| Show MR WITHERS DRESS COAT wm withers jr la Is the quiet man who leads lead the orchestra at the california theater and when not marshaling his musicians to Is writing music in his bis room at the brooklyn hotel he to 9 so BO retiring that few can claim to know him well although his musical genius has for thirty five years yeara given him standing among the composers oom and leaders leaden of the country coultry cou atry uy says the san ban francisco examiner mr withers wither to la 56 55 years old now yet looks to be not more than would appear even youn younger or except tot for an aa episode that ion the evening of 14 at ford forda a theater in washington that evening withers almost had the unpleasant distinction of being murdered by wilkes booth after the latter had fired the fatal shot not at president lincoln and was rushing madly from the stage to an entrance where a confederate eon federate had a horse in battin waiting mr Wi there I most mort valued treasure la Is a drew dis coat now in part dea toyed by the moth thai abs all wool but on the back of the coat can be plainly seen been two clean cut slits maile made with a sharp edge one high up as aa though a stroke for the bearers wearers we arera seek eok had it by a little land and descended upon the garment the other cut nearly over the center of the space under which the wearer bearers wear ers a right shoulder blade would be is ie longer but equally well defined and made with the same harp steel tee wilbes booth made both those slits and the wonder to is that his victim i was not falany slashed instead of being only nicked through the upper out the a oat coat was new when mr withers put it on an to lead the orchestra on the occasion of abraham Lincol Linco ns visit to the play but the coat has never been worn since so great was the sen timen tal devotion of the musician to the great man who won for friends all who came to know him every one knows the story of lin 0 ians assassination while sitting in an upper box of fords FordIs theater enjoying our american cousin abut few have hare learned what occurred just aner after booth had fired the cowardly shot because william withers is the only man who can tell the story and be ledoea does not often do dolt it when the fatal shot was fired JI I he says 1 I thought some property man had fired a pistol just then hen I 1 heard board a heavy fall on the stage and the people began to yell hang himo him lynch himl hima stop step him and I 1 saw a man running across the stage toward me when he got near I 1 saw his eyes were almost starting from his head and there was the most molt fearful expression ou on his face I 1 ever saw 1 I recognized wilkes booth ard at that instant he put down his bis head and came rushing on saying lt let me pass pan I 1 lot let me pass pan I 1 til 1 was standing where I 1 could not move much he the passage wasso was so narrow he fie came on and when he got near struck me with a bowle bowie knife and crept ft ept saying lot let me pass pase I 1 I 1 I 1 felt feit the cut and turned a little then he struck the knife into me again near the back of my neck and I 1 tell rell W when ban I 1 was down he rushed to the stage door grasped the knob with both hands and dragged the door open I 1 saw peanut john standing outside holding a bay horse then booth pulled the door shut very ivory soon detective stewart ran over men and out of the door after booth the crowd came up on th the a stage and grabbed me and wanted to 0 o hang me right there but some who know knew me shouted that I 1 was not the man I 1 was arrested arre sled however and taken to jail when mayor exand examined ned me sj 1 I thought I 1 was severely out but when I 1 took off my clothes I 1 found that the knife had bad only oaly pierced my clothing and cut the skin a little the cuts were as clean as though a razor had bad made them and I 1 have never understood how I 1 escaped the rho knife was found in front of the patent office where booth had dropped it as he rode away after the murder 1 I bad seen own booth before the show standing near the tenth street on en trance to the theater and after the performance began saw win him again standing against the rear wall 0 of f the parquet barquet circle and then noted that he be had bad gone into the balcony after pred president dent lincoln came in booth stole stoic down the balcony until he could look through a hole that had been bored in the box door and locate the Pros president exactly then he hau opened the doer doc r a little taken careful aim and fired the shot he burst through the box and jumped fourteen feet to the stage it was waa such an experience as aa I 1 never wish to have again Itma it made deme me sick for weeks and I 1 get excited now when I 1 think of it I 1 taught little tad lincoln to play the drum and was always kindly treated by president the whole shooting ag and escape were done in a few seconds and unexpectedly booth bad evidently marie made his his plan carefully and was prepared to resort to any means to avoid arrest I 1 keep that old coat now and value it more than everything else I 1 have 4 |
