The National tribune., 1902-04-24

baltimore Correspondence to Pittsbure
Gazette.l
The last of the famous Booth family
has been laid to rest in picturesque Green
mount Cemetery, Baltimore, Md, anC
this Interment rang down the curtain OF
the annals of one of the most famous
families i'll American history. DIR. 10
seph a. Booth, the youngest son of the
famous tragedian, Junius Brutus Booth
died in New York City of heart failure {
fortnight ago. He was brother of boil
the eminent actor, Edwin Booth, and OF
John Wilkes Booth, the slayer of Presi
dent Lincoln.
This last death in the Booth family
and the burial in Baltimore recalls the
controversy in regard to John Wilkes
Booths resting place. At various inter
sunk in the Potomac. Capt. E. W. Hill
lard, of Metropolis, H., told a story q
few weeks ago, in which he claimed to
have been one of four privates who car
ried the remains from the old Capitol
Prison, III Washington. to gunboat
which conveyed them about 10 miles down
Potomac where the body was sunk This
story is emphatically denied by Mr. Henry
W. Mears, an undertaken of this city, who
gives the following account:
SAW BODY LOWERED INTO GRAVE
'At the close of Presidents Johnson's
Administration, said Mr.. Mears, he
granted permit for the removal of the
assassin's body from Washington. John
A. Weaver removed the body to the
same building | am now occupying, and,
despite the fact that it had been inferred
nearly four years, it was in fairly good
state of preservation. Prior to that time
the Booth lot was in Baltimore Cemetery
then they secured the one in Greenmount
Cemetery, where most of that illustrious
family now sleep. Junius Brutus Booth
and his wife, Mary Ann Booth. rest there
Since their interment other members of
the family have been buried there. DR..
Booth being the last. | saw the body of
John Wilkes Booth lowered into its grave
and for many years have had charge of
the lot. While Edwin Booth was alive
he evinced Il desire to beautify the family
lot at Greenmount and sent for me to
arrange the details. Each grave was dis
cussed, and when that of John Wilkes
Booth attracted his attention he turned
to me and said: Let it remain as it is
unmarked
While John Wilkes Booth was the fas-
sassin of President of the United States
and brought down upon his head the con-
demnation of n patriotic Nation, yet there
are many features of his life that appeal
to the intelligent classes of this land, and
there are many interesting episodes of his
career not generally known. Baltimore en-
joys the reputation of being the chief
stage upon which Booth played his ro-
mantle part, and there are many residents
of the Monumental City who treasure up
"reminiscences of that misguided genius.
but none of these stories, as far as gen
eral interest is concerned, can compare
with the tale Edward Nj. AIfriend. of
Richmond, Va, was recently induced to
unfold.
Among other things Mr.. Alfriend had
to say:
Edwin Booth once said to me: John
Wilkes had the genius of my father and
was far more gifted than T. Many old
actors who saw him in his last years, be-
fore his terrible and insane deed at Wash
ington, have told me that they never saw
so great a performance as he gave of
Richard I'LL and other great parts. In
Richmond he played under the name of
John Wilkes, and never used his own
name antil his brother Edwin came to the
city to play Hamlet He then played
Horatio to his brothers Hamlet, and his
name was given in the bills as John