The Washington critic., 1890-04-28
A MlNNrsorA MAN.
He Has Grave poubts as to the Death
~ HOoth.


He Has crave poub,s as to the Death
~ HOoth.
Prom Ms ST. Paul Pioneer Press.
The periodical revival of the story
that John Wilkes Booth was not killed
by Boston Corhett illustrates one thing
satisfactorily. The story of his death
Is not sufficiently authenticated to bar
doubt. In fact, the first scintilla Of evil
dence that would be admitted by any |
court In the land has not been adduced |
concerning this mysterious case. There |
are no public records of the assassiu's
death, Identification or burial. Silt the
city of Washington from end to end,
and not q scrap of indisputable testi
mony will he found definitely proving
that the actor, John Wilkes Booth was
shot TO death by Boston Corbett,
brought TO Washington identified by
personal acquaintances, or buried In
ground, sunk in water, cremated, or led
to the fowls of the air. Everything
connected with the affair, from the
time of the assassination up to the
formal dispatch sent broadcast through
the country that Booth had been identi-
fed, is mysterious, shadowy, indefinite.
Who has yet come forward to identify
the identiiier? Logically, the story that
Booth was not killed in the burning
barn Is supported by better arguments
arguments that have withstood self.in-
terested attacks for twenty-five years
than is the unsupported assertion of one
man, physician, secretly conducted
into the presence of dead body for
set purpose, and that purpose the
| Identification of man with Govern
ment reward of $100,0 on his head.
On the night of Abraham Lincoln's
assassination, April IL, 1865, | was in
Washington, My regiment, the First
Michigan Cavalry, was lying out at
Bladensburg, the famous old.time duel
ing ground of Congressman The deed
was committed | think, during the
first act of "Our American Cousin" in
Ford's Theatre. BY midnight the city
was wild with excitement, and rumors
were flying 10 the effect that the entire
Cabinet had been slaughtered ad
minstration wiped out. / arrived at
Bladensburg about daylight on the
morning of the 18th, and was immedi-
ately detailed, with portion of my
company, as pursuing squad to hunt
Booth and such other conspiraters as
might have escaped with him. Two
other squads were dispatched in other
directions. A description of our ad
ventures would be useless, as we did
not happen to light upon any of the
conspirators. We camped one night
upon the farm of DR.. Mudd, who at
tended to Booths ankle, which was,
undoubtedly, injured in jumping from
the proscenium box and struggling with
Colonel Rathbonc. But after num-
Der of days had elapsed the squad
containing Boston Corbett did find
Harold and man supposed to be
conspirator concealed in barn. Not
man in the party knew the actor
In other words, hunting party left
Washington in the dead of night in
pursuit of man personally unknown to
any one of them, with instructions to
bring in John Wilkes Booth, dead or
alive. and receive a portion of the re-
ward of 100000 At least those were
our Instructions, and I have no reason
TO believe that Colonel Bakers were
different. This was the situation for
nearly two weeks. At last man was
killed in burning barn by Boston Cor
bett. And now, after the lapse of
twenty-five years, the testimony OF the
soldier who shot this alleged Booth is
utterly valueless. 1t appeared TO be a
case of kill man first and identify him
afterward. The men in Boston Cor
belts squad told me afterward that the
alleged Booth could have been captured
alive. He offered, they said, to surren-
der Corbett himself has ever been reti-
cent as 10 who ordered him to
shoot. No personal friends were
allowed to view the remains. People
who had seen Booth act were denied
that privilege. Everything was con-
, Quoted with unseemly secrecy, not al
all in consonance with the world wide
notoriety of the crime. And now
Louise Worcester of Birmingham
Ala, comes forward and says that two
years after Booths supposed death she
received letter from him without date
or signature, but in the same hand
, writing as others in her possession
: which came from the actor before his
crime.
There is no inducement, apparently
for Miss Worcester to prevaricate. Bu
! her theory was indorsed by thousands
| of men in the Army of the Potomac II
1866, and is now by hundreds of silve
: veterans of Sheridan's cavalry corp
: who were on the ground at the time.
I believe John Wilkes Booth was no
| 4, l.