The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-09-05
J. Wilkes Bocih.

Although il has been frequently as.
serted that John Wilkes Booth, the
murderer Of Presiden Lincoln, IL alive;
yet but few have ever given credenco
to the story. Recently the papers
have been filed with accounts of per-
sons having seen him and some proba-
bility of his bong alive is beginning to
be entertained. On this question
Washington correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Enquirer writes as follows:
There are many persons in Washing
ington who have always believed that
John Wilkes Booth, is alive in foreign
country. AT tho time ofhis pretended
murder IN barn, by Sergeant Boston
Corbett, the notorious Lafayette S.
Baker was at the height of power. He
had under his control q whole regi-
ment of pimps, spies and inform ers I;
men of the must infamors character,
who would commit any crimo for few
dollars. An immense reward was f.
fered for Booth dead or alive, aud Ba.
ker determined 10 secure IT. 1t was
easy, with the instruments that he hud
to work with, to pass of ficticious
corpse as that OF Booths. II was easy
with the instruments he had work
u with, 10 get corpse which should some
what resemble Booth. Stanton might
have been deceived. He might have
supposed that the bogus corpse was
that OF Booth. But certain it is that
he took elective measures 10 prevent
the Identification of Booths alleged
body. Not only were all Booths old
associates excluded and the pnblIc pre-
vented trcm seeing the corpse, but the
latter was destroyed by a chemical
process, ss that no vestige of it now
remains. Bakcr's only object was TO
get .le offered reward, ami he sue
ceeded.
But how did Booth cscape2 Easy
enough. He was cool, determined
rcsolute man, and had LAID all his plans
before hand. ue was an actor and d
consumate ono. No one knows how
he escaped. But what is more proba-
; BILE than to suppose that after the muir
der he went quietly to some room near
by and spent an hour or two in max
, ing up most elaborate Disguise one
: in which his most intimate friends
would not know him? The ncxl
morning, dressed IN this disguise, look
| ing perfectly natural, but not in the
( leass like John Wilkes Booth, no couiC
have gone openly 10 the depot and LEI
4 III the cars for Baltimore without eX-
r citoing the least suspicion Evorthint
. would have depended, Of course, on In
+ disguise but l repeat, it WAS IN hn
. power to have made this disguise i'm
|, penetrable Or, since it il admiltcC
I on all hands that he did get away from
Washington, he could have made hi
way to Baltimore that very night ant
there have assumed the disguise ant
Q proceeded North by railroad. At al
= events, since the publication Of the re
cent articles in the Enquirer on the sub
= ject, the interest IN the affair has bee
n revived here, and opinion that Johl
y Wilkes Booth is still alive has grow
: into a strcng belief. There is only on
= single circumstance that initiate
, against this belief, and that is test
!, mony of DR., May that he saw til
II body and knew It TO be Booths. n
J, doubt Baker took care that the corps
!, should resemble Booth. But on TIL
NJ other hanu there is the positive lest
Jf mony oftwo gentIemon ,wcll'known
70 Now Orleans, who have soeu Boot
30 30 alive.
70 VIcToRlA ASKED for Sl25,000 frol