Evening star., 1934-06-03

case containing the American flag at the
Treasury Building, read
This flag tras purchased and presented By
the ponien clerks of the Treasury Department
to association, the Treasury Guards, con-
sfsting OF employees OTgonized JoT the defense OF
Washington. Sinlildr organizations tCere formed
in other executive departments. The flag t0as
loaned to Ford'S Thedter to decorate the boz
occupied by President Lincoln. The hole in the
flag irds caused by ,Dedr and not By the spur
of Booth. His spur caught in the fringe. caus-
ing him to fall and break his Qnkle" Mote:
This is an inoccuracy, as Booth did not break
his ankle, only small bone in his ankleJ
The morning after Lincoln assassinated,
that particular flag (an American flag, and
one believed hung over the Presidents box,
rather than around it,, was taken to the
Treasury Building and placed in the Secre-
tary's office In time, the flag somehow got
down into the machiniSt's room. In 1871 Capt.
H. A. Cobaugh, then captain of the watch,
brought it up and put it on a pole and placed
it in his Office where it hung for a number,
of years. 1t was eventually placed in a case.
That is the story of the flag OF display IN
the Treasury Building. No proof seems avail
able that it was other than one of the American
flags which hung over the box.
THE Treasury Guard flag on display in Lin
Treasury Guards by the women clerks. 1t
must be remembered that every regiment and
military order always carried two hags-the
national colors and its regimental So as not TO
confuse the witnesses and diStort the facts,
when reference made in the trial to the
Treasury flag, just that meant very
few knew that night whether the Treasury
Department owned the national colors on dis
play there or not. But they did recognize and
know the Treasury Guard flag, and by that
name 1t was thus mentioned several times
in the testimony.
As to the general character of Emory Turner
father Of Mrs. Gavit who presented the
Treasury Guard flag to the Lincoln Museum,
papers of the record of this man in the Treas
ury Building show him to be a man of excel
lent character honest and able with three
promotions in less than a year. So it is hardly
likely that his claiming to have in his poses
sion the actual flag which tripped Booth, and
which his daughter, Mrs. Gavit, eventually
presented to the Lincoln Museum was a fab
rcation.
In an account of the line of march in the
Lincoln funeral procession read:
They 0he Treasury Guards) carried with
them the flag torn by Booth as he leaped to
the stage Of Fords Theater on the night of the
assassination" But the Treasury Building
flag claims, in its carded message that no
tear was caused by Booths spur.
And So there is the story of the two flags:
one ON display in the Treasury Building an
American flag with no rent, which all testimony
seems to show as having been made by Booths
spur in the flag draped around Lincolns box.
The other, Treasury Guard flag, on display
at Lncoln's Museum, also in Washington, Is
torn, decidedly so, and not worn by time.
Thus all present evidence points definitely
to the flag on display at Lincoln's Museum as
being the actual one which tripped Booth that
fatal night 60 years ago.