Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-05

take the body to sea and consign it to
oblivion. There is no doubt that the story
emanated from Gen. L. c. Bakers force
as In his published history of his life such
a disposition of the corpse is related and
pictured. And although there were some
movements calculated to bear out the story,
The Star announced within a few days that
the body had been buried at the arsenal.
1t was about 2:30 o'clock when one of the
small steamers of the quartermaster's de-
partment moved up the Eastern branch and
made fast to one of the monitors Then a
boat was rowed out from the yard and
ABOUT the monitors and finally to the
steamer. From the shore spectators were
straininG their eyes to decipher what was
gong on, and soon what had the ap
pearance of body carried to the steamer,
ana few minutes later similar looking
OBJECT followed. Therefore all on shore
were nonplussed The steamer Immediately
cast off and soon rounded Giesboro Point
and steamed southwark.
Proceeded to Arsenal
The small boat in which were naval Off
GER, four sailors and two of Bakers men
pulled away about the same time and in
anything but a direct course reached the
| arsenal front. There the party was landed
on wharf and a sentry was stationed to
prevent intrusion. Some of Bakers men
and War Department olIicial were in con-
sultation with Maj. ]. G. Benton, the COM
| mandant, during the afternoon, some of the
lolHitT ItfIldlHltS iii dlteT HlSHtidIi
The old peniteutiary building extending
across AZ street was then used by the
ordnance department and it was determined
that a grave be dug in one of the cells for
the reception of the body. Two stalwart
laborers with pick and shovel made the at
tempt, but in an hour or two reported the
difficulty of the work and a site was
selected 1t was in the old store room of
the building, which, being paved only with
brick. facilitated the digging of a grave.
After nightfall the body was removed from
the wharf, after being placed in ord
nance or musket box or case, and carried
into the penitentiary Enclosure to the place
prepared and buried without ceremony.
There We're present a representative of the
War Department, who took the key of the
room when the door had been closed; Col.
Benton, the comma ndant, some of Bakers
men and three or four of the arsenal work.
men.
When in 1867 the central portion of the
penitentiary was about to be RACED the re-
mains were eXhumed and placed in the
north end of No. l storehouse of the ar
Senal
In February, 1869, as the administration
of President Johnson drawing to a
close, Edwin Booth secured from him an
order for the body that it might be Inferred
in the family lot at Greenmount cemetery,
Baltimore That day Star reporter was
approached by Mr. r. F. Harvey of Har-
vey & MARI, undertakers, who remarked:
Don't ask any questions. but be at our
place at & o'clock this evening, as one of
my assistants, and you will get a good
item
Promised to Be There.
"Tl be there" was the response and
the hour struck the reporter passed
through the office to the workroom on the
alley and there joined the workmen.
Mr. w. r. Speare, then boy had just
entered the service of the firm to learn
the business. An hour or so before Mr..
Edwin Booth and Mr.. J. H. Weaver, a
Baltimore undertaken, were there consult
ing with Mr.. Harvey, and the latter told
M s,, speare to go to the avenue and hire
get something and to meet them at the
arsenal gate. Mr.. Speare did SO. Messrs
Weaver and Harvey going down in car
riage. They proceeded to the store house
and workmen brought out the box. Then
it dawned upon Mr.. Speares mind that the
fact that the undertaker's wagon was not
taken was to ward off suspicion. A re-
ceipt given to officer and in a little
time the wagon with the corpse was in the
alley from which Booth had rode four
years before. The little company in the
shop We're in waiting and the rumble of
they are simultaneously with Rich Har-
veys call: Come, here, now the
wagon was backed to a stable.
The box was removed by the assistants,
including the volunteer, and placed on
trestes, as was also an ordinary coffin
brought from the shop. The arms chest
was quite lSNt. w men a lantern nad been
produced the scene was a weird, uncanny
one. The box was somewhat decayed
about the joints, but when with little diff
fculty the lid was removed the blanket
with which the corpse had been covered
showed but little evidence of decay.
Blanket Thrown Aside.
The blanket on being thrown aside re-
vealed what remained of the body and
clothing. The latter was in shreds from
of flesh and skin, some of the bones be-
ing bare
Mr.. Weaver seemed anxious that the re-
mains be identified and picked up the
head, examining it carefully. Some
blotches of flesh and skin adhered to the
cheek and jawbones, and the fine suit of
hair for which Booth was noted was still
on the head. Except for the mildew and
CLEANLINESS it was in fine order, and the re-
mark was made by some who had known
Booth that it was an instance of hair
growing after death, for it was an inch or
more longer than it had been his custom
to wear. The head was resting de-
cayed shavings, and one Of the party
plucked what he thought to be a loose
lock of hair, which afterward was found
to be a shaving. The head was taken up
by Mr. Weaver, who examined it with in
terest, and a dentist from Baltimore being
called from the front Office in which Edwin
Booth awaiting developments next
examined 1t. After looking intently at the
teeth, he said:
This is Wilkes Booth for this is some
of my work."
Head Passed Around.
The head was passed from hand to hand
by the others. and Messrs. Weaver and
Harvey examined other portions of the
body, or, rather, what remained of 1t. The
boots were found, one with one leg missing
and slit converting 1t to a shoe; and 1t
was recalled that some of the witnesses
before the military commission had testi-
fled that Booth had had one of his boots so
cut to relieve the pressure on the leg in
which he had broken bone.
Edwin Booth having secured the report
Of the dentist, as we'll as that of Mossrs.
Weaver and Harvey to the Identification,
left with the dentist. The sides of the
blanket in which were the remains were
lifted gently to the coffin, a temporary af-
fair, and in few hours they were in Bal
ttmore, where they were inferred at Green |
mount. OF the company who were present
when the transfer made from box to
coffin only Mr.. Speare and the writer sur
vive.
This statement should be sufficient to dis
pei all remaining doubts. Booth was rec
ogniZed at the time he fired the shot,
traced to the place of his capture was
known personally by some of the captors
his body identified by several as 1t laid at