Evening Star Newspaper, March 2, 1930, Page 26

WILLIS REVISITS SCENE F TRAGEDY Washington Man Recalls See- ing Booth Shoot Lincoln at Oid Theater. The grim specter of John Wilkes | Booth s ly before he killed Presi- dent Lincoln—the dramatic, “hushed ) scene in the old Ford Theater as the stop these rose from the distant past for Charles 8. Willis, only surviving Wash- ington witness of the assassination, when he revisited the scene last week ' to see the changes being wrought in | the vicinity as a result of the Govern- ment’s building program. ‘Mr. Willls, who resides at Willard Courts, examined the ruins of the old restaurant-saloon mnext door tc the theater. He recalled that he saw the assassin leave this little place and enter the Ford Theater before the murder. || SAW LINCOLN ASSASSINATED e P Recognized Booth Easily. | Standing on the recently cleared ntei of the restaurant-saloon, Willis said he had never been in the place. He| was not a drinking man. f | “Booth must have taken a stiff drink here, to brace him for the deed.” he said. “I saw him leave the restaurant, g0 out on the sidewalk, and then come in the front door of the theater. I, knew him by sight because, as I Te-| member, I had seen Booth in a play in the same theater not long before the assassination. He was a good actor, and he was easily recognized. He was | standing there in the lobby talking, to a friend of mine, and I passed as| close as I am to you. The tradition of Booth taking a drink before he assassinated the Presi- | dent also clings to another place, across the street from the theater. The place, ‘; changed several times since it evidently i once was a saloon, was resurrected recently from a used-furniture store and entirely reconstructed inside, but | an old iron pillar in the center of the | store was left untouched. In the midst of the present new store, this post has been repainted about half way up. But twining about the pillar about 7 feet from the floor is an_elaborately de- : Shown Where Lincoln Sat. " “Mr. Willis moving through the gaunt theater which re-echoed to his voice, was shown by O. O. Dillon, guard | of the building, where the presidential “I was sitting in about the seventh or eighth row, about here,” said Mr. ‘Willis, “and I could look up easily into the President’s box and see him there. a shot, which we knew was to be on the stage. Then shouted that the President shot. I saw Booth leap the edge of the box there, a few onto the stage and stagger a bit. had a dagger in his hand and he said so we all could hear it plainly, “Sic semper tyrannis’ Then he went across the stage and disappeared out the door. No one fried to stop him.” Asked if there was an uproar in the theater, Mr. Willis said that, contrary to many published reports he had read, he remembered distinctly that the erowd appeared to be too overawed to make a noise. Everybody rose to their feet, said Mr. Willis, explaining, “I was standing about here, and people were all around in low voices, but Saw Lincoln Carried Out. Going out with the crowd, Willis said he went across the street and wes standing on some steps in front of a . watching the crowd and the | theater opposite, when somebody told him to step aside. It was the group carrying the martyred President into the house where he died. Willis stepped aside, he said, and the sorrow- ful men, with the unconscious Lincoln, | up the stairs on which he had | standing and into the house. ‘The next morning at the Government Printing ice, where he was employed tice boy in the bindery. he 80 upset that he asked to let off for the day, which was grant- L it that he walked through a up P street to Tenth street, Mr. said he remembers with peculiar surprise that there was no great crowd about. Only @ few people were in the | vicinity, he recalled. “Why if that had ! P , “there would | Favors Restoration of Theater. Mr. Willis spent some time in gloomy recesses of the old theater looking about, Tecalling the things he had seen on that fateful night of April 14, 1865. He is convinced it should be restored to its original condition as a theater and the splendid collection of relics now housed | Mr. Wi only in the m?‘ but also in the pres- ent. He and . Willis celebrated their golden wedding anniversary October 2, 1928, and say_today they are hap- pler than ever. They have three chil- dren: Mrs. William E. Richardson, 1719 Lamont street; Stanley D. Willis, at- torney, who resides at 1723 Varnum street, and Newton P. Willis, cashier of the First National Bank of Windham, N.Y. He was retired Government, service in the Government Printing Office in 1920. ‘What will become of the old theater is still a moot question. Its only occu- pant today is the watchman, O. O. Dillon, who, as an ardent admirer ‘of Lincoln, takes pleasure in talking with visitors, The building was bought by the Government not long after the as- | sassination. slation to restore it was pro- by Representative Rathbone of ois, whose bill for purchase of the Oldroyd eollection of Lincoln relics was enacted. Mr. Rathbone died, however, before the bill was enacted. SEEKS $15,000 DAMAGES. Father Sues for Son, Asking for || Additional $10,000. ‘Manuel Herde, a minor, by his father, | }f George P. Herde, has filed suit to re- eover $15,000 damages from W. Elmer Bacon, 3103 Cathedral avenue, for al- Charles S. Willis (left), who was at the Ford Theater when the Prdlltllt' TWE SUNDAY was shot, revisited the scene, finding the old building now a gloomy, empty storeroom. Willis is shown with 0. O. south wall of the theater, where a door s the adjacent building, torn down to of the Potomac Electric Power Co. Dillon, Government guard, beside the leads from the theater lobby into what make way for the new office building CURIOUS AIRMAIL PILOT AROUSES PRISON TO DESPERATE DEFENSE Troopers Man Auburn Walls With Machine Guns to Thwart Supposed “Break” Plan. By the Associated Press. AUBURN, N. Y, March 1.—Peace and quiet again prevailed here today after a mail pllot had innocently brought about a prison-break scare that cost State troopers and National Guardsmen several hours’ sleep. When an airplane circled low last | night over Auburn Prison, scene of twol Tiots last vear, 60 troopers manned the | prison walls, lined up machine guns | and directed fire skyward. The plane carried no lights. On edge since the | last riot, during which eight men were killed, troopers feared the flyer meant Established 33 Years to drop weapons into the prison yard or to signal to some prisoner. Aroused by the firing, National Guardsmen went through an impromptu mobilization at the State armory. Several hours later Cy Bittner, air mail pilot, at his home in Buffalo said he had flown low over Auburn Prison on his way west. He said he wa: fly- ing at an altitude of about 2,000 feet and that curiosity tempted him to take a closer look at the prison on a clear night. Bittner sald he was not aware that he had caused alarm in Auburn or that shots had been fired in his di- rection. Specials Monday and Tuesday Genuine Toric Glasses Far or Near Complete With Shell or Metal Frame $3.50. Complete Outfit, With Case and Cleaner Included Genuine Toric KRYPTOK Invisible Bifocal Lenses First and best quality. Toric Bifocal Lenses—(one pair to and far). Best lenses made. Sold reg- Special price Monday and ularly $15. Tuesday .. PR Kryptok see near 77 50 KAHN OPTICAL CO. .617 Seventh St. N.W. Between F and G Streets By o f RECEIVED HERE Capital Towers Pharmacy 208 Mass. Ave. N.E. Is a Star Branch Office You won't have any difficulty in finding some one to fill that vacancy if you will make use of . the Classified Section. of. The leged personal injuries. The father, in a separste suit, ssks an_additional Star. A properly worded and STAR, WASHINGTON, MRS, BLUMENBERG ISSUES STATEMENT &2 Giving Personal Attention to Details Blamed for Leav- ing Animal League. president of the Washington Animal Rescue League, in a statement issued yesterday, indicated that the termina- tion of her connection with the league had been brought about because the other members of its board of govern- ors thought it was “not dignified for an officer to give personal attention” to the details of the work. The league’s work was recently brought to public attention because of a controversy over the relative efficiency 9 D. C, MARCH from a humane standpoint of electricity ln?m ‘hch!om!orm in executing homeless an| . Occasion for Statement.. +“In view of the changed personnel ht about at the recent monthly meeting of the Washington Animal e and the recent contro- versies as to its management,” said Mrs. Blumenberg, “I feel that a public statement by me, its former vice presi- dent, is necessary. “First an active member and then a director and for nine years its first vice president brought to me an intimate knowledge of its affairs. In this lat- ter connection I took an active inter- est in the physical direction of the work of the league. I prosecuted all the | crueity cases, Mrs. M. R. Blumenberg, former vice | hons : Save an average of 12 hours each day, including Sundays, and was concerned with the destination of over 80,000 animals while identified with the league. In the past three years alone more than 53,000 animals were cared for. Electricity and chloro- form were used in cases where destruc- tion was deemed to be necessary, and public inspection was always invited. “1 always had the kind and loyal as- sistance of the District officials and the Police Department, and the confidence and courtesy of the courts in my duties Convenient Credit Choice of Buy and save. Golden oak dresser, 1 mirror, nicely s $0.95 5-Pc. Breakfast Room Suite of drop-leaf table rdily Ki(tchen Table Porcelain top, s4.95 with large cutlery Gov. Winthrop Desk 1930—PART ONE. as vice t of this dignified for an officer to give al attention to such details, I was not of this opinion, and perhaps this differ- ence between myself and other mem- | bers of the board brought about the | termination of my connection with the | league. “Though I have not been an officer since January 31 and have had no re- sponsibility for the recent affairs which have been so strongly criticized, and to some extent have brought the league into an unfavorable light with the pub- lic, T still have the deepest interest for the welfare of helpless animals and trust the splendid objective of this or- ganization will be carried out.” | { Hit-Run Driver Kills Girl. GREENSBORO, N. C., March 1 (P\.{ —Miss Elmina Siler, 23, a junior at North Carolina College for Women, was instantly killed this afternoon when struck as she was walking on a high- | way near the city by an automobile | driven by a colored man. The man and a woman who was | with him drove for a short distance | after hitting the girl and_then aban- | produced by the Drama Guild early in | doned their automobile. Police began | an intensive search for him, ! Bed Room Dining Room or Living Room ‘o JUDGES READ PLAYS IN GUILD’S CONTEST Mrs. Johnson, Chairman of Com- mittee, Has Completed First Reading of All Entries. The work of reading the plays sub- mitted by 30 or 40 competitors in the | original one-act play contest recently held by the Community Drama Guild is going ahead rapidly, it was an- nounced yesterday. Mrs. John Otto Johnson. chairman of the judges' com- mittee, has completed her first reading of them all. ‘The announcement of the judges will be made immediately after March 15, by which time the committee is sup- posed to complete consideration of the plays. A prize of $25 will be given for the best play offered, and it will be April, if, in the opinion of the judges, it is worthy of productio: MARPURG IS APPOINTED { TO SALVATION ARMY POST | Made Chief Secretary of Southern | Territory, Covering 14’ States { and the District. Lieut. Col. Albert E. Marpurg, for- mer national financial secretary of the | Salvation Army, with headquarters at New York, has been appointed chief ;ncntnry for that organization in the | Southern territory. Col. Marpurg for a number of years | was financial secretary at Chicago, go- ing from there to Denmark to cope with i- financial crisis. He was a member of the high commission which removed the late Bramwell Booth from the office of general and elected a succes- so:‘._hoen. m-}:lm J. Higgins. 5 e~ new chief secretary’s territory embraces 14 Southern States and ine District of Columbia. Porto Rico plans to ship nearly 300,- | 000 boxes of grapefruit to the United Kingdom. Home of Values Sale of Suites All the Credit You Want Upholstered in a fine grade of mohair with frame top and bottom to add to its style and wear- iving Room 1 i 10-Pc. Dining Room Suite No home should be without a dining room suite at this low price. Constructed of genuine walnut veneer. Chair seats up- holstered in jacquard velour. Surely you would expect to this for a suite pay more of this quality. Genuine wal- Now is the time to buy and save. Suite ing quality. Large Sofa, Club and Wing Chair with spring filled cushions. loose reversible ed Room Suite and oak slides. Dresser, Bed, Vanity, Chifforobe. Every piece matches. Outstanding value in 100 Gate-Leg Table Mahogany veneer, will seat 4 people. Just 25 sl 9'95 this Refrigerators g.'i?;"". Style Table Mahogany finish. Pedestal. ho Baby g Carriage classified advertisement will bring you a host of applicants, from among whom you can make your selection. Mahogany - veneer front. nut veneer. Dustproof drawers $10,000 damages for the loss of the || this sale. boy’s services and for the expense incl- dent to his illness. | Prances Bacon, daughter of the de- fendant, is said to have been operating an automobile that struck the boy Sep- iember 5 last on Woodley road between | i Connecticut avenue and Twenty-eighth &treet. The automobile belonged to the father of the driver, it is stated. At- wrneys Lester Wood and V. V. Simpson appear for the plaintiffs. Pullman style, b Leave the copy for The Star Classified Section at any of the Branch Offices—they are located in most every neighborhood in town or the nearby suburbs. Feel perfectly free to make use of Branch Office service—it is rendered without fee; only reg- ular rates are charged. ° The Star prints such an over- whelmingly greater volume of Classified = Advertising every day than any other Washing- ton paper that there can be e auestion as to which will give you the Dest reswis, S 00 HONOR PAID AMUNDSEN. Granite Shaft Unveiled to Ex- plorer in San Francisco. SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (#).—San Prancisco today paid homage to the memory of Capt. Roald Amundsen, fa- mous Norweigan explorer, by unveiling | | a tall granite shaft on the ocean beach THE ABOVE SIGN s DISPLAYED BY AUTHORIZED STAR | BRANCH | OFFICES | 9x12 Seamless Tape: Rugs, for bed room 3-Pc. Bed Davenport Suite Upholstered in velour, loose spring-filled reversible cush- ions; davenport opens s 9 8 up to a full-size bed 516 3-Pec. Metal t s of f“".s13.9=5 size white enamel lful. comfortable link spring and reversible cot- ton mattress. “You’ll Always Do Better Here”’ Corner 8th and E Sts. N.W.» “Around the Cornmer” is @ Star Branch Office