OCR Text |
Show AT DEATH OF LINCOLN CAPT CATCH PnOOABLY LAST turtvivon of witnesses (aw Atiaetln Jump fretn Don Aftei Fatal Shot, Then Helped Carry Pretldent te Heuee Aareie Street. Aurora, Ind In a pretty hlllaldc farmhotiee two or three mllea went ol thla place, In a hale, old age only lightly crippled occasionally with rheumatlam Uvea ('apt O V Oateh an army poneloner who la probably the laft peraoa eurvlvlng who. waa preaent at the deathbed of Prealdent IJncoln Capt Oetrh waa preaent at the bat tie of rhlckamauga where he waa captured and taken tn Ubby prlaon at ttichmond After seven inontha' Im prlaonmnnt there hn waa removed to Danville Va, thence to Macon. Oa. thence to Columbia, B C , and finally to Charlotte N C where early In the apiing of li5 he acaied, croaalng the country afoot to Knoavllle Tvnn , where Ilea Htoneman, In command there furnlahed hlin trananortatlon to Waahlngtoa by wny of Mllford, tl, bla home At Mllford ho found hla brother Dr Charlea Hatch who had meanwhile aerved aa a aurgeon In Itonocrana' dlvlilon of ftherman'a army, but had thea retired and ratdrnod to Ohio I 'apt (latch, accompanied by hla brother. In a few daya atartod to Waahlngton, reaching the capital on the morning of April II, lltt the day made au aadly memorable In American hlaiory Together tbe brolhera atnppeil nt one of the entailer hntela and, after looking about tbe city, which waa new to them, they com hided to allond the theater' Kord'a theater." where Laura Keene waa to plav that evening In llouclcault a humoroua comedy) "Our American Coualn They went arly, aecurlng aeata In the dreea circle only a few feet from the doom of tho prlvatu box aaalgnod to tbe prealdent They had not been there long when I'realdent Uncoln and hla parly. Including Mra Lincoln, a Mlaa llarrla and MaJ llalhlione came In Mr Lincoln waa received with warm and enlhualaatlc cheera The play began and I be young aol dler with hla brother, enjoyed Ita humor Immenail) I'reaenlly he heard the report of n I latnl there waa an outcry and a irugHle In the pinaldent'a Imii, then, auddenly Capt Hatch and hla brother eaw a man eprlng from the front of tho Iku hit foot Iwcntnlng allghtly entangled In an American Hag doviti upon tho atago II feet bctuw, falling ou hla loft aide, but recovering recover-ing hltneelt In n moment, then running run-ning tn the central door behind tho atege. "I hvrlttd rniwd during thoee wai ilmen wire familiar alghta Capt (ith ald hut I never wltneeeed , h a nine n wn how preaented ' NnlHNlr for a time knew really what had hapHned Arrem to the hot wai I auardid by a aoldler lie reconlt In me a union aoldler my brnthei did not then wear hla uniform same to me whlepered tn me that the pre ' Ident had been ahot and requeated me to come Into the Ikm, where my help might be required Accompanying hlin I fonnd the prealdent lying back with hla head acroaa the top of hla chair, hla eoat, walatenat and ahlrt hoaom openeil by MaJ Rath bone, apparently looking fat hla wound MaJ Itathbone aakeil me If I knew of a phyalelan or anrgeoa near at ban I I told him my brother CAJ&M' QC&47CH; waa with me, and waa an excellent phyalelan and army aiirgenn. 'Ihing him In then.' be aald and I nt oar -went and brought In my hruther, who had remained of inurae, nvtnltlnf tna 'lie Intimated quietly to MaJ Halk-bone Halk-bone that the prealdent waa In feet killed, nnd augKcattil that tile dying man ahould be removed from the the nter Arrangementa were Immediate' ly made to receive him at the boum of a family named Kmltb, who lived Juat oppoalte MnJ Itathbone, tbe guard, my brother and tnyaclf thea lllteil and carried him donn throuak the front entrance tn the theater Into and acrita the attnet where ho waa plncol upon tho bed prepared for bin there. "Dr llarnea, Urn preildcnt'a phyil clan, had mennwhllo been aunimonrd, and waa nlto aoon thero My brothct and I remained at tho irraldciit'i bed ildo, or In tho room, nil nlghtiunui hu died " , V l |