Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-15
BELONGED TO BOOTH.
Trunks of His on a Steamer Which
Was Wrecked in 1864.
SUBSEQUENTLY SOLD AT AUCTION.
Proof That the Lincoln Assassination Was
Long Meditated.
RANKIN, TIE ACTOR, HAS SOME RELICS

MONTREAL, Nov. 14.-Antiquarian W.
W. Snaith has obtained conclusive evidence
that trunks found on the schooner Marc
Victoria, which was wrecked at Bic in the
Autumn of 1864, were the property of j.
Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President
Lincoln. During that autumn several
trunks marked u. w. B., New Provi-
dence, "were shipped on board the schooner
Marc Victoria at Quebec.
How they reached Quebec, or by whom
they were shipped, or where the vessel was
bound for, or on what mission, is enveloped
in mystery, but the Marc Victoria sailed
from tine port of Quebec without going
through the usual formalities of clearing at
the Custom House, for her name does not ap-
pear among the shipping records at that prot,
thereby giving good grounds for the sus-
plcion that the service she was engaged in
demanded secrecy.
Intended 10 Run the Blockade.
After events gave proof of this, and led
to the belief that she intended to run the
block ade of the South or make for the Ba-
hamas, but this schooner was wrecked at
Bic. about $50 miles below Quebec.
From these precautions, it appears that
Booth, in anticipation of the murder of
Lincoln, had secretly sent his theatrical
wardrobe through Canada and had it shipped
from Canadian port in expectation of find
ing it in one of the Southern States when he
had succeeded in the object which he had in
view, and that the conspiracy to assassinate
President Lincoln was calculated months
before.
During the following summer 1S65) there
appeared in the Quebec Morning Chronicle,
of july II, an advertisement stating that on
the following day there would be sold at
auction various effects landed from the
schooner Marc Victoria, consisting of dry
goods, theatrical costumes, swords and vari-
GUS other articles.
Rankin, the Actor, Made Purchases.
Snaith was engaged in business in Quebec
at the time, and having a penchant for the
collection of relics and other curios, at
tended the sale and purchased part of the
wardrobe. George Rankin also purchased
q variety of things from the stock of articles
offered for sale, it was thought at the time
for his brother, Mckee Rankin, the actor.
The following notice of sale appeared in the
Chronicle of July 10, 1865:
The theatrical wardrobe of the late John
Wilkes Booth, recovered about q month ago
from the wreck of the schooner Marc Victor
III at Bic last autumn, was disposed of by de-
cree of the Vice Admiralty Court by public
auction yesterday afternoon. Amongst the
wardrobe which, unfortunately, has been
injured by salt water, there was a splendid
collection of theatrical clothes in fine silk
velvets silks, satins, erInine and crimson,
and also hats, caps plumes, boots, Shoes
etc. In swords and pistols there was a case
or trunk packed with large variety, and
there were some very beautifully mounted
ones among them. Competition on the
whole very spirited, and several arti-
cles were sold at high prices. The amount
realized for the wardrobe in its damaged
state was about $500. The original cost can
not have been less than $4,000.