The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-06-18
THE HISTORY OF A SKULL.
Edwin Booth Relates a Little Story in
Denver.

Denver.
During the recent Booth-Barrett
engagement in Denver Mr.. Edwin
Booth was rendered q reception by
some of his many admirers. During
the evening the subject of reminis-
cenees happened to be brought up,
when Mr.. Booth delighted his hearers
with the following romance. "One
night in Louisville a number of peo-
pie called on me and among them was
a doctor who, on being shown to my
room, said that he wished to place In
my hand valuable relic that belonged
| to my father. A little darkey carried
the thing in his arms, and on being
opened it proved to be q well pre-
served skull, thoroughly cleaned, and
the parts joined by springs and hooks.
On seeing it the negro lads eyes stuck
out with fright, and he fastened away,
declaring For God, sab, he'd nebber
touched dat ting if he'd known dat it
was dead un's head Then the doc
tor related the history of the skull,
and it proved mighty interesting. Years
before Junius Brutus Booth played
an engagement in Natchez. After the
closing performance he was taken
down in a cart with his trunk at mid
night, to the river landing to wait for
the upcoming steamboat, He found
in the saloon at the wharf a
rough looking set Of men, whom
by their talk he concluded were
thieves and desperadoes. There were
lawless gangs about the big river in
these days. Booth had $1,000 in a
money belt and from motives of policy
he invited the ruffians to take several
drinks. As this only served to in
crease their peculiar looks in his di-
rection, he thought it would be better
to make deal for fear of losing his
life. There was no help near, and es-
cape was ont of question-he would
probably have been followed and
murdered. Selecting the toughest,
toughest, ugliest looking man in the
crowd, old Booth called him outside
to say few words. Look here said
he, my name is Booth; I'm an actor,
you may have heard of me. I've got
81 900 here in my belt, and I'm afraid
of being robbed. 1 want you to take
it and keep it safe for me until the
boat comes along The fellow looked
earnestly at the old man and then
reached out for the belt. Booth never
expected to see dollar of the money
again, but he was glad to insure his
personal safety. He slept ON a table
in the saloon. Next morning he was
awakened by the custodian of the treas
pre. Get up said he, the boats in
sight. There's your money Booth
was thoroughly surprised, but of
course delighted. What's your
name% he asked. L always like to
remember an honest mans name
The fellow hesitated. lowered his
voice and answered, It's Morril Folks ::
hereabout they call me chief of the
river pirates. You trusted me, and L
appreciated the trust A year later
Morril was sentenced to the peni-
tentiary for life. When old Booth re-
turned to Natchez he visited the con-
vict and took him money and delica-
c:es. A strange friendship sprang up
between these s1ngularly different
men, and every time the actor went to
Natchez he repeated his visits to the
prison. On the last visit he found
Morril dying of consumption, Booth" !"
said he. "T've not long to live. 1
should die happy if 1 had something
to leave you to remember me by.
You have been good to me, and 1 can
not repay you. I have nothing
Cheer up, old chap said Booth, if
Eal- are set on leaving me a legacy,
let 1t be your head He spoke in Jest,
of course, but the pirate took it in
earnest and on his death shortly
after, ityas found that he had willed
the tragedian his skull Booth gave
it to a doctor in Louisville to put in
order, but dying himself soon after,
the peculiar .beauest was for
gotten until the physician
brought it to me. We used it
for Yorack's skull in Hamlet,' and it
was one of Our most precious relics.
It was nice, clean skull and lighted
Up splendidly at night in tie grave
yard scene. One time 1 went home
to visit my mother who lived in Bal
tinore. Unpacking my trunk I went
out During my absence my mother
came to clean up what rubbish L had
on top of the trunk. Seeing the old
skull and not knowing what it was
used for or the history attached to it,
she decided to get rid of it along with
some other old rubbish. When I re-
turned she told me she had thrown
that nasty skull out of the window,
and that coal cart passing by had, a
moment later, crushed it into thou
sand pieces