Assassination

[Eva Elisabeth]

Edwin Booth and Robert indeed once crossed paths by chance - or fate, because Edwin saved Robert from death or at least serious injury. The incident occurred on a train platform in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Robert was on a holiday from Harvard, traveling from New York to Washington, D.C., while Booth was on his way to Richmond, Va., with his friend, John T. Ford (owner of Ford's Theatre). Robert was waiting to buy a train ticket when he was accidentally pushed off the railway platform into the path of an oncoming train. (see "Robert Todd Lincoln: A man in his own right", by John S. Goff, pp.70-71)
The exact date of incident is unknown, it is believed to have taken place in late 1864 or early 1865, although Robert consistently recalled it as having occurred in 1863 or 1864.

Booth did not even know whose life he had saved until some months after the incident, in 1865, Booth received a letter from a friend, Colonel Adam Badeau, who was serving as an officer on Grant's staff. Badeau had heard the story from Robert Lincoln while they both were stationed together at City Point, Va. In the letter, Badeau gave his compliments to Booth for his deed. Having saved Robert's life alledgedly gave some comfort to Edwin Booth after his brother's assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Edwin Booth later retold the story to his friend Mr. William Bispham, who wrote an article about the incident in "The Century Magazine" in November 1893:

“He (Booth) had started for Philadelphia from New York, and while he was standing on the platform of a car, still in the Pennsylvania railroad station at Jersey City, and just as the train was about to move, a young lad, going from one car to another, stumbled, and would have fallen between them, had not Edwin caught him by the collar of the coat and landed him in safety by his side. The boy, whom Edwin had never seen before, evidently recognized him, and holding out his hand said to him ‘That was a narrow escape, Mr. Booth’ and thanked him warmly. Two weeks later, Edwin received a letter from General Adam Badreau in which the latter mentioned that Robert Lincoln told him that it was his life that had thus been saved.”

Later Robert was asked by the editor of "The Century Magazine", Richard Watson Gilder, to verify the story. He responded in a letter in February 1909:

"The incident occurred while a group of passengers were late at night purchasing their sleeping car places from the conductor who stood on the station platform at the entrance of the car. The platform was about the height of the car floor, and there was of course a narrow space between the platform and the car body. There was some crowding, and I happened to be pressed by it against the car body while waiting my turn. In this situation the train began to move, and by the motion I was twisted off my feet, and had dropped somewhat, with feet downward, into the open space, and was personally helpless, when my coat collar was vigorously seized and I was quickly pulled up and out to a secure footing on the platform. Upon turning to thank my rescuer I saw it was Edwin Booth, whose face was of course well known to me, and I expressed my gratitude to him, and in doing so, called him by name."