Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-01-18

Soon after the assassination Of
President Mckinley, Mr.. Plowman
was quoted in the North American
as saying that he had the Booth
weapon in his possession. He said
that after shooting the president.
Booth, in his nervous excitement,
dropped the pistol on the stage OF
Ford's theater, Washington.
The stage carpenter picked 1t up
and kept it for some time. Then he
gave it to George X Goodwin, man
ager of the playhouse. Mr.. Good.
win and Mr.. Plowman were asso-
ciated in the theatrical business for
many years, the latter having de-
signed 20 theaters and owned sew.
eral.
When Goodwin died Mr.. Plowman
acted as executor of the estate. AS
he declined to accept compensation
for his services. Mrs. Goodwin gave
Mr.. Plowman the Deringer as a
token of her friendship and appre-
citation. 1t bears a plate inscribed
with his name, 81. Wilkes Booth"
The spring 5of the trigger has lost
much of its strength, and the por-
ton which sets off the cap is Clipped.
Otherwise the historic weapon is
in good condition.
Col. Deringer, a member of the
family which for many years manu-
facturcd the famous weapons bear
ing the family name, says that he
once before had occasion to look
into the matter, and that when the
Plowman claim was put forth again
he decided to get official data to back
his statements.
He has just received this letter from
the assistant secretary of war;
answering your letters of the
18th ult. and I'd inst. in which you
request certain information concern
ing the pistol with which President
Lincoln was assassinated, I beg to
inform you that the weapon in ques-
ton is in the Office of the judge ad-
vocate general of the army, and has
been in the custody of the war de-
partment since the proceedings of
the military commission which tried
the conspirators were received for
trial, the pistol having been found just
after the assassination on the floor
of the box occupied by the presi-
dent.
"It does not have the name of
Booth on any part of it, but has the
letter 'P' on the left side of the bar
,,oI ~ ,,,orJs sDariurar pb;lor in
front of the rear sight, and the same
words in rear of the hammer on the
lock plate"
Speaking Of the matter, Col. Derin-
ger said:
- 81 propose now effectually to settle
this claimants ambition by my state
ment and the letter which hand you
for publication from the assistant
secretary of war to me, which just
received from him This full and ex-
plicit letter, / presume, will put a
quietus on this claim.
1.-THE facts are that the spurious
pistol may have been made, as
claimed, at Kreider's gun shop, Sec
ond and Walnut streets, but not the
genuine Deringer which shot the
president, for that was made at the
old factory in the Northern Liberties.
where all the Deringer firearms were
made for the Indian and war depart
ments and individuals from the year
1906 down to the death of the in
genious inventor of the world-re-
nowned rifles and pistols familiarly
called the Deringer.
''The gun barrels were always
stamped 'Deringer, Phila.,' on the
breech of the barrel, and on the side
of the lock plate, as stated by the as
sistant secretary of war to be on the
pistol in his department. The letter
'P' referred to on the barrel means
proved and was always stamped on
each barrel after they We're tested
and proved. There is little cap box
in the butt of the pistol. When ! ex-
amined It there were two percussion
caps in it, left there by Booth, that
had not been used"