The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-05-23
WILKES BOOTHS BODY.
HOW IDENTIFICATION WAS OF
FiCIALLY MADE.
A Washington Photographed Tells How
us and lfis Father Were Called Out
OF bed for the Purpose
No Doubt About 1t.


No Doubt About 1t.
From time to time stories are started
10 create the belief that John Wilkes
Booth. the slayer OF Lincoln, was not
killed by Corbett's bullet hue that
another victim was made to answer for
the crazed actor, to 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
fcial Identification OF the remains:
II was on the monitor at the navy
yard when DIR. 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
to my fathers residence and asked that
he prepare at once to go with him to
the navy yard on secret mission,
1--WE had for two or three days pre-
vious been engaged In making photo
, graphs OF the different prisoners who
had been arrested as suspects In rela-
ton to 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 Eckert
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 it on board one
Of the monitors.
| after reaching the yard we were
ferried out to the Monitor, which lay
in the stream. On the vessels deck
on a carpenters bench, and covered by
q 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 the boat. according
to my recollection, were Baker, chief
OF the secret service, and one or two
OF his prominent officers.
ION removing the tarpaulin from
the body we were all struck by the lack
of any resemblance to Booth. We had
q number of photographs with us and
endeavored by comparison to find a
likeness between the photographs and
the body, but there was no resemblance
The hair was very black and the cheek
bones quite prominent, and these were
about the only things that gave it any
semblance to the photograph. On the
face was quite growth of beard, prob
ably that of a week or ten days, and it
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, a resulted ex-
posture.
THE object Of my fathers visit to
the Monitor was photography and the
body in question was to be the subject.
Did we take q picture? No! After
everything had been prepared General
Eckert concluded that inasmuch as
there was 80 little likeness in the re-
mains to the photograph in existence
of Booth perhaps it would be best not
to make the picture and the plan was
abandoned for that reason"
"Was 1t Booths bodyp"
"Of course it was. There could be
no question about 1t. On one leg OF
the body was cavalry boot and on the
other foot an army shoe; the bootless
leg was bandaged. 1t 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 q wreath OF stars. That
was sufficient testimony, but the con-
elusive evidence was uncovered by DR..
Frederick May.
For some time previous to the as
fascination DR.. 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 slow-healing wound. DR.. May
| ooSSiAcoo eho uPPOoA ohOO VI eiiio w
Surgeon General Barnes, and when the
garments we're cut open the scar WA
found. That made the Identification
complete. and all those present were
satisfied.
II remalrod 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 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 to 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 the Monitor wa:
that Of John Wilkes Booth"
II