Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-31
JOHN WILKES BOOTH.
The Hitherto Unpublished Statement
of the Surgeon Who Identified HIS
HnAv

From the Cincinnati Enquirer
When second and more peremptory mes
sage came directing me to appear before
the commission / deemed 1T prudent to
obey. On my way a third messenger was
met on his way to my house. who was no
less than the chief OF the detective CORPS.
the noted Col Baker He returned. con-
Quoted me on board the steamer and usher
ed me into the cabin, where the commits
sloners We're In session, and by whom not
withstanding my contumacy, I was very
politely received. 1 was then told IL had
been stated to them 1 had removed a
tumor from the neck of Booth and they
body, and to go on deck and examine n,
tnorougnly and make my report The bodv
t Mas OH d coXs completely concealed by
his assistants standing near IL anu
BY his order the cover was removes ana
20 my sreaI astonishment. revealed BODY
IN whose nneamentS there was To me ~
resemblance Of the man 1 had knovrn ~
me; My surprise was so great i ar nnna
b Sd,1 20 =, zen n Sarnes: There is no resem-
Siance N mat corpse to Booth, nor can 7
believe IL to be that of him. After IoohIrda
at II for few moments 1 asked: rs thars
scar upon the back of its necls 90 IL
replied: There is" / then said. ~, .L ne
Is the body of Booth let me descrth. INA ia
scar before IL is seen by me-" and did se
As 10 its position, its size and its 1snaroy
appearance so accurately as causeS btsu
To say: You have described the scar III
49, as Sou were looking at it, and IN
the cicatrix of a burn than that made hv
. surgical operation" The body being tb ~
turned. the back Of the neck was exarl
med. and my mark was unmistak a bIt,
found by me upon IL. And II being a|ter-
ward at my request, placed in a sitting
II L was finally enabled to trnperfsc,ir,
recognize the features of Booth. But never
IN human being had a greater chsngs
taken place. from the man whom I bsS
seen IN the vigor OF life and health. as in
tt or the haggard corpse which was
skin, Its unkempt and matted hair. and
It's whole facial expression, sunken and
,snarpened by the exposure and starvation
The right lower limb IVES greatly rom
fused and perfectly black from a fracture
or one or the long bones OF the leg.
An au 6 was then made by the assist
ants or Gen. barnes. which proved that tho
bullet which had killed him had passed be.
tween two OF the Vertebraa ~ tba n.ci-
causing their fracture ard lesion of the
The body was secretly and a. nigh. bur.
led IN the yard OF the penitentiary. which
was not generally known for some time
afterward.
That great uncertainty was felt and ,ha,
much doubt was expressed at the time OF
the death of Booth and long afteryard ms
TO the identity OF his body IS notorious Nor
need this create surprise. for although the
all tended 20 corroborate the belief that he
had been killed. yet On the body which was
produced by his captors nearly every
vestige OF resemblance 20 the living man
had disappeared. But the mark made by
the Bcalpel during life remained indelible I'm
death, and settled beyond all question al
the time and all cavil IN the future the
Identity OF the man who had assassinatsd
John Frederick May. NJ ID.
Washington, January 10. 1897.