Lincoln Reward Money Fraud?

[SSlater]

Here is a quick story that may have been an attempt at Fraud.
On pg. 335 of "The Lincoln Assassination - The Reward Files" Edited and transcribed by William C Edwards, I found this letter. I took an interest in the letter, because this caper originated in my "Ole' Home Town" - Scranton, PA. This is a surprise to me, because "We never did nuttin' in Scranton." How could they get mixed up in the Assassination?

Winton, A. H. Claims Agent, Scranton, PA.
Letterhead: Attorney at Law, Notary Public, and Back Pay, Bounty, Pension and Government Claims Agent.

Scranton, PA 18 December 1865
Hon. E. M. Stanton
Sec. of War
I have the honor to state that several Germans who were lately Privates in Co. "I", 16th Reg. New York Cavalry and were present at the capture of the Assassins Booth and Herold have applied to me to collect their share of the reward offered.
As their claims must soon be filed, I write for instructions how their claim must be presented, as I desire them be right. If the government has prepared blanks or decided upon a particular course to pursue, be kind enough to have said blanks or instructions forwarded to me.
I am
Very Resp.
Yr Obt Servt.
A. H. Winton.

I have researched the 16th NY Cav. Reg. members at the Garrett Farm andNone of them were from Co. "I".
Apparently this Aretus Heermans Winton was a Lawyer for a number of years, and was in Scranton. Knowing the type of people who lived in Scranton, I have a distinct feeling that there were no Vets applying for the reward - this cat was looking for a loop-hole, to poke his fingers into the Pie. He was a Vet of the war and just starting in business, and most likely hungry.

I have contacted some friends in Scranton, to check out the newspapers in and around Dec. 18, 1865 and see if there was any more to this story. I would be interested in knowing -Who they were? Are there descendants around? and if the request for payment is still open - I spell my name JOHN F. STANTON, I'm from Scranton,and I was there too. (Some people call me "SSlater", if that works.)

[Rob Wick]

That wasn't the only attempt at fraud. In my article in the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, I talk about another and how members of the 16th New York, many of whom were nowhere near Virginia, applied for the money. Here's a link to my article.

Best
Rob

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/2629860...w=fulltext

[SSlater]

Thanks Rob. Your article was exactly what I was looking for. I am sure we all have given this subject some thought, but never researched it - as you have. I would not have looked further, if it had not mentioned Scranton. Now, I want to know more. I'll see if I can determine if the lawyer was in it for his own gain, or was it the Germans who may have believed they were due a reward. However, their claim that they were present at the Garrett Farm, does not allow me to believe that they were being honest.
If there is a "story" here, or no "story" at all, I will report the results in this Symposium.

[maharba]

That I can tell, Boston Corbett got $1,000 for shooting John Wilkes Boothe (or John Boyd or whoever) in the back "as god directed him to do". I can't tell the full amount paid out for 'capturing' Booth/Boyd. Old clippings I have say that the insane Boston Corbett was soon robbed by Southern oriented veterans, probably just thieves, who took his money and his pistol. The socalled "horse pistol" and other weapons that Corbett carried later, are not supposed to be the murder weapon used on Booth. I don't know if ALL the official govt reward money was paid out (as advertised) for the capture of John Wilkes Booth. The reason I mention is that much later, the lawyer and promoter Finis Bates appeared to have petitioned the U.S. government for the reward money on capturing JWBooth. The stories vary on this, but Finis Bates
appeared first to have 'turned in' John St.Helen --circa 1875 WHILE living in Texas-- as being JWBooth. Then it appears after the death of David George in Enid OK, again, that Finis Bates filed to receive the reward money on JWBooth from the government. I think he either got no reply, or a one-liner reply to the effect that 'the files are closed on Booth'. It always seemed unusual to me that Federal soldiers doing the job they were hired to do (capture an assassin) should even believe that they were qualified to put in for a Bounty or Reward --beyond the simple pay of their jobs. For instance, a cop today arresting a Wanted Man, I don't believe the policeman can receive any Reward money outstanding on the man.

[maharba]

Checking as best I could, I see several different listings of the Reward Money paid for the murder of John Wilkes Booth. The Federals advertised $100,000. The apparent official listing totals up to $75,000. In that listing Boston Corbett and crew got $1,000 apiece. In another listing, it lowers the fat
checks (which were to be paid?) to higher officers, and there it lists Corbett getting instead, $1,653.85. In that accounting, I cannot figure the total amount paid out. It does look the government withheld $25,000 from their $100,000 figure.
So, it looks like there was an outstanding $25,000 reward on Booth that went unpaid.

[Dave Taylor]

(01-07-2016 06:23 AM)maharba Wrote:  Checking as best I could, I see several different listings of the Reward Money paid for the murder of John Wilkes Booth. The Federals advertised $100,000. The apparent official listing totals up to $75,000. In that listing Boston Corbett and crew got $1,000 apiece. In another listing, it lowers the fat
checks (which were to be paid?) to higher officers, and there it lists Corbett getting instead, $1,653.85. In that accounting, I cannot figure the total amount paid out. It does look the government withheld $25,000 from their $100,000 figure.
So, it looks like there was an outstanding $25,000 reward on Booth that went unpaid.

You need to look at actually period sources, maharba, and not random things you find online. Your biggest mistake here is thinking the government offered a $100,000 reward for Booth. They never did. The reward posters clearly offer $50,000 for Booth, $25,000 for David Herold, and $25,000 for John Surratt. The government paid out the $75,000 for Booth and Herold's capture (and also included rewards to those who helped arrest Atzerodt and others as well) and then rescinded the reward for Surratt in 1866.

Going back to original, period sources is the only way to do accurate research, otherwise you start falling down rabbit holes that lead you far astray from the truth.

[BettyO]

Quote:Going back to original, period sources is the only way to do accurate research, otherwise you start falling down rabbit holes that lead you far astray from the truth.

Amen, Dave! You said it all......

[Eva Elisabeth]

According to "JWB Day by Day", Jones was offered a $100,000 reward for Booth by a federal captain (unauthorized) while hiding them in the pine thicket (but Jones kept silent), yet the "small" sum upset Booth.

[Dave Taylor]

(01-07-2016 08:17 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  According to "JWB Day by Day", Jones was offered a $100,000 reward for Booth by a federal captain (unauthorized) while hiding them in the pine thicket (but Jones kept silent), yet the "small" sum upset Booth.

That is true, Eva. Detective William Williams did offer $100,000 to any man who could help him locate John Wilkes Booth when he visited Port Tobacco. However, as you state, he was not authorized to do so and would not have been able to follow up had Jones taken him up on his offer.

[Eva Elisabeth]

(Just wanted to say wherein the myth probably originated.)

[Dave Taylor]

(01-07-2016 08:23 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  (Just wanted to say wherein the myth probably originated.)

Oh, I understand, Eva. It is a possibility that the myth of the $100,000 reward for Booth originated with Jones, but I also think the Reward poster has thrown many people off as well because they don't take the time to read the whole thing.

I highly recommend William Edwards' transcription of the government's reward files held by the NARA. Not only does this recount the specific payouts to specific people for the capture of Booth, Herold and others, but it also contains all of the applications that were received by the government by those asking for reward money. The different accounts give an interesting perspective on how the troops and detectives hunted for the assassins.

[Gene C]

Speaking of on-line resources, Dave Taylor's BoothieBarn,

http://boothiebarn.com/2012/03/04/hello-world/

is an excellent resource. Dave is a good researcher and well respected.

[RJNorton]

Very well said, Gene! I second you!

[Dave Taylor]

(01-07-2016 08:45 AM)Gene C Wrote:  Speaking of on-line resources, Dave Taylor's BoothieBarn,

http://boothiebarn.com/2012/03/04/hello-world/

is an excellent resource. Dave is a good researcher and well respected.

Thanks, Gene.

(I'll mail you the $20 I offered you for the advertisement )

[RJNorton]

And I get nothing for seconding Gene? Seconding someone in Eva's Trivia Advent Calendar earned the person points...