Joseph H. Hazelton (c. 1853 – October 6, 1936), aka Joseph Hazleton, was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in 30 films between 1912 and 1922. As a boy program giver at
Ford's Theatre
Ford's Theatre is a theater located in Washington, D.C., which opened in August 1863. The theater is infamous for being the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the theater box ...
, he witnessed the
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
of U.S. President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
on April 14, 1865.
Life and career
Hazelton debuted on stage as a child when a production at
Grover's Theater in Washington, D.C. needed a boy to play a young prince in ''
King John''. Thereafter, he continued to stay around the theater, doing odd jobs and handing out programs. In 1910, he was a member of the Columbia Players in Washington, D.C.
When the
Pasadena Community Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...
presented ''
Our American Cousin
''Our American Cousin'' is a three-act play by English playwright Tom Taylor. It is a farce featuring awkward, boorish American Asa Trenchard, who is introduced to his aristocratic English relatives when he goes to England to claim the family e ...
'' in 1930, Hazelton spoke during intermission of each performance, relating what he witnessed as he observed the assassination. In 1933, Hazelton gave a lecture at
May Company Exposition Hall in Los Angeles and talked about watching Booth shoot Lincoln. An article in ''
Good Housekeeping
''Good Housekeeping'' is an American women's magazine featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, and health, as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good House ...
'' in its February 1927 edition, titled "This Man Saw Lincoln Shot," was the basis for a leaflet that Hazleton released to raise funds later in his life.
On Broadway, Hazelton performed in ''Skipper & Co., Wall Street'' (1903).
Hazelton died in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
on October 6, 1936.
Selected filmography
See also
*
Samuel J. Seymour, last living witness of Lincoln's assassination
References
External links
*
*
*
Joseph Hazleton recalls witnessing Lincoln assassination as a boy audio recording of Hazelton recalling the Lincoln assassination
1850s births
1936 deaths
American male film actors
American male silent film actors
20th-century American male actors
People associated with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
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