The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-06-15
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
II Was So Complete As to
Leave Absolutely No
Doubt

Washington, D. c., June 10. THE
recent publication of a statement to
the effect that David f George. who
died in Oklahoma. was none other
than John Wilkes Booth created the
greatest interest in The cast. and par
ticulsrly here in Washington 1t re-
vived discussion Of Booths burial and
brought out some new facts. Although /
few doubt that Booth was the assas,
SIM some believe that the body
brought here was that of another per /
SON., While It lay on the monitor at
the navy yard there was positive iden-
tifcation by the late Dr. ] Fred May.
who had performed for Booth a slight
operation for the removal of a tumor
on the neck. and by a woman friend
There was much mystery woven about
the case and to deceive the public
when the body was removed from the
monitor dummy was used. and both
we're carried away. steamer and "a
rowboat each taking bundle from
the monitor, so that those not lmme-
diately concerned could not determine
which carried the body rhe steamer
proceeded down the river. and a ru-
NOR was put into circulation that be-
low Alexandria a transfer would be
made Of the body to a glnboat, which
would proceed to sea and cast It ov-
erboard
Ir tue meantime there had been
prepare,; !. a..,,x for the body in the
carpenter shop of the navy yard. but
this was not used
The rowboat. after beating about
the eastern branch for soms time. fin
ally landed its charge on a @harf at
the arsenal, and while it lay &ere a
sentry prevented the approach Of any
one An attempt was made to dig a
grave in one of the cells of tlg old
penitenuary building bet such slow
progress was made-the floors being
OF stone, laid in cement-that place
in the old store room, a few feet east
of the commanding officers present
residence. was selected Here the
first interment was made
The body. wrapped in an army blan-
ket. was put in a box and a represen.
tative OF the war department, with
two ordinance officers. three or four
of Bakers detective and several civil
liam employees were present.
These facts became known but SC
industriously circulated was the report
that the body had been taken to sea
{. that people generally conld not be in
duced to believe otherwise, especial
ly since a few days later the illus
trated papers published pictures q
the burial at sea The body remain
ed in its grave in Washington fol
some two years. when it was remov
ed to one o5 the storehouses Of the
arsenal and buried under the iooi
with those of Captain Wirz, Of And
.ersonville fame, Payne Mrs. Burrat
and others who we're executed il
July, 1865. as accomplices Of Booth.
In February 1869 an order wa
given by President johnson to M
Edwin Booth for the delivery Of th'
body of John Wilkes Booth to his fam
ily, and Mr.. j. H. Weaver, Of Balti
more, was engaged to receive it 1
was not much decayed, thought 1t ha'
been nearly four years 10 the ground
and when opened the gray blanke
was not disintegrated tnd was stroni
enough to bear the weight OF tn
body when it was transferred to
temporary coffin in which to carry
to Baltimore.
The Witnesses being satisfied tina
there was no mistake, in less than al
hour the body was on its way to Bal
timore. OF those witnesses Mr. Sjear
and one other are the only survivors
In Baltimore the body was CAREFUL
examined by members Of the famil
and friends and fully identified TIL
family were satisfied at the time o