The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-04-25
Is J. Wilkes Booth Dead?

Is J. Wilkes Booth Dead?
Apropos Of the anniversary of the
! assassination of President Lincoln, and
the story of the kiilingof his assassin
we publish the following from the
GAINESVILLE Signal of the IS INST, which
seems to be an improbable story, but
good reading,
NEWARK, April lbs J. Wilkes
Booth dead? History says, ''Yes,'' -
but G. G Ritter, the German land
scape gardener, who has been employ
ed here nearly year, tells story
which emphatically says, 'ssNo."
Mr.. Ritter is an intelligent man
and has received good German ed
ucation. He approached your cor
respondent yesterday and related
remarkable story concerning the
tragedy which was enacted in Ford's
theatre in Washington City, just
thirty years ago last night, In begin
ming his story, Mr.. Ritter said that
he was green German boy in '65,
and that Allen Pinkerton scared him
into making an oath TO keep secret
all he knew about the assassination of
President Lincoln for thirty years.
He took the oath, and now at the
first opportunity he wanted to give
the true version of the assassin's his
tory.
Ritter said that he knew Booth be-
fore coming to America, and that as
soon as he arrived in Washington he
was given place at Ford's theatre
playing German parts. l saw Presi-
dent Lincoln enter the theatre on the
evening of April IA, 1865, but soon
after | went to my room and was dis
turbed about ten o'clock by Booth,
who rushed into my room, told me
what he had done, and said excitedly,
IL have broke my leg, but God, Mars,
and my South, my South, are reveng-
ed"
''He ordered me to get horses,
which did, and in a short time we
we're flying towards Thomas JONES'
six miles away. There we stayed un
til April %, and then went over to
Virginia, where we took shelter at
Aunty Josephine's till May 2. The
old negress took care of us, nursed
Booths leg, and during our stay sew
eral of Booths friends visited us.
"On Mayo we sailed for Brazil.
l remained with Booth short time
and did not see him afterwards until
1884, when we met at Hamburg,
Germany. Then he gave me photo
graphs of his four children, born to his
South American wife. (These photo
graphs exhibited today greatly re-
semble Booths picture.) l have since
correspond ed with him, having re-
ceived letter from him only last De
cember. He was then well. He ex-
pressed no desire to return to America.
since the death of his brother Edwin.
"The man whom Boston Corbett
shot in that barn was Edward Fuchs,
a disreputable actor whose form and
features, were very similar to those
of Booth" continued Mr.. Ritter.
81 have long wanted to tell my story
of the affair, but the oath l took did
not permit me to disclose it before to-
day. I have almost completed book
telling all 1 know Of the tragedy,
and ] am now negotiating with pub
fishing company of Cleveland, to pub
lish it. have offered them a piece
of Florida real estate to publish the
work.
Mr.. Ritter has good reputation
in Newark and he has not been known
to have shown exhibitions of mental
swheels." There are many "doubt-
ing Thomases"' here who take no
stock in the story, but that is TO be
expected when such remarkably SEN
sational statements are made by any
man.