The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-04
Secretly Spirited Away-What Ar
ehiVes of Navy Depart
ment Show.

nent Show.
Washington Star.
There has always been more or less
mystery regarding the remains of John
Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President
Lincoln. 1t has been contended that
the body of Booth was never found and
was never buried On the other hand,
relatives of Booth asserted that they
/ had recovered the body from the gov
ernment at Washington and inferred
the remains in a cemetery at Balti-
more, Md.
Research among the archives of the
navy department proves conclusiVely
that the body of Booth was secured by
the military authorities, but what dis
position was made of the remains is
still a mystery. Secretary Gideon
1 Wells, in a communication to the COM
mandant Of the Washington navy yard
under date of April 10, 1865, said: IF
/ the military authorities arrest the muir
dereT OF the president and take him
/ to the navy yard, put him in a, monitor
and anchor her out I'm the stream with
/ a strong guard on vessel, wharf and in
navy yard. Call on commandant of ma
rine corps for guard. Have vessel i'm
mediately prepared ready to receive the
criminal al any hour, day or night He
will be heavily irOned and so guarded
self
Twelve days later, April 81, 1865, the
cOmmandant Of the Washington navy
yard reported to Secretary WeIles as
follows: David c. Harold, prisoner,
and the remains Of Wilkes Booth were
delivered here at 1:45 this morning. The
body Of Booth is changing rapidly.
What disposition shall be made of it?
It Is now on board ironclad Montauk."
Of the same date a joint order, dated
/ 10 o'clock a. m. and signed by Secre-
taries Welles and Stanton Of the navy
and war departments, respectively, was
received at the navy yard, saying: You
will permit Surgeon-GeneraI Barnes
and his assistant. accompanied by
Judge Advocate General Holt, John A.
Bingham Major ECkhart, William G.
Moore, Colonel L. G. Baker, Lieutenant
Baker, Lieutenant-C Colonel Conger,
Charles Dawson. J. L. Smith, Mr.. Gard
neT, photographed. and an assistant, to
go on board the Montauk and see the
body of John Wilkes Booth. Imme-
diateIy after the surgeon general has
made his autopsy, you viii have the
body placed in a. strong box and de-
liver il to the charge of Colonel Baker,
the box being carefully sealed"
Body Removed.
Shortly before 3 O'Clock Of the same
day. April %. 1865. without any intima-
ton 10 the commandant at the navy
yard the body of Booth was suddenly
and secretly taken from the MontaUk
by Colonel Baker, who had brought it
early in the morning Of the same day.
This mode Of procedure was resented
by the commandant Of the navy yard,
who wrote the secretary of the navy
April g, 1855, regarding the transac-
ton. In this letter the COmmandant
SAYS: BY telegram yesterday D. m.
reported to the department the re-
moval Of the body of the assassin
Booth from the Montauk to the United
States arsenal in this district (as SUD-
posed.
I have to report that the removal
was made entirely without nv knOwi-
edge or any reference to me by the
party Of officers and others commits
stoned by the war and navy depart
ments to visit the ironclad. and the first
intimation given me Of the removal was
from the executive officer. who accom-
panied me Immediately to the wharf
with the view Of determining the fact
7 called at once for explanation from
the marine officer, who reported that
the body was so suddenly and Unex-
pectedIy removed to the boat which
conveyed it away that he had no Op-
portunity Of reporting before the work
was accomplished.
This unusual transaction deprived
me Of opportunity of inclOsing the body
in the box prepared for It as ordered
by the department. The box is now on
board the Montauk and ready for de-
livery when called for"
Accompanying the letter OF the COM
mandant to the secretary Of the navy
was the report of the executive officer,
dated April q, 1865, in which he said:
1T appears from the best information
7 can gather from the officers Of the
ship that on the 9th inst, at 100 a. m,