Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-05

struction shops in the naVy-yard, Whlie
a wrangle enSued as to what disposition
should be made Of it.
Several attaches Of the service, Tor the
entertainment Of the gullble, told conflict
ing stories as to the disposition made
of the body, going as far as to reclte thelr
own distinguishing participation in blow
ing it to atoms, sinking it in the Potomac,
taking it out to sea, together with other
| means having less sense and plauslblllty
| in them, among which was its remoVai
across the country to the MISSISSIPPI
river, where, they alleged, it was weight
ed and sunk
NELLIE STAIRS QUEER CONDUCT
Among, Booths female friends in Wash
ington was a blonde known as Nellie
Starr The morning that the news was
received in the capital that Booth had
been run to death on Carrots farm Nellie
Starr attempted suicide by poison. But
while yet in danger OF succeeding IN the
attempt a messenger sought her out
whispered something in her ear $50 the
nurses said and forthwith she under
went a radical change of intent, and CO.
operated heartily and heroically with the
restorative means that We're being en-
ployed.
STRANGELY enough. too, this Starr woman
! Immediately disappeared from Washing
ton and could not be located by the au-
thorities. who hoped to CLEAN from her
some information bearing upon the con-
spiracy and plot against Ilncoln's lie.
Her place Of hiding was in ST. Mary
county, Maryland.
DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
Mrs. Surratt and Booths confederates
were executed. But John Surratt, his
chun, got away. Finally he was located
in the army of a European ruler and was
eXtradited, but the government could not
convict him. So, the eye having been
given for the eye he was soon forgotten
as was also the decomposing body be-
meath the flooring al the navyyard.
Then, with a strategy that was con-
summate if present surmises are tenable.
the Booth family began to solicit sur
render Of the body for interment in the
family burial plot in Greenmount Gene
terry, Baltimore.
There are reasons which will suggest
themselves to reflective mind why it is
possible that the Booth family may not
have been aware Of Wilkes's escape.
There were good reasons why such a
thing might not be allowed to be known,
for ones family are often quite as dan
gerous custodians of a secret as strangers.
After a little red tape the request
was granted. But in order to preserve
the gravity of the environments, delivery
Of the body transpired in the dead hours
of the night: and one morning it WAS
landed in the back room Of an under
taking shop on east Fayette street. Bal
timore.
BODY NOT IDENTIFIED.
That morning several individuals out
side the family circle were quietly nou-
fed that Wilkes's body could be seen.
These persons had been his old school
mates and intimates.
But they failed to identify the body as
Booths.
Little remained for identification be-
You'd the hair, which was distinctly I'M
like Booths.
Why didn't the Booth family protest
against this imposition? Suppose they
had been disposed to do so. The secrecy
which had to be maintained forbade.
Public sentiment was not extinct on the
subject, by any means, and it would
have taken little to have aroused Ic.
Besides the cock-and-buN yarns of off,
Gals had been allowed to go uncontrolled
ed and uncorrected that some irrevocable
disposition had been made of the re-
mains which would make their presence
in Baltimore impossible.
So the body Of a man was inferred In
the Booth lot in Greenmount Cemetery.
Nellie Starr was living In Baltimore, at
this time, having recently arrived from
her retreat in Lower Maryland, for the
strain of public excitement had subsided
and government Investigations had been
discontinued
She was among the number notified sur
reptitiously by the undertaken to have
a last look at the body
Nellie Starr did not go to view the body.
Why?
She knew it was not Booths body.
THE CLARKES GO TO ENGLAND.
John Sleeper Clarke and family remov-
ed to England.
Why2
Nobody ever knew.
Clarke was popular as comedian. and
was making money.
His wife was Asia Booth. sister OF
Wilkes. She was very clever woman,
resourceful and smart. Clarke himself