Evening star., 1917-10-07

Certain improvements being under way
at the Washington arsenal at this time
fifty years ago, 1t was neces-
Rooth's sary to remove from their
burial places the bodies Of the
oouy. Lincoln conspirators. four OF
whom had been inferred there after their
execution at the arsenal, and the fifth,
Booth, buried there upon the return of his
body from down river. In this connec-
ton The Star of October 8, 1867, gives an
account, previously unpublished, of the
secret interment of Booths remains:
"The body of Booth, with Herold and
the captors. Lieut.. Col Conger, Lieut.
erty and detachment of the
18th New York Cavalry, arrived at the
navy yard at halfpast O'Clock on the
morning of the eth OF April. when the
body of Booth was placed on the monitor
Montauk. on which others charged with
being concerned in the conspiracy were
confined, and Herold was assigned to
quarters on board. No visitors were al
the day large numbers OF persons visited
the yard and saw the body from the
wharf, it being laid on carpenters s
bench placed near the turret of the ves-
sci. Surgeon General Barnes. with Sur
geon Todd of the monitor, and one or two
Army surgeons, made a post-mortem ex-
animation and removed two of the verte-
brae, between which the ball which caused
assert that this was the only portion of
the body removed and that the various
reports put in circulation at the time
that his head was taken off. his heart
taken out. etc. were entirely unfounded.
"A bout O'Clock the body was wrapped
i'll a gray army blanket. placed In
boat, in which were an officer of the mon
itor with four sailors, Gen. Baker and
fyyn Il eft
stream and finally stopped at the lower
arsenal wharf. on which the body was
placed. The body remained on the
wharf until after night fall and prepa-
Secretary Stanton, Gen. Dyer. chief of
ordnance. and Col. Benton. commandant
of the post, were on the ground, as well
as Gen. Baker and his detectives. Three
men of the laborers gang were sent for
and they were first directed to dig a
grave in one of the penitentiary cells.
but after taking up the brick flooring
they came to the granite foundation
laid in cement and they pronounced the
work impracticable. A spot was then
selected in the wareroom, and they were
directed to dig the grave to a depth of
about ten feet The body, inclosed in
an ammunition box, was brought in by
four of the ordnance men, in charge of
a sergeant. lowered into the grave and
it was filled, the brick flooring being
mostly replaced and the surplus earth
removed TO another portion of the room.
The burial having been accomplished,
the windows were boarded up and the
door made secure. Secretary Stanton
taking the key with him. This key
was kept al the War Department until
a few weeks ago, when it was returned
to the arsenal officers. On the receipt
of the order for the removal of the
bodies. including Booths, on Tuesday,
laborers were al once set to work and
soon accomplished the work, taking
them from the graves and carrying
them to No. warehouse, where a trench
was dug few feet from the north wall,
In this trench the bodies were placed
and. as secrecy had been enjoined. but
few persons were aware that the re-
moval had been made
4
Some time after the death of Presi-