doctors at lincoln's bedside

[RJNorton]

Another "unusual" account had William Flood climbing up to the State Box and being the first person to discover the location of Lincoln's wound. This is from the Corydon Democrat, Corydon, Indiana, December 30, 1879:

"Booth hastened on to the door in the rear of the theater; and Miss Keene, who had recognized him, rushed to the footlights with both hands above her head, and, with all her dramatic power in voice and action, cried: "It's John Wilkes Booth! Kill him! Kill him!"

Until then not a man or woman in the audience had moved. All thought that the firing of the pistol was a part of the play, and the appearance of Booth at the edge of the box, the jumping to the stage, and the screaming of Mrs. Lincoln had the effect of palsy on the people, and no one stirred until Booth had disappeared.

Then there was a rush for the stage, and the first one to reach it was Wm. Flood, a master's mate in the navy, and attached to the United States steamer Primrose. He climbed the scroll work on the face of the box, assisted by Miss Harris, of Albany, who was with the president's party, and lifted Mr. Lincoln from the chair, and laid him down on the floor with his head on Flood's knee and resting on his hand. A search was made for the wound, which was not found until Mr. Flood, feeling a dampness on his hand, removed it and found nearly a teaspoonful of the great man's brain, that had issued from the wound, in his palm. Mr. Flood now has the particles of brain preserved in alcohol."