Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-07

and acquainted with the history of this family.
approached "This Booth Monument. said he
formerly stood in the old Baltimore Cemetery.
wnele II marked the resting place Of Junius
brufus Booth only. Toward the close of the
war Edward Booth and his mother, who is still
living, bought this lot and removed the remains
ana the monument to this spot Later the re-
mains OF the children were brought from the old
Dooth homestead in Hartford county. AS soon
AFTER the ASSASSINATION and the death of John
wilkes az the family could get permission from
tue government to remove the body his remains
were brought here and buried with the other
chiioren, and his name carved upon the marble. !"
VISITORS TO BOOTHS GRAVE.
Ibid his friends ever view his body after
death?"
''Oh, yes, and quite q number of people have
locks Of his hair cut from the head after the
body was brought to Baltimore. There was a
great fuss made about the burial of the body
here at the time 1t was brought over. but as
this cemetery is free to any one who may pur-
chase lot here except colored people. his burial
could not be prevented. The remains of Rich
ard Booth, whose grave you see to the right
were also brought from Baltimore Cemetery
The elder Booth, that is Junius Brutus. moved
INTO Hartford county, short distance below
baitlm ore. in the early part of the present cen
fury. and nearly all of the family were born
there The whole of them have had aqueer and
eventual history. The elder Booth, when at
nome, was in almost constant trouble with his
neighbors. He was most vindictive opponent
OF slavery, and was often accused of assisting
runaway slaves and with advising the negroes
TO seek their freedom. He named the son who
killed Lincoln, and who. by the way, was the
only member of the family who syInpathized
with the southern cause, after John wilkes. the
great English agitator. Indeed the whole
family. from Richard down, might be called
man worshippers The tragic characters of
Shakespeare were their idols. Their study.
their habits Of thought. and their ambitions
sprung from dead heroes. and it is not at all
surprising, considering the passions engendered
by the war. that this young man took upon him
self to enact the character of Brutus, whom he
had been taught to revere"
The superintendent of the cemetery. Rev.
MI: Hefiner, coming up at this moment, in
quired:
do many people visit Booths grave?"
mot many. Now and then some actorE or
theatrical people come"
DO many ask for the grave of John Wilkes
BOOth3"
Now and then people ask to see it out Of
mere curiosity. Edwin Booth comes some
tlmes-wnenever he plays in this city suppose
lie was here with his wife once, as nice little
lady as you would want to see. see she died
recently. | like Mr.. Booth very much. and do
you know that if YOU did not know he was an
actor you would take him to be clergyman.
He was here with his mother when they first
bought the lot, and it was the first time I had
ever seen him. have known good many &C
tors. but old as / am have never yet witnessed
theatrical performance. l am quite well &C
quainted with John E. Owens, who lives lust
out the road here"
piled the old clergyman-superinten with
questions about Booth, but he had exhausted
his information in the few lines given 1 then
turned from the grave and soon left Green
mount behind, and was again in the heart of the
busy city. The visit to Booths grave excited in
me great and renewed interest in the history
OF the great crime which fell like pail upon the
people OF the north as they were preparing to
celebrate In joyous festivities the coming of
peace, and determined me to go over the old
ground and rewrite the story l have done 50.
and in plain way now tell what saw and
heard