented by him for lifting vessels
over shallow PAGES, and made with
his own hands, and patented for
him by zenas c. Robbins of this
city in 1849, as well as plaster casts
from his hands and face made by
Leonard w. Volk in 1860.
In the period costume collection
in another hall is dress worn by
Mrs. Lincoln during her husbands
administration.
Served Mrs. Davis.
Rather strange how things some
times work out. This dress was
made by the modiste who, prior to
the Lincolns' coming to Washing
ton, had served no less a person
than Mrs. Jefferson Davis. Eliza
beth Keckley was her name, and
she was a colored woman who had
formerly been slave. Of her, Mr..
Clark says:
"She made Mrs. Lincoln's gown
for the first reception and all the
gowns throughout her occupation
of the Executive Mansion. She was
frequently with the family, and with
Mr.. Lincoln she was Madam Eliza
beth and with Mrs. Lincoln Liza
BETH After the death of Mr.. Lin
coin, Mrs Keckley accompanied Mrs.
Lincoln to Illinois and New York.
Yes, Elizabeth Keckley had been
slave, and the title to her book,
Behind the Scenes" reads: by
Elizabeth Keckley, formerly slave,
but more recently modiste and
friend to Mrs. Abraham Lincoln" /"
And as there are many diamonds in
the rough, so did she become a fine
example of her race. Nor was she
an ignorant woman as some might
suggest, but, having been reared by
educated, cultured Southern people
uho gave her opnortllnities. she WAS