The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-11

q
saving that canal, then and now dry |
ditch had teen built between one point on
the upper Potomac and another on the |
lower Potomac, making the land between it
and the river bank an island. On that land
the CID arsenal was situated. 1t was APP
RI ached by road running out
from Sixth street, nearly opposite the Ma
tiona hotel, on Pennsylvania avenue,
The discussion in the press as TO how and
where Booth was buried revived about this
time Finally, after nearly three months,
Surgeon General Barnes wrote an open let
ter TO an inquiring friend saying that Booth
was buried under the floor of the old
ar,enal on the Island, in Washington, and
giving generally the time and circumstances.
| That was official
| My old friend the colonel took immediate
| occasion i'll letter to Spirituaiistic paper
| to declare that while the tardy information
f the surgeon general was correct, the
| Spiritualists, OF at least some of them, had
known the fact for some time, because the
spirit Of Booth had, while he the colonel
| was pres ent, given distinctly the informa-
ton of the place of his burial to a rising
young journalist tahem9 who was one of the
NEST careful and impressionable mediums he
| la ever sttD-
| Ard to this letter the gallant colonel
signed his name, after | had with difficulty
gotten him to leave my name out and had
suitably blushed at his characterization of me-
Nv memory OF AMI trust in what Baker
had told me, when he was under an excess
both OF animal and of ardent spirits, stood
me in good stead. They who had been OF
little faith On The World were rebuked.
knew they We're, though they never aid so.
In 1859 / was sent to Washington "a cor.
| Iesl ondent OF The World and of Tie Eagle.
IN February of the latter year | began the
preparation of an interview with Pre- ,dent
Andrew John On, to lie published on March
| 4, 1863 as his farewell utterance as presi-
dent to the American people. 1t required
me to meet him very frequently, question
him very closely and listen to him very at
tentvely. Then, as the different chapters
finished, he and | would go over them care
fully. At that time the administration had
given up TO relatives all the bodies Of the
consprators which had been requested, ex-
cept that of Booth The disinterment of
each body had been reported with a progress
lively increased sensationalism, which be-
came offensive to Mr.. johnson and Mr..
Seward They considered the idea of refus-
| ing Ine fetileSJ Oi DOGtH = FelatlNeS lOT TUE
remains OF the actor, and gave out in the
press that they had refused the request. At
the same time, the relatives were notified
that the request would be granted, if they
could promise that the disinterment
should be con lucted with absolute privacy.
The officers concerned were directed to OBJ
serve the utmost secrecy and 10 seo that no
publicity was given to the fact OF disinter-
menL
Matters unnecessary t. recall convinced
mo that this was the programme and re
solved TO get on to it, if possible The other
correspondents considered that the an
nouncement Of the refusal to give up the re-
mains of Booth was genuine. | believed it
was not-and | waited and watched On an
afternoon in mid February 1869, ! was sit
ting with the president and working with
him on the projected farewell interview.
Something would happen. 1t was in the air.
While we We're thus engaged a long, quiet
thin solemn man WAS admitted, and he
handed Mr.. Johnson q iaper, which the lat
ter signed. Tlen before returning
it he said very severely; You know,
sir, ttat it lis my wish that
this be done with tie Utmost privacy and
dispatch" The man replied: That is per
fectly understood. Nh President Your
directions shall he implicitly obeyed." Then
he went out. Quick as a flash the convic-
ton went through me. that man is an I'm
dertaker; that paper is an ord + for Booths
body | dissemb!ed, for it was necessary
to do so under the searching eyes of the
keenly observant president. Asking him 70
excu,e ne for moment, | went out of the
room and down stairs IN time to see the man
going toward the war department.. Follow
ing him in | saw him in conversation with
? Acting Adiutant General Townsend, whom.
| knew would have to countersign an order
of that kind When | came out
there was long box wagon with n
negro on the seat, standing in front In the
wagon was long, white wooden box
such as they uye to carry cofTins in. That
was evidence enough for me- The negro was
: waiting to drive the man to the "old
arssnalh | at once walked to Willard he
tel rapidly, hired a carriage and made it en-
object to the driver to get TO the old al enal
as soon as possible We arrived there very
quickly am, l sent the carriage back pre-.
ferring to ride ba k to the town with iae un.
taker.
In about eight minutes he came up with
his box wagon. l stopped him at the ez.-
trance by throwing up my hand and said 10
I verr CURLY:
= uaye you an order slr"
He instantly replied very civiily: yes,
If. here it IS handing it to me-
it was iii tue FORM directing the officer in
charge of tie arsenal to deliver to the man,
g tne WAS a Bditlmorean and his nams, as
| rem amber, was Weaver the holy of John
t Wi!ke' Booth, To lie bv him gis5I 20 the lat.
t ter, relatives and duly recspted for Ii
=, vas signed by President John iOn ard coun
er ignad by Gen Townsend.
7 I. ,oIing at the man with great solemni5y,
| said tn him III dry, official way;
/ You Know, 81, that it Is the pre- ident'i
a III =, t,iat is to iono with tha utmost p.i
reg al t;~pu ch!7
r iua use et tie YER words -ros y. ~ Mr.
}, !.,,snson him eli. not All hour before. startls'
), az i,i ~ He looked at me and said:
Il 'Uh. | recognize you now. You were viii
/ thc re-i.ient when han led him the ord Il :
'e Yes l replied, "aEd | can assure yor
Il tiat he is very much in earnest. The adj
l. ma 10 over previous Disbursements here ha
Il greatly otieniei him"
J. There shall he none made over lis" mis-
y akenly rejoinei the man. "Come with III
II youfsalf and you will lie able to report t.
4 the president that his directions have beer
+ implicitly followed" | accepted this kin'
II invitation and was not surprised, though
q was silent, when the undertaken told TIL
u officer in charge OF the arsenal, up to whicl
d we drove from the entrance, that Il was ON
y of the executive clerk WIN was there to se
y that everything was done with privacy an,
IL dispatch"
m On the floor of the old arsenal on :h
Island in Washington, we stood. The foo
I, was of tagging; the tagging laid unevenly