The Spangler Connection

[RJNorton]

Eva, here is Theodore Benjamin Rhodes' testimony at the John Surratt trial.

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Q. State where you live.

A. I am living at the present time east of the capitol.

Q In this city?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. How long have you been living here?

A. Since 1862. I was away a very short time.

Q. What is your occupation?

A. Repairing of clocks and watches, and working in the garden that I have adjoining my house.

Q. State whether you were in the city of Washington on the day of the assassination of President Lincoln.

A. I was.

Q. Do you know this building on Tenth street, between E and F, called
Ford's theatre?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. State, if on the day of the assassination you were in that neighborhood.

A. I was in Ford's theatre on the day of the assassination.

Q. State as near as you can what time in the day.

A. As near as I can impress it upon my mind it was within half an hour of twelve o'clock, when I entered the building.

Q. After entering the theatre, state if your attention was directed by anything you saw going on in one of the private boxes.

A. I went in merely to look at the theatre. I went up the steps to the second floor; went down in front where the circle was, to look upon the stage; whilst there I saw one of the box doors open a little and shut. I was anxious to see from that point of view, and supposing some one was in there, having heard some one stepping about, I went down to the box and looked out from that point. As I approached the box whoever was in there walked away out of the box, and I entered and looked from that point on the stage. I had been looking there about a minute or two when the same person, I suppose, who went out of the box returned and spoke to me. He said he was connected with the theatre. We then had a few words together, when my attention was again drawn to the scenery on the stage. They had a curtain down that had recently been painted, I believe, and I stood there looking at that. Then I heard this man behind me doing something. In turning around to see what it was he was doing — I supposed he was looking down as I was — I noticed that the had a piece of wood; whether he had it put in under his coat or was taking it out I cannot say. The piece of wood was about three feet long and about as wide as my two fingers - maybe a little more in the center - slanting a little towards each end from the center.

As I turned around he said, "The President is going to be here to-night." That was the first intimation I had of the expected presence of the President that night. I said, "He is?" He then said, "We are going to fix up the box for his reception. I suppose there is going to be a big crowd here, and we are going to endeavor to arrange it so that he won't be disturbed."

He then fixed this piece of wood into a small hole in the wall there as large as my thumb. I should think the hole to be an inch or an inch and a half long, and about three-quarters of an inch wide. He placed one end of this stick in the bole and it being a little too large took a knife and whittled it down a little. He also gouged out the hole a little for the purpose of making it fit. Then he placed it against the panel of the door across to the wall, forming an angle. He says, "The crowd may be so immense as to push the door open, and we want to fasten it so that this cannot be the case." He asked me if I thought that would hold it sufficiently tight. I told him I should judge that it would bold against a great pressure; that a hole would be punched through the panel of the door before it would give way. The wood was either oak or of North Carolina pine. I am not acquainted with that kind of wood, but I am rather of the impression it was North Carolina pine, which is a very tough wood, I believe. After he had fitted that to suit him we had a few words more together. I then heard some one come across the stage, back of the curtain.

The District Attorney. You have spoken of this interview with a person. I will ask the prisoner to stand up here. [The prisoner did so]

Q. State if that is the man, (pointing to the prisoner), and whether you saw him there?

A. I should judge that was the man.

Q. Have you any doubt about it?

A. No, sir.