** NEW DISCOVERY REGARDING BOOTH AUTOPSY PHOTO

[L Verge]

This is just my personal take on the subject (and I dealt with Mark Katz while he was writing and then selling his book - which is beautiful):

So far as I can tell from Mr. Katz's citation in the book and from what papers at the James O. Hall Research Center indicate, the Wardell "letter" only exists as a TRANSCRIPT (shades of Joseph Lynch and the missing pages from Booth's diary - a transcript that got easily dissected as a fake back in the early-1980s.). At the time Katz was writing the Gardner book (which includes much more than just this one topic), it is my understanding that the TRANSCRIPT was in the hands of Lincoln artist/collector Lloyd Ostendorf (whose integrity has been questioned on several other occasions). In fact, the citation refers to it as a transcript from Lloyd Ostendorf.

I never met Mr. Ostendorf, and he is now deceased. I don't feel that it is fair for us to judge him on this occasion. Does anyone know what happened to his Lincoln-related holdings? Does anyone know from whom he acquired even the transcript of the Wardell letter? Does anyone know if Oldroyd or Ostendorf or anyone ever said that they had the original? One of the best researchers in the field, Michael Kauffman, told John Elliott that he never found proof of Wardell even existing. To me, that says a lot because I know the amount of time, money, blood, sweat, and tears that Kauffman put into his work.

In a recent telephone conversation with some folks, however, I was told that another gentleman has claimed that he found the Lawrence Gardner article several years ago and is upset that John Elliott has brought it to everyone's attention first. This person, however, evidently uses several aliases or just his e-mail moniker in his correspondence. He also sounds like he is very protective of the memory of both Oldroyd and Ostendorf. If I remember correctly, Robert Lincoln had very little good to say about Oldroyd...

The search for Wardell and his original letter is yet another avenue for us to travel down. Mr. Hall used to call our gang the Baker Street Irregulars. Those of you familiar with Sherlock Holmes will get the connection. Any Irregulars out there want to join in the search?