Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-22
BOOTHS MIDNIGHT BURIAL
Body Of Lincoln's Assassin in a Balti-
more Cemetery.
LAST ACT OF GREAT TRAGEDY
Secrecy Imposed and Observed and
Darkness FittlnEIy BnshrOuds
the Last Act Of the Closing
scene.

the Last Act of the Closing
scene.
Where lies the BODY of j. Wilkes Booth
the assassin Of President Lincoln7 Scores
Of stories regarding the disposition Of the
body have been in circulation from time
TO time some going to the limit Of deny
ing his death and making him a resident
under an alias Of a dozen cities.
writer in the Philadelphia Ledger disposes
OF these stores and fixes Greenmount GEM
etery. Baltimore, the actual resting
place of the assassn's body. The claim
il supported by the burial permit issued
by the cemetery authorities. dated Feb
ruary 1s, 1869. the day preceding the final
interment
Booth was surrounded by his pursuers
in a barn near the town of Bowling Green.
Caroline county, Va. and shot to death
in the afternoon OF April &C. 1866. The
body sewed up in a saddle blanket and
taken BY wagon to Belle Plain, which
was reached in the an room on its way
to Washington on Apr 7 Colonel Baker
received instructions from the secretary
OF war Edwin NJ Stanton. to give the body
secret burial
The next morning the body was lifted
TO the deck of the monitor Montank and
laid in the carpenters bunk of the turret
The next day an autopsy was held and at
2:45 o'clock Colonel Baker, with the assis-
lance Of Lieutenant L. H Baker and sail
ors to row the boat. took the body quietly
to the west side OF the arsenal grounds into
the old Washington pentenuary.
First Burial.
One Of the largest Of the cells on the
ground floor filled with fixed ammunition
stored there by the Ordnance department
was cleared, q large, flat stone lifted from
its place and a rude grave was dug. The
remains were placed in pine gun box.
The body was lowered, the grave filled up,
and the stone replaced
Here the body rested. known to but a
few persons, for nearly four years, &C
cordng to the Ledger writer. Finally,
on February 49, 1869. Edwin Booth re-
ceived from President Andrew Johnson
permission to have his brothers remains
removed to Baltimore for final burial.
Preparations were Immediately made for
the disnterment OF the body. There were
present a military officer, several under
takers, a representative of the press, and
file of soldiers. The box was much de-
cayed, but the body, wrapped In two or
three gray army blankets was in a fair
state of preservation. -Four soldiers car
ried the box to a wagon in waiting. That
night It was placed in another pine box
and taken TO Baltimore by train.
Although Edwin Booth had interested
himself in behalf of the removal of his
brothers body he did not attend the final
burial Of the remains. The members OF
the family who came on to Baltimore from
New York to be present at the interment
were Booths mother, Mrs. Junius Brutus
Booth; his sister, Mrs. Asia Booth Clarke
wife of the famous comedian. John Sleeper
Clarke-and his brother, DR.. Joseph A
Booth all Of whom are now buried in the
same family lot with John Wilkes Booth
in beautiful Greenmount cemetery. Balti-
more.
Secrecy Imposed.
Considerable mystery attended the in
terment, the intention being to keep It as
private as possible and prevent any sort
Of q demonstration. The elder Mrs. Booth,
DR.. Booth and Mrs. Clarke upon their
arrival in Baltimore registered at Guys
hotel. which stood on the spot where
the Baltimore Post office now stands.
The people Of Baltimore soon learned
the significance Of the arrival of three
members Of the Booth family, and as a
result large crowd gathered Immediately
at weaver's undertaking establishment, on
fAyoINo street, immediately opposite the
back door OF the old Holiday Street
theater, which has been a public play
house since 1874 and where John wilkes
Booth had played many q successful en-
sagement
The body arrived In Baltimore at noon
Of February IT. 1859. and was Immediately
taken to Weavsrs undertaking establish
ment. where II was kept until the follow
ing night at l1;B o'clock.
Among those who looked at the body
and identified II as that OF John wilkes
Booth was William l., Ballauf, who be-
came the property boy OF the Holiday
Street theater on October O. 1856. and who
at last accounts was the stage carpenter
OF that theater, having seen practically
fifty-flve years of continuous service in
one playhouse. Mr.. Ballauf has often
told how he came very near to accidental
death at the hands Of wilkes Booth during
the last act of a performance of Richard
I'LL" With outstretched sword In hand,
Booth, in his frenzy as Richard, pushed
passed the Rtonished property boy with a
velocity that nearly killed young Ballauf
the sword almost grazing the skin of his
face.
Another who was permitted 20 view the
remains was DR.. ]. r. w. Dunbar OF Bal
timOre who had taken advantage of OPP
portunities granted to but few men. Not
0niy did DR.. Dunbar view the remains OF
Booth. but It was ne who was permitted
to examine the body Of George Washing
ton when II was removed from the tomb
in which It was originally buried TO the
enc that Is now 10 familiar to every pill
grim vino visits biount Vernon, Va Fur
thermore. 1t was DIT. Dunbar who was In
structed to remove the bullets from the
body OF John Brown before the latter was
hanged at Harper's Ferry.
Solemn MidniEht Scene.
II was just fifteen minutes before mid
night when the body of Booth was taken
to the cemetery In an ordinary undertake
er's wagon. In order not to attract any
attention. II was feared, quite naturally
that the least bit OF publicity would cause
q demonstration on the part OF the man,
southern syhpathiEeTs who were then il
Baltimore.
The body had been removed from Wash
ington In charge sf John H. Weaver tn,