The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-02-13
JOHN WILKES BOOTH.
End Of the Assassin---D Disposition of
His Body - Recovered by His
Family and Rciatered in Baltimore.


| The discharge of Thomas A. Jones from the
| tool-Toom of the Navy-Yard Mt Washington, on
account of his assisting JohnWilkes Booth to es-
cape after his assassination of President Lincoln,
| calls attention to the fact that the whereabouts
| OF Booths body after IL was brought from the
Jett farm and placed on board monitor lying
in the Eastern Branch until the date of its Ill
| innate burial III GrcenmOunt Cemetery, at
| Baltimore, has never been published. | heard
| this week through n man who was employed
mt the Washington Arsenal at that time and
| who aided in caring for the body, the following
| facts. Said he:
Booth was shot by Boston Corbett, aud the
body was then rolled up in gray blanket, and
III this shape il WAS brought to Washington.
Whom 1t arrived in East Washington 1t was
placed on one of the monitors in the Branch,
and during the day it was visited by DIR. May
and others, of Washington, who were init
mately acquainted with the deceased actor.
During the day a plain coffin of dressed Pine
was made at the Navy Yard, and it was tho
idea of tho people there that Booth would be
buried in this colin. The excitement at the
time was intense, and every man in the Yard
claimed the privilege Of driving nail into tho
box. This privilege was accorded them, but
the box was not the one used for the burial.
In the afternoon some of the Army Surgeons
examined the body and removed section of
the spine through which the ball had passed.
| This fragment can be seen in the exhibition
hall of the Army Medical Museum here.
" 1t was almost nightfal Of that day when q
Government steamer was made fast to the mon
ltur, on which the remains were placed, while
"A boat with four sailors and Coxswain was run
mp close To the monitor, and several of Bakers
detectives were noticed walking about the deck.
Then what appeared to be the remains of tho
assassin were placed aboard the steamboat,
which started down the river toward Alcxan-
dria. The next morning tho public were In
formed through the local press that Govern
mcnt craft was well on its way down the Poto-
mac with Booths remains oil board, which were
to be sunk at sea. Such, however, was very far
from the truth. The body put aboard tho
steamer Was blind" and the press reports of
the following day showed how successfully the
rnso had worked. Tho body, in fact, had been
sewcd up in q gray blanket and placed In the
boat, manned By several sailors aud couple of
Bakers detectives, and started of Toward Ana
costa, making zig zag track from opposite tho
Navy Yard toward Gcsboro Point, and tho
boat finally touched at the ArsenaPs eastern
wharf and the gray blanket and its contents
were quietly carried ashore. A guard was at
once placed on duty. aud nobody was allowed
10 10 near the wharf, every effort being made
10 keep the wOrkmcn ignorant of the facts
=" Late in the afternoon several employees were
directed TO make an excavation in one Of tho
cells OF the old pcuitoniiary in tho Arsenal
(which structure has since been demolished).
This was so difficult task, owing TO the rubble-
aud cement floor OF the cells, that 1t had to he
abandoned. aud new location was chosen in
the large store room Of the building. The brick
floor was taken up aud deep hole dug just
south OF what is now Gen. Gibsons residence.
The remains were then placed in wooden
arms case, used for the transportation of mus
kets which was quickly carried, under cover
OF darkness up through tho Arsenal grounds 10
the penitentiary building and through the
door leading from the stororoo 10 the court
yard. There IL was met by Col. Benton, Conn
maudant Of the Arsenal, some of Bakers de-
tcctiycs aud War Department officer, and by
the aid OF lanterns, for IL was between o and
10 o'clock at night, it was placed in the im-
promptn grave which was covered with earth.
and the bricks which had been removed were
piled up near by.
There the body Of John Wilkes Booth reposed
until February, 1867. aud in the meantime Mrs.
Snrratt, Atzerott lIerold aud Payne had been
tried, executed aud buried near the opposite
end OF the building In November OF that year
Henry WirZ OF AndeFsongille Prison notoriety
had been condemned, executed and inferred
near them. Ia 1867 the United States Govern
mcnt determined 10 tear away all that portion
OF the old peniteutiary building which had
been used as a prison proper, leaving the quar-
ters which had been occupied by the Warden
aud Deputy Warden 10 be converted into resi-
dences for Army officers. The bodies including
Booths, were therefore removed in February Of
1867 and buried within the walls OF store house
No ., about 80 yards from the pcnitentiary.
There they remained until the latter part of
Joinsons Administration, when, application
having been made for the remains OF Mrs. Sur
RAFT, all the bodies were disinterred. About this
time the Booth family sent Baltimore dentist
10 Washington TO examine the teeth of the corpse
OF john Wilkes Booth, TO Identify, If possible,
the work which ho had done upon tho assas.
sins teeth several years previous The den
list recognized bis work. and his identity being
thus asccrtanod by the family beyond doubt
(which was the object in Yiewr) the family took
charge of the remains which were entirely
past recognition, except through the dentist, as
above described. The corpse was then placed
in a wagon aud driven 10 stable adjoining
the one in which Booth had sometimes kept his
horse, this stable being in the alley from
whence he escaped after firing the fatal shots
aud leaving the thenter OH that eventual night
four years previous. When tho bag containing
the corpse was opened IL was found that the
flesh had almost entirely disappeared from the
body, aud that the clothing bad nearly rotted
away, aud 10 was also observed that on one foot
was a boot with It's top cut oil and slit from the
instep aud made like shoe, The head, which
had q most uncanny aspect, was detached from
the body, and the hair was long aud glossy,
even oily, aud there was a little mildew in tho
long locks The features were far past rec0g.
milton The undertakcr's attendant lifted tho
corpse from the gun.case by the blanket, which
was Ia good condition, and placed it in an
ordinary colin.
:" In Il few hours the remains were in Bllti.
more aud after being placed in richl -cm-
bclished casket they were inferred beside his
fathers grave in Greenmount Cemetery"
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