John Wilkes Booth Ring

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(09-17-2014 12:25 PM)PaigeBooth Wrote:  

(09-17-2014 11:29 AM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  I don't believe there was a ring listed on the inventory of items taken from Booth and Herold at the Garrett farm. If anything would have been taken, it would probably been the stick pin.

Hi, Jim-- Do you think if the Union cavalry stole something from Booth, they would have bothered to write it on the inventory list? Is it possible they might have conveniently slipped items they wanted into their pockets and left those items off the list? Would that have been possible?

This is something I have wondered about for some time. Thank you for any information you know about this. If you have any other information, please let me know-- I would like to learn more!

I don't have an answer for this, but I think a lot would depend on how many people had sole access to the body long enough to steal things. While he lay dying, the officers in charge and Lucinda Holloway would have prevented theft (I would think). In getting the body transported to D.C. and on board the monitor would be the time for this, but there would be a few witnesses and probably a bit of a scuffle in people trying to grab what they wanted.

Jim is probably correct that the stick pin was the most valuable thing on him, and I don't believe this was found until his clothing was removed down to underwear and the pin was found holding together a tear in his undershirt.