The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-20

BURNED BOOTH's CLOTHES.
How Edwin Disposed of His Broth
er's Stage Costumes.


Garrison G.. Davidson is a property man
in a Boston theater He is known from
Maine to California, for nearly every
theatrical troupe of any note has had to
do with him the last fifty years. He was
property man for Edwin Booth at one
time in New York. IL was while in this
city that he took part in scene that
had never been described in print until the
Boston Herald published the story last
week.
After the assassination Of Lincoln. gov
eminent authorities 1t seems, placed
seals on all of Wilkes Booths trunks in
Washington, and finally they were sent
to Edwin Booth and stored In Booths
theater in New York. The consciousness
that his brothers belongings were in ex-
istence and that If he should die before
they were disposed OF they might be
hawked about the country, pandering to
the depraved curiosity of vulgar people,
was a source Of much annoyance to the
sensitive soul Of Edwin, and he decided
that they must be destroyed.
He could not trust no one so implicitly
in this work as his faithful property man,
and Garry was notified by Mr.. Booth to
be sure and awaken him on certain
morning by o'clock, and TO preserve abb
solute secrecy in regard to what might
Booth at that time slept in the library
of the theater, and Garry went up to his
room at the hour named Il was fully
twenty minutes before the sleeping
tragedian could be awakened, but, after
dressing and taking a smoke, Mr.. Booth
told the property man what he desired
him to do His brothers entire wardrobe
was to be burned. Not a vestige of any
article was to be spared. And they must
not be interrupted in their work. The
Waterman of the house was instructed
not to invade that portion OF the theater
for the next two hours, at least
Garry lugged the trunks into the fur
ak, and held his breath as he raised the
cover of the first trunk. There lay the
dead mans shirts, just as carefully folded
as IL a woman's hand had packed them
away for future use Speaking of the
scene, Garry said:
"Ah. sir, ii made my heart ache to think
of DESTROYING so many fine things With
the tears running down his face Mr.. Booth
took up the articles and after looking at
them for a moment and singing he start
ed for the furnace. and, opening the door
tossed them in. Bundle after bundle fol-
lowed and as the fire became choked with
the unusual fuel Booth would take the po-
ker and rake them over to quicken combus-
ton He kept on with his sad work until
the last was gone.
ut gave me a twinge of pain when
smashed the lock of a big trunk-it was a
giant compared with the others-for the
first thing that caught my eye as L rails
ed the cover was an elegant long oVeTcoat
with a fur collar. had not asked for any
thing up to that moment, but my cupidi-
ty got the better of me then, and / could
not help asking Mr.. Booth If he would
not allow me to keen that. 1t was so warm
and elegant, il seemed pity to destroy
it when / needed II. But he shook his head
and sadly said: mo, Garry, it must not
be. There is no man living | would more
willingly give that coat to than you. But
] cannot endure the thought that any man
not even YOU Garry. is wearing a coat that
my poor, misguided brother had worn. 1t
must disappear in the flames forever,
And wiDing away the tears that liter
ally rained down his cheeks, Mr.. Booth
opened the furnace door, and with his own
hands tossed in coats, shirts trousers,
neckties, hats and everything the. trunk
contained. And when they were empty
they We're smashed and fed into the fur
mace which had destroyed their contents.
1t was a grewsome sight to me, and felt
for many days after as If had been assist
ing at the funeral of a friend"