The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-01-08
Wilkes Boeta's Double.
Curious Story of the Rev. John G.
Armstrong.

Armstrong.
From a romantic point Of view,
says the Philadelphia Times, the
most interesting object of all about
the old Monumental church of Rich
mond, Va, is the photograph OF
Wilkes Booths double. It hangs in
dark corner Of the old fashioned yes,
try room, and represents man in
the prime of life, standing beside a
table. his long, clerical garments giv-
ing him an increased height and Dig
nifty. The long straight hair is
brushed straight back from the high,
broad forehead, and the face, in its
every lineament, is said to be the
image Of Wilkes Booth as he would
have appeared at that time. The re-
semblance is certainly most remark
ble-the deep, black eyes, the shape
of chin, mouth, cheeks, forehead, eye
brows and nose-and moreover there
is subtle similarly of expression to
members of the Booth family that
defes description.
This man was Rev. John G.. Arm
strong, pastor Of the church from
1878 to 1854. Bat even to this day
strange rumors of the final end of
Wilkes Booth are to be heard in
places where his friends and intimates
lived and talked long after the assas-
sination Of President Lincol had
passed into history. There are tales
OF a mysterious grave, Of a body
that tailed in some Of it's marks with
those of Wilkes Booth and differed
materially in others, and an irtagible
fabric of suppositions built about
series of gossiped incidents. How
ever valueless these may be listori
cally, they show an undercurrent
that found an outbreak in the ro-
nance of Mr.. Armstrong of Monu-
mental church.
The likeness of Mr. Armstrong to
Wilkes Booth was so startling that
some people who had seen both men
found it hard to believe that they
were not the same. The preachers
manner might be called dramatic.
His movement and gestures had the
repose and breadth most actors &C
quire in following their art and liv
ing and workinging constantly be-
fore IN audience. lie was, moreover,
slightly lame, as Wilkes Booth would
probably have been in consequence
of the injury to his leg in jumping
from President Linccln's box, Aside
from this fact, Mr.. Armstrong; man
ner, voice and temperament led to
the conviction that were he not q
priest he would have been a great
actor. It is said that his daughter
did subsequently go upon the stage,
and met with great success.
No subject Of discussion was more
constant in Richmond than the posi-
bility that Mr.. Armstrong and Will
kes Booth were one and the same
person. Mr.. Armstrong strenuously
denied the identity, but such denials
could not silence the rumors. There
seemed, moreover, to be a shadow
over his antecederts. He came to
Richmond a comparative stranger
and claimed that he was priest Or
dained in ireland. An investigation
was quietly started to clear up the
facts as to his past, but did not give
entire satisfaction. In the midst of
the constantly reiterated declarations
and denials, the clergyman was &C
cused OF irregularities in his habits,
and this again called forth the charge
that he was not all he seemed to be.
He finally resigned the rectorship Of
Monumental Church, and went to a
city in the extreme South. Shortly
after he left the ministry he sank out
of sight and died in obscurity. But
even to the end the doubt as to his
identity hung like a shadow over his
life, and when on his deathbed his
last words were a denial-a pathetic,
heartbroken denial-that he was
Wilkes Booth.
Knights Of the Maccabees.