The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-05-23
WILKES BOOTHS BODY.
HOW IDENTIFICATION WAS or
FiciALLy MADE.
a wAshingtoa photographer Tells How
He and sis YHthcr Were Called Dat
OF He'd for tho Purpose
No Doubt About 1t

="
20 create the belief that John Wilkes
Booth. the slayer OF Lincoln. was not
killed ~ Corbctt's bullet but that
another victim was made 10 answer for
the crazed actor. 10 appease public
wrath. Mr. Lawrence Gardner, OF
Washington. was one OF the few who
saw The body OF tho dead Booth. and
gives the following account OF the Of
fetal Identification OF the remains:
IL was on tho monitor az the navy
yard when DR.. William May and his
father came on board. and can corrobor-
ate the doctors testimony. Very early
one morning the assistant secretary OF
war. General Thomas j. Eckert. drove
10 my fathers residence and asked that
he prepare at once 10 20 with him TO
the navy yard on "a secret mission.
I'VE had for two or three days pre-
vious been engaged In making photo
gniphs Of the different prisoners who
had been arrested as suspects I'm rela-
ton 10 the assassination Of President
Lincoln. / had been assisting my
father. Alexander Gardner, and ac-
companied him on that occasion. On
the way up capitol hill General Eckcrt
informed us OF the capture OF Booth;
stated that his body was then at the
navy yard. and he also told us that
they proposed placing " on board one
OF the monitors.
After reaching tho farl we were
ferried out TO the Monitor. which lay
In the stream. On the vessels deck
on a carpenters bench. and covered BY
tarpaulin lay the body OF Booth.
Shortly after reaching the Monitor
we were joined by Surgeon-General
Barnes and one or two other medical
officers On board tho boat. according
10 my recollection. were Baker. chief
OF the secret service. and one or two
OF his prominent officers.
'Cn removing the tarpaulin from
the body we were all struck by the lack
OF any resemblance 20 Booth. We had
a number OF photographs with us and
endeayored by comparison TO find a
likeness between the photographs and
the body. but there was no resemblance.
Tho hair was very black and the cheek
bones quite prominent. and these were
about the only things that gave It any
semblance 10 the photograph. On the
face was quite growth Of beard. prob
ably that o. n week or ten days. and IL
was evident from the features that
there had been great bodily suffering
II had seen Booth but once In my
life and that was at the National
theater FOR moment on the afternoon
of the assassination and | must say |
could see but little resemblance to the
man met on that day. His face was
very much freckled. result G.. cx-
posure.
The object OF my fathers visit 20
the Monitor was photography and the
body In question was TO be the subject.
Did we take a picturep No! After
everything had been prepared General
EclScrt concluded that inasmuch as
there was so little likeness in the re-
mains 70 the photograph in existence
OF Booth perhaps IL would be best not
10 mako the picture and the plan was
abandoned for that reason"
'Was II Booths body?n
"Df course IL was. There could be
no question about IL. On one leg OF
the body was a cavalry boot and on the
other foot an army shoe; the bootless
leg was bandagcd IL having been
stated that Booths initials were marked
on one Of his arms. / unbuttoned the
shirt cuff on his left arm and displayed.
on one forearm. the letters j. w. b..
surrounded by wreath OF stars. That
was sufficient testimony, but the con-
elusive evidence was uncovered by DIR.
Frederick May.
For some time previous TO the as
sassination DIR. May had been treating
Booth for carbuncle, which was To-
Gated on the lower part OF his neck.
on the shoulder At the time when
this carbuncle was most painful
Charlotte Cushman was playing Meg
Merriles' here and Booth was one OF
the company. During one OF the per-
formances Charlotte struck Booth and
spoiled the carbuncle. The result
was a slow-healing wound. DIR. May
described the appearance OF this to
Surgeon-General Barnes. and when the
garments were cut open the scar was
found That made the Identification
complete, and all those present were
satisfied.
II remained abroad the Monitor
during the time OF the post norton
examination. and In the afternoon the
remains were rolled In an army
blanket and taken OF In a small boat
The same afternoon we made photo
graph OF Herold who had been
captured with Booth. and while the
picture was being made he gave utter
ance 10 some remarks about the death
OF Booth which show conclusively that
he was present at the time OF the
shooting and knew that the body on
the forward part OF tho Monitor was
~ - -. WILL. n-..lI. 81