Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-04
Connecting the Old Ford's Theater
With Two Historic Events.
THE BONES OF BOOTH and GUITEAU.
The Identification of the Remains
of Booth.
THE REMAINS OF GUITEAU.

to more varied uses, nor has been the
scene Of greater tragedy. or had within
It's walls a live and dead actor In events
which shook the civilized world In olden
times the building was the home OF the
First Baptist Church, and was Familiarity
known as Parson Browns Church
The congregation sold the property, and
moved to 18th street between G and II
streets northwest. and occupied the build
ing which. enlarged. is now known as the
Builders Exchange. 1t was, however. when
converted into theater, managed by Mr..
John T. Ford, that II became the scene OF "a
tragedy-the assassination of President
Lincoln-which carried Its name to the ut
termost parts Of the earth. Booth, who
fred the shot which Mortified the country
and the world, made his escape from the
city. but was shot and killed by his pur-
suers. and his body was brought to .he
city. and came near finding 4 lodging place
within the walls of this old building, as did
the body Of Guiteau- After Booths body
was Drought to the navy yard, where ii
was identined by the late DIR. J. F. May. 1t
was buried first in the old penitentiary
building. and when the prison Kart of that
building was RACED. 1t was buried under the
noor OF one OF the long store houses now
occupied barracks by the artillery COM
panies OF the regular army.
Booths Body Identified.
IN the latter part of President Johnson's
administration friends of Booth and those
who had been executed for participation
with him and the conspiracy payne. Atze-
rott, Herold and Mrs SurratD and of Wirz
who was convicted of atrocities at Ander-
sonville. secured permission to remove the
bodies There was no reason to doubt the
identity of the bodies. but still there were
hundreds who were skeptical to the body
Claimed to be that Of Booth In order that
there should be mistake the family of
the young tragedtan, when The necessary
9ruer mad been obtained. instructed Mr..
Weaver Of Baltimore to be certain as to the
identity before he transferred the body to
Baltimore Mr.. Weaver therefore found a
dentist who had done some work on Booths
teeth. which he could recognize, and he
consented to come over to this city Mr.
Weaver called on Mr.. X. F. Harvey with
whom Mr.. W. r. Speare NOW occupying
the same place as an undertaker) was en-
gagged. and arranged with him to brins, the
body to his establishment. A reporter of
The Star was apprised that the wagon with
tne body was expected about $50 in the
evening. and if he desired he could by act
Ing as undertaker's assistant see the body
but must be quiet about it
AT that hour The Star reporter was seat
Cd with the undertaker's assistants in Mr.
Harveys shop But few minutes elapsed
when the sound Of moving wagon was
heard in the alley from whence Booth had
furiously ridden nearly four years before
and the assistants left the shop and took
from the wagon a square pine box and bore
IL INTO a stable on the south side of The
alley. Here il was deposited on the floor
and opened. The gray blanket into which
the body had been sewed before II was re-
moved from the monitor at the navy yard
was found almost intact. On being opened
the Clothing was found to have rotted al
most completely away and there was little
nesh remaining on the bones Mr.. Weaver
examined the bones carefully and took up
the head. which was loose. as the section OF
the vertebrae through which the ball OF Bos-
ton Corbett had passed had been removed
when the body was on the monitor The
teeth were carefully examined by the
dentist and Mr.. Weaver, and the former
was satisfied as to the identity of the body.
There was also found In .he box one boot
and part of boot. the leg of which had
been cut off and Pitt NAL, to convert il
INTO sort of shoe as not to interfere
with the leg. the small bone Of which had
been broken by the leap Of the assassin to
the stage.
ThAs confirmed the testimony of some of
the witnesses before the military commits
Sion The hair had evidently grown after
death, and was long and glossy, with some
white mold In It, The remains were re-
moved from the box to a coffin. and before
O'Clock were taken to the Baltimore and
Ohio depot and thence to Baltimore where
they were placed in the Booth burial lot at
Greenmount cemetery. While of course I'M
Intentional on the part of those in charge
the coincidence was quite remarkable that
Booths body was transferred from the box
Tin which the military authorities had
buried iD to the coffin within a few yards
OF the door of the building whence he
escaped and mounted the horse Spangler
had held for him. The section of the YER
tebrae and a portion of his spinal column
are Kept among the specimens in the Army
Medlcal Museum, which was located in this
building until few years ago, when 1t was
removed to the new building at 7th and Ii
streets southwest
The Bones of Gufteau.
The body of Guiteau. who killed Presi-
cant Garfield in July. 1851. although buried
At the jail in this city. found its way to the
establishment was used. The day following
the execution the body was buried in the
Jail. but few nights afterward the re-
moval was made. The day after The Star
published the fact on excellent authority,
but there were doubts expressed a re-
porter determined to verify the statement
Accordingly, meeting an employee of the
museum, he expressed doubts Us to the
truth of the statement I'm bet cigars
was the reply. and the reporter accepted
the bet and asked for proof.
The employe thereupon volunteered the
Information that he had brought the re-
mains from the jail to the museum, driviL
In the alley in the rear of the building.
The reporter still expressed doubts and
the 6mploye, saying. Come on, Ill satisfy
you ard take the cigars led the way to
the Ford building and down into the cellar
using a small lantern. After walking among
piles Of lumber. boxes. etc, the mail light
seeming to intensity the gloom, the guide
suddenly STOPPED. and with deep. sepul-
chral voice said "You are now near all
that remains mortal of Charley Guiteau."
Where is it?' was asked.
do you recognize those shoes? Amt
this his coat? Do you see his coffin?'' he
asked. pointing to those objects.
Yes. they lock like them" was the an
swer. but 1t is Charley, as you call him.
want to see"
With that the employee walked up to
Uarrel and. raising the cover exposed to
view the back of the head. neck and Shout
IS OF the body of white man. The bar
se was filled with fluid. and the employe
remarked In explanations:
We are picking him. Do you think YOU
would know him.
Yes. the scribe answered and the raca
was turned up and recognized. This SAT-
isneo Inc star man and he paid the bet
The Bones Preserved.
Subsequently the bones were nrsnorad
Tor mounting, but whether they are now
standing as a skeleton or laid away is no.
known Certain 1t is. however. that the
head. minus the skull. was placed In a uouia
for preservation, and several months after
when drawn over a ball of tow could nor he
recognized
The falling of the floors in the old thea fer
building in June last, by which so MANY
were killed. will serve to keep the building
before the public a noted one and shouI6
Sne enort being made to convert IL into n
norary be successful IL is hoped that in
us future use no more scenes like those of
'ne past will be enacted within its walls.