Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-13
JOHN WILKES BOOTH.
Talk With J. r. Ford, who was Man
ager of FOrd's Theatre at the ime of
the Assassination.

hOOlSSj Tue Oill-pOSJer, Wnen DT. Arm
strong passed, and Mr.. Dooley remarked
to Mr.. Ford:
"There goes John Wilkes Booth"
Mr.. Ford glanced at DR.. Armstrong
and replied: ~
THAT man might be taken for Edwin
Booth, but he Is no more like John Wilkes
Booth than negro is like q SNOWFALL.
And, besides that,
JOHN WILKES BOOTH is DEAD
and his bones rotten long ago"
A Constitution man heard OF MIR. Eord's
emphatic assertion of Booths, death, and
desiring to learn what he knew of mat
ter shrouded in mystery, called upon him
at the Kimball. zoo
''Does DR.. Armstrong resemble John
Wilkes Booth" began the reporter.
Does Dooley resemble lily ~ was the
reply. IA VI
''Hardly."
swell, there is no resemblance whatever
between DR.. Armstrong and John Wilkes
Booth if he was alive to-day"
"If he was aliveT
Eyes, if he was alIve.V
"Are you sure he Is dead? 20
"When man sees thing he knows it.
Booth was shot dead by Sergt. Boston Cor
Dett through crack In the barn IN which
they found Booth on Mr.. GarIett's farm in
! Caroline county Va.
Where did you see Booth after ne was
killedY
81 saw John Wilkes Booths body in
Weaver's undertaking establishment,
Fayette street, opposite HaVerly's thea
tire, Baltimore.
"When was that?"
lin July, 1865. 1 cannot now name the
date. He was in an
ORDINARY ARMY COFFIN,
wrapped up in government blanket. I
saw his face and l would know it to-
night"
SIS there no chance for you to be mis-
taken about its being BOoth?"
'None in the world. | was too familiar
with MIN 10 have been mistaken. 1t was
John Wilkes Booth, and he was a heap
deader than / want to be for the next
ninety-nine years. l think ne was buried
IN the Baltimore cemetery. 1t made me
feel bad to see Booth in that old coffin and
blanket, for he was man / ALWAYS ad-
mired. He gave me the mate to the pis-
tol with which he shot the President. 1t
was a 42-calibre kotderringer. gave
the pistol to Frank Frayne. the man who
killed his wife trying to shoot an apple off
her head"
''What do you know about the assas-
sination, Mr.. FOrdp
''At that time | was manager of FOrd's
theatre. AS you know, the assassination
was on the 14th day of April, 1860. 1t was
Good Friday, and the play for the even
ing was the American Cousin About
II O'Clock / was at the theatre talking to
my brother, Il. Clay Ford, who was the
| treasurer of the theatre. | had lust told
him that Mrs. Lincoln had sent a messen-
ger to engage box, and that had sent
the tickets and would go and put the ne
cessary local notices in the afternoon
| papers that the President would be
! at the theatre, when we noticed
| John Wilkes Booth coming down the
street. There comes the handsOmeRt
man in Washington said my brother,
pointing at Booth, who was faultlessly
dressed. When Booth came up be asked
/ for his mail. and brother gave him a letter
/ which | think was from a lady. He sat
| down on the steps and read it. 1t was
written on crOss-barred paper and con-
tanned four pages. When he had finished
Teading the letter my brother said, with a
wink at me: John, we've got you now
| 'How?' answered Booth. why, Presi-
dent Lincoln and Gen. Grant In one box,
and Gen Lee in the opposite one with his
hands cuffed.' Brother said this to guy
Booth, knowing his Southern sympathies.
THE COwARDLY CUR,'
said Booth, as he rose up erect. l saw
that he was angry. and told Harry that
must 20 up 10 the Treasury Department
and get stand of colOrs to decorate the
boxes, as WAS the custom when the Presi-
dent attended the theatre. Booth walked
off with me and asked me to go in and
take a drink with him at the KirkwOOd
house. AS l did not drink declined, and
excused myself by saying ! was in a
hurry to get to the department to see n
gentleman. That was the last time l
ever saw John Wilkes Booth alive.
After / got the stand of oOlors l went
back to the theatre, and brother
Harry and I decorated the boxes.
The blue regimental flag was placed
in the centre and the American flags
above. A picture of Washington was
placed on the pillar in the middle of the
box. This had never been done before.
After we were through with this / went
TO Baltimore with John I. FOrd's wife's
sister. | returned to Washington at 1920,
and when i reached the theatre ] saw
some one bringing what ! supposed 10 be
a drunken man out, and ! asked: what
drunken lOafsr Is thatP ] never dreamed
that It was the President. Mr.. Lincoln
was carried across the street to Mrs.
Peterson's home. where he died
next morning about twenty min
utas TO eight. / saw him just be-
fore he died. The night he was
shot took my first drink Of liquor. The
theater was surrounded by the military
and was placed under arrest. / was cold
and couldn't get no fire to warm by. |
was released next day, but several days
afterwards was re-arrested. II. Clay,
John f. and myself were in prison over
twelve weeks. Don't think they ever did
know why they arrested and imprisoned
us"
''Well, TO return, Booth is deadw
"Yes; Just as dead as Lincoln. Why,
its all tomfoolery talking about that
preacher being Booth. Booth was bet
ter looking man than he is."
chow old was Booth when he killed
Lincoln@
"About "a"
"when, II he was living, he would be
"A years oldV
ayes"
"Dr. Armstrong is about"
Bother with DR.. Armstrong. Life's too
short to be supposing such things.o
"And Booth hurt his leg when jumping
onto the stage from the bOx"
ayes. Caught his left foot in Washing
toms portrait and broke his leg above the
ankle. Or. Mudd set it,"
''Dr. Armstrong has a game leg or hip
Or
''You are determined to make Booth
alive"
''No. no, just comparing. Booth hsd
long black hair and A scar on his neckf'
4 l. 40 La EFl