River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-04-11
VICTIM OF ALCOHOL.
Booth, Slayer of Lincoln, Was a
Confirmed Dipsomaniac.
His Great Crime the Most Potent
Temperance Lecture That Has
Been Written in the His
tory of Our Nation.
[splclal Waghlngton Letter.l

toptClal washington IelleT.I
IN THE house of Representatives
there is not man to-day who was
member of that body when Abra-
ham Lincoln was assassinated. Sena-
tor Stewart, of Nevada, now a member
of the senate, was a senator on that
occasion, and he is the only senator
now serving there who was senator
when Booths crime was committed.
There is a man now in the senate who
was a member of the house at that
time-Senator Allison, of Iowa.
Recently there have been published
in many daily newspapers stories and
allegations concerning the disposal of
the body of the assassin; some writer's
saying that Booths body was never
shown to the public, because the Off
Gals doubted whether it was indeed
BOOTH who had been killed The writ
err found in Louis Dietrich. an elderly
gentleman who resided in this city for
half century, man who refutes
these stories. He Said
II have seen such stories, too, as
though the writer's believed the nom
sense about which they write. But |
can tell you that ! was one of the -Svy
few who actually did see and touch JAe
dead body of the murderer. | knee
Mr. Lincoln and | knew the man who
slew him. Booth was better known
in Washington than Lincoln. l mean,
of course, known to the general pub
lie The president was seen on some
occasions, and his pictures were seen
everywhere, but the people did not
often see him. But Booth was seen on
tha stage of Ford's theater and upon
the public streets.
He was usually in some barroom, for
he was hard drinker, almost a dipso-
maniac; and if it had not been for the
excessive use of brandy he might not
have been able to nerve himself to do
the dastardly deed, which he hoped
would make him famous, but which
only made him infamous. He was al
most as eccentric as his father, who
was in many respects crazy man.
The elder Booth would go and put his
body in pawn for liquor, and the the
atrical managers were obliged to hunt
him up and pay the money which he
owed for liquor, in order to get him on
the stage.
John Wilkes Booth was very eccen-
trio and drank to excess every night.
He was a noted pedestrian, constantly
taking long walks, and everybody in
the little city of that day knew him
by sight. He was called "a ladies man,
always flirting with women on the ave-
nue. who would permit him to do so
He was no stranger to the people, and
] certainly knew him we'll and saw him
often.
when his body was brought here
on the gunboat wanted to see him. al
though it was well-nigh impossible to
get a chance. thought of all manner
of schemes to get on board, and at last
went to my friend DR.. Todd, of the
army, and asked him how should get
TO see the body He said: we are GO
ing to make a post-mortem eXamina-
ton tomorrow, in the afternoon. You
come to the gunboat and tell the
guards that you have message for
me. / will be on board and will tell
the guard that l am expecting you,
and order them to send you to me- !
did so, and was allowed to go on board.
Just before the post-mortem examina-
ton DR.. Todd lifted the big tarpaulin
which covered the body on the upper
deck and showed me the face of the
dead man. 1t was as calm and peace
full as baby's, and it was the face of
John Wilkes Booth, the assassin. It's
all nonsense to say that he was not