Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 1963)
lyevitness Describes Tragic Events EDITOR'S NOTE: Mcrrl man Smith. I'PI White House reporter who now U covering bis fifth president, u riding several cars behind lYesidcnt Kennedy in a Dallas. Tex., . motorcade Friday when an , assassin struck. Smith follow . ed the President's car to the ,' hospital. He was there for the announcement of death and he witnessed President Johnson's oath-taking as the only news service reporter aboard the plane back to Washington. This Is his eyewitness story pi history. By MKRRIMAN SMITH , DPI White House Reporter WASHINGTON UPH - It , was a balmy, sunny noon as . we followed President Kennedy's - car tlirough downtown Dallas. Then, suddenly, wc lieard three . almost painfully loud cracks, 'Hie first sounded as if it might have been a large fire- . cracker. But the second and third were unmistakable. Gun- fire. ' I was riding in the White House press pool car, equip ped with a radiotelephone. I was in lite front scat between -a telephone company driver and Malcolm Kilduff, acting White House press secretary. Three other pool reporters were -wedged in the back seat. ' As we heard tlie shots the President's car, possibly as much as 150 or 200 yards ahead, seemed lo falter, ilierc was a flurry of activity in the Secret Service car behind the President's open limousine. Car Stops Our car stopped for probably only a few seconds, but it seemed like a lifetime. Even for a trained observer there is a limit to what one can compre hend. I could not sec the President .or Gov. John Connally of Texas in their car. I thought i saw a lash of pink which would have been Mrs. Kennedy. Everybody in our car began shouting at the driver to pull up closer lo the President's car. But at this moment, we saw the limousine and a motorcycle escort roar away at high speed. We careened around Vice President Lyndon Johnson's car and Its escort and set out down 'the highway, barely able to keep in sight of tho President s 'car. " ' We cleared a curve and saw 'Parkland Hospital, a large brick structure to the left o( the highway. Wo spilled out of the pool car as it enlercd (tic hos pital driveway. I ran to Hie side of Hie lim ousine. I.Irs Face Down The President lay face down on the back seal. Airs. Kennedy made a cradle ol her arms around the President's head and bent over him as if she were whispering to him. Gov. Connally was on his back "on tho door of the car, his head and shoulders resting in the arms of his wifo, Nellie, who kept shaking her head and shaking with dry sobs. -' Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent in charge of the detail assigned to Mrs. Kennedy, was leaning over into Hie rear of the car. "How badly was he hit, Clinf.'" 1 asked. "He's dead," Hill replied curtly- I have no further clear me mory of tlie scene in tlie drive- . way. ! J I recall a babble of anxious ! Trices, tense voices "Whore ; ip hell are the stretchers . . . ; get a doctor out here . . . he's ; en the way . . . Come on. easy there." And from somewhere, nervous sobbing. Litters bearing (he President 1 was iiS NATION WEEPS An unidentified woman ltandinq out lid Parkland Hoipilal in Dallas, Tex., cries upon learn ing of President Kennedy's death. UPI Telcpholo and tlie governor then rolled by as my back was turned. I knew they had passed, how. ever, from tlie horrified expres sions. Aflcr calling my office I ran back tlirough the hospital lo the conference room where a While House aide grabbed me and said Kilduff wanted a pool of three newsmen immediately to fly back to Washington. I ran down the stairs and into tlie driveway, only to discover Kilduff had just pulled out in our telephone car. Hop Police tar Charles Koberts of Newsweek Magazine, Sid Davis of Wes tinghou.se Broadcasting and I got a police officer to take us to the airporl in his squad car. As we piled out of the car about 200 yards from the presi dential aircraft. Kilduff sxiltcd us and said the plane could lake two pool men lo Washing ton; that Johnson was about to take the oath of office aboard the plane and would take off immediately thereafter. I saw a bank of telephone booths beside the runway and asked if I had time to call in the news. "For God's sake, hurry," he said. All circuits were busy to the Dallas office and even Washing ton. I finally called the New York bureau of I'PI and told them about I lie impending in auguration of a new president aboard the airplane. Aboard Air Force One on which I had made so many trips as a press association re porter covering President Ken nedy, all of the shades of the larger main cabin were drawn and the interior was hot and dimly lighted. Tlie plane sat on the ground throughout the cere mony. Kilduff propelled us In Hie President's suite two-thirds of tlie way back in the plane. The room normally could accommo date eight to Ion people seated. Room Is Jammed I wedged inside the door and counted 27 people in this com partment. Johnson stood in the center with his wife, Lady Bird. U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes, (7, a kindly faced woman, stood with n small black Bible in her hands, wait ing to give the oath. Johnson waited for Mrs. Ken nedy, who was composing her self m a small bedroom in the rear of the plane. She soon ap peared alone, dressed in the same pink wool suit slio had worn in the morning when she apioarcd so happy shaking hands with airporl crowds at the side of her husband. She was white-faced but dry eyed. l'VIcndly hands stretched toward licr as she stumbled slightly. Johnson took both of her bunds in his and motioned her to his left side. Lady Bird stood on his right, a fixed hal.' smile showing the tension. Johnson nodded to Judge Hughes, an old friend of his family and a Kennedy appoin tee. "Hold up your right hand and repeat after me," the woman jurist said to Johnson.' Outside, a jet could be heard droning into a landing. Takes Onth Judge Huglics held out the Bible and Johnson covered it with his largo left band. His right arm went slowly into the air and the jurist began to in tone the Constitutional oalh. "I do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States." The brief ceremony ended when Johnson in a deep, firm voice, repeated after the judge, "... And so help mo God." Johnson turned first to his wife, hugged her about the shoulders and kissed her on the J0M to 6 ' V.I.- d .rfl It?! Si cheek. Tlwn he turned to Ken nedy's widow, put his left arm around her and kissed her check. The two - minute ceremony concluded at 3:38 p.m., EST and a second later, the Presi dent said firmly, "Now, let's get airborne." Several persons, including Sid Davis of Westinghousc, left the plane at that lime. The White House had room for only two pool reporters on the re turn flight and these potts were filled by Itoberts and me. Walks To Casket When tlie President's plane reached operating altitude, Mrs. Kennedy left her bedchamber and walked to the rear com partment of the plane. The casket had been placed in this compartment. Mrs. Kennedy went into the rear lounge and took a chair beside the coffin. There she re mained throughout the flight. Her vigil was shared at times by staff members close lo the slain Chief Executive. Johnson walked back into the main compartment. I'm going lo make PAGE tC HERALD AND KF Resident Shows 1865 A New York City newspaper, dated May fi, I8B3, describing the assassination and funeral of Abraham Lincoln and includ ing drawings of that tragic event 9ft years ago, was brought to the Herald and News Saturday morning. The newspaper is the proper ty of Harry Stone, 2135 Dar row, and was displayed by his son, Al Stone, 133 Hillside, an instructor at OTI. Al Stone told tlie Herald and News that the newsapcr origi nally belonged to his great un cle, Eliga Stone, a cavalry sol dier during die Civil War. He brought the newspaer west with him in tlie early 1920s and it became the property of Harry Stone w hen his uncle died in 1!K4. Harry Stone, now retired in Klamath Falls, glued the newspaper on a piece of oil cloth to preserve it. He pasted it with the drawings showing after he had copied the stories on tlie back side of the paper on a separate sheet of paper. The newspaper, "Frank lies- lie's Illustrated Newspaper," contained a giant drawing of President Lincoln's funeral pro cession on April It), IJIG3. Six teen columns wide, the sketch, done in great detail, showed the horse-drawn carriages, led by a military escort, moving past the presidential mansion. The drawing, In a day when' photograplis were rare, was made on the spot by the paper's artist, William T. Crane. Ele gantly dressed men and women could be seen weeping side-hy-sidc with Negroes as they viewed the funeral march. Another picture showed Lin coln's coffin as the president's body lay in slate in (he cast room of tlie White House. There was another sketch show ing the assassination scene. It depicted Lincoln bent over in his box at the Ford Theatre and showed tlie killer leaping to the stage. Another drawing showed tlie hat dropped by tlie assas sin, plus his spur, which had caught in the flag as he leaped to the stage. Stories appearing in that I8IV5 paper included an account of the assassination, a descrip tion of the president's body ly ing in state, the coffin, tlie fu neral procession, tlie funeral car and related stories. Following is a reprint of lite story of the assassination as it appeared in that May fi, lma. newspaper: Assassination Of The l.atr President Lincoln In our last number we gave a full account of the assassina tion and death of a ruler, more loved and lamented than a n y chief magistrate has ever been before. Wc shall, therefore, con tent ourselves with brief reca pitulation of those a w f u I events. As we hae previously staled. President Lincoln wont somewhat reluctantly lo the tlicaler, but lu-t wishing lo dis appoint the audience, which ex pected him and General Grant, lie sacriliced his personal con venience to his kindness of heart. About 9 o'clock he entered the private box, accompanied by Mrs. Lincoln. Miss Harris and Major Hathbun While quitrly enjoying tlie comedy ol the "American Cousin," a per son who, there is no reasonable doubt, was John Wilkes Booth, the actor, entered the lox from the door, and placing a pistol close lo the President's h e a J fired, lie tlien sprang out of I he box between the two tings, first stabbing Major HatJi'i... and alighting on the V.w. brandished a dagger, t-f-ws, "Sis temper traims." "The South is a -.. " ing spurs on his heel iwv'n o IIk- flag, ami lie fell upit ce knee, IkiI instantaneously ic- short statement in a few min utes and give you copies of it." he said. "Then when I get on the ground, I'll do it ocr again." When the plane was about 43 minutes from Washington, t h e new President got on a radio telephone and placed a call to Mrs. Rose Kennedy, the late President's mother. "I wish to Cod there was something I could do." he told her. "I just wanted you to know that." "We feel like the heart has been cut out of us," Mrs. John son told tlie elder Mrs. Ken nedy. Then she broke down for a moment and began to sob. Recovering in a few seconds, she added, "Our love and our prayers are with you." Ride On Copter After we landed in Washing ton. Roberts and I were given scats on a helicopter bound for the White House. In the com partment next to ours, in one of the large chairs beside a window, sat Theodore C. Soren son, one of Kennedy's closest associates with tlie title of special counsel to the Presi NEWS, Klamath Kails. Oregon gaining his feet, he rushed be hind th? scenes, cscaed at the stage door, and mounting his horse rode off as hard as he could gallop. Mr. Stewart, a well-known lawyer of Washing ton, who happened to be one of the audience, sprang over the orchestra and pursued the assassin; but he had got the start of him, and Mr. Stewart had the provoking spectacle of seeing the murderer disappear m the darkness. So sudden and unexpected was this horrible deed that it was only when Mrs. Lincoln screamed that the audience was aware that anything was wrong. They concluded that the pistol report had been fired on the stage, and was part of the play. When, the nature of the deed was known, although the SINCE 1872-SATISFACTION GUARANTEED OR Ml in F ryrv W 1 VIVA PASTELLI PALLIDI ! Italy's newest wool knits PALE PASTELS SO FASHION-NEW WARDS FLEW THEM ITALY-NEW SO YOU'D HAVE THEM HOLIDAY Just arrived I The newsiest knits in town! Wards went to Italy to snare them . . . found the new holiday pastels so exciting, we flew them back ! Truly extraordinary values, in double knit wool, to hold their shape . . . fully-fashioned and hand-detailed. A whole palette of pastels to choose from ! Come, glory in them! 0 Suit-dress, smartly scalloped jacket detail. Sizes 8-16 24.98 fjl Suit-dress, bead buttons. 10-16 23.98 0 The basic sheath, with tie belt. 10-16 . 18.98 mh & pine dent. He had not gone to Texas with his chief but had come to the air base for the somber re turn of the dead President. Sorensen sat wilted in the large chair, crying softly. The dignity of his deep grief seemed to sum up all of the tragedy and sadness of the previous six hours. Wasco Police Cite KF Man Donald Sharp, 60, was ar rested at his Klamath Falls home Thursday on a Wasco County warrant charging him with obtaining money under false preten.-es. Sharp was arrested at 1342 Lookout Avenue by a city po liceman after the warrant no lice was teletyped here from The Dalles. Sharp was expected to be returned to The Dalles to day. His bail was set at $1,000. No other details of the case were known here. Sunday, November 24, 1963 full extent of the calamity was not suspected, the excitement, rage and sorrow was intense. With great presence of mind, Miss Laura Keene, who was near the side scene, when the assassin sprang from the box, came forward, and begged the audience to be calm. The surgeons who had gone to Mr. Lincoln's box saw at a glance that the wound was mortal, and indeed they were, it is said, surprised that death had not been instantaneous. About 20 minutes after the fa tal shot had been fired the body was removed from Ford's Theatre to Mr. Petersen's house, 4S3 Tenth Street, nearly opposite. Here in a back room, whose dimensions are 10 by 15. the gentlest and most exalted STORE WHERE IT HAPPENED The double dotted line marks the path of President Kennedy's car. The single dotted line marks the approximate path of the bullet from the window (large arrow) to its impact with President Ken- Paper Describing of mortal rulers was taken to die. Few men, even when nur tured in a quiet farm life, ever possessed Abraham Lincoln's single - beartedncss. integrity and almost feminine tender nessand when tlie circum stances of his hard life are tak en into consideration, it is al most a marvel that the poor and friendless boy, the Missis sippi boatman, the lalwrer, the railsplittcr, the soldier, t h e lawyer, the politician and fi nally tlie statesman, should pass through this perilous or deal, and come out the gentle hearted and noblc-souled man lie has proved himself. Here during the eventful night, there stood around his dying bed some of our most il lustrious public men Chase, OPEN FRIDAY NIGHTS TILL 9 P.M. Sumner. Welles, Stanton. Den nison, Halleck and numerous others equally renowned for their influence and ability. Oc casionally the silence would be startled by a half-suppressed sob from the President's son. Robert Lincoln, who was weep ing on the shoulder of diaries Sumner, who seemed to regard him with almost a father's compassion. Three times in the course of this long and harrow ing night, Mrs. Lincoln w a s brought in to see her uncon scious husband we need not describe a scene so painful. The last was particularly af fecting, for she saw in the gray light of dawn, by expression of (he eyes and the sinking lips, that death had set its seal upon the dear companion of nearly 25 years! She was removed in dy. as policeman A Dll where a bullet is believed to be imbedded in the ground. This is Elm Street as it goes under the triple underpass. Lincoln's almost an insensible state to the front room on the same floor, where she had been watching throughout the dreary night, surrounded by Miss Har ris and a few ladies, her most intimate friends.. At 22 minutes past 7 Presi dent Lincoln breathed his last. He had been perfectly uncon scious since receiving the fatal shot, and it is a matter of sur prise that he survived so long. The body was soon after re moved to the White House, previous to which a post-mortem examination was held, and the ball extracted from I h e front lobe of the brain. The bullet had entered the back of tlie head on the left side, about two inches above the ear, and had gone in a slanting direction to the back of the right eye. YOUR MONEY BACK! PHONE points to a spot Ismail arrow I Death where it had lodged, stopping before it had reached the eye. From tlie wound some of the brains had issued, mingled with blood, and this had stained the rocking chair in w hich Pres ident Lincoln was sitting, when he received the fatal wound. During tlie night this wound bled, staining the pillow on which tlie unconscious dying man rested. After the post mortem was completed a few locks of hair were cut from his revered head, and the body was taken lo the White House, where, after being embalmed, it laid in state. Immediately upon tlie Presi dent's death the bells of the city churches were tolled, and this was the first intimation that their Chief Magistrate was dead. TU 4-3188 o
