The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-01

mas no QOuDI that JOQn W HhoS DOOIHp the actor-assassin of Abraham Lin- coin was shot and killed by sergt. Boston Corbett, while hiding in the tobacco house on the Garrett farm near Bowling Green, Maryland.
 At intervals during the last half cen- tury various attempts have been made to disprove the historical rec ords and show that John Wilkes Booth did not pay the penalty for his crime but made good his escape. The latest of these efforts is now being made by Mrs. L. A. Howard, a Tennessee woman who in a statement in the New York zmerican of last Sunday claims to hold proofs that she is the daughter of the actor assassin Mrs. Howard claims that her mother. now dead then living in the Tehnes- see mountains, was married to John Wilkes Booth, while he was hiding there in the years shortly following the national tragedy at Ford's theatre in Washington.
 ity is the same as had been advance ed before that the Federal troops sur rounded the historic tobacco house on the Garrett farm realizing that Booth had eIuded them and buried himself somewhere in the more or less sym pathetic South, and that they delib- erately made their Identification fit another man, the one shot to death 
 The great need of the government to appease the horror and grief of virtually the whole country and the eagerness of that searching party to secure the large reward offered for the assassin's capture, caused this false Identification to be accepted and placed on record. Thus the theories of Booths successful escape in the face of history to the contrary is ex- plained.
 1<~T-r a scholarly and mysterious reciuse known as David E. George died by his own hand, leaving a written con- fession that he was John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lin co1n.
 The Tennessee woman who now de- clares that she is the daughter of John Wilkes Booth, insists that the assas- to escape the Federal troopers who were pursuing him and that he found refuge in the Tennessee mountains. where he married her mother, Mrs. Louisa J. Payne. then a young widow. The marriage took place according to the county records on Feb 24, 1872. Mrs Howard further claims that the man who took his own life in Enid, Okla. leaving a statement that he was John Wilkes Booth, was her father. Mrs. Howard claims that her father received information several months after his marriage which caus- ed him to believe that he was in danger of apprehension and thereupon he deserted her mother and she never
 When President Lincoln was assas- sinated Dr. George L. Porter of Bridgeport was a surgeon in the Uni ted States army on duty in Washing ton. He was one of the surgeons call ed to attend the dying president He was the only commissioned officer present when the body of the assassin was given over for burial.
 When shown Mrs. Towards story this morning Dr. Porter said:
 ''This Is only one of half a dozen such stories which have been told within the past forty years, There is no question but that Booth was the assassin of Lincoln. Neither is there any question that he broke his leg box to the stage after the bloody deed. The facts that pr. Mudd set that broken limb and that Booth and liar old got the concealed carbineS from Mrs. Surratt'S and were later con- cealed on Dr. Mudd's farm for 5s hours have all been established be. yond question of doubt.
 After Booth was shot in the barn his body was taken up the Potomac river, on a gun boat to Washington. Dr. Stone. the surgeon who but short time before had removed a tum- or from Booths neck viewed the body 1 and identified it. Booth had been performing with Charlotte Cushman and the latter who was a vigorous woman, had accidentally struck him in the neck tearing apart the freshly | healed parts of the wound and leav- | ing bad scar Stone. Thousands of people in Wash ington had seen Booth play, among them many prominent officers and the body and pronounced it that of Booth. The boot cut from his broken leg by Dr. Mudd was marked with his l name So was everything else found | h fc 10l1 m tion but that the assassin of Lincoln paid the penalty for his crime in the | burning tobacco house on the Garrett farm in MaryIand.''
 q was present when his body was buried in the cellar of the U. s. pen itentiary under the brick floor. The body was moved several times as the buildings were moved and finally President Johnson in 1868 gave per- l mission to Edwin Booth to take the | remains and move them to a plot in Junius Brutus Booth. their father was buried and where Edwin Booth had | erected monument to him.
 Some years ago piano player em- | ployed in the Star cafe in Middle ! street made the claim that he was the son of John Wilkes Booth. He also to marry after his terrible deed. This 1 piano player bore a striking resem- | blance to the actor-assas ssin but other than this resemblance he could offer
  son of the assassin.
 This is how history says Booth was killed:
 John Wilkes Booth and his youne | accomplice Davy Harold eluded their | pursuers until the early morning of April 26-eleven days after the assas- | sination of President Lincoln. At l a. m- while they were hiding in a l tobacco house on the Garrett farm, near Bowling Greer. Maryland the building was surToun6ea by twenty -sv,1. rI (N-Ir@ A1 |
 lieutenant named Baker hailed the fugitiveS, warning them that un- less they surrendered within five min- | uteS the tobacco house would be fir ed. Booth answered. that although he | had but one sound leg he would agree l to come out and fight them all singly; l but presently Harold came out and 1 gave himself up.
 Colonel Conger then went to a cor 1er of the building and set fire to it | lighting a wisp of hay that protruded through a crack. Immediately there