The FBI Was Still Investigating John Wilkes Booth a Century After Lincoln's Death

[Tom Bogar]

The first official Bureau of Investigation file on Booth was opened in 1908, and the first documents on Booth came in the 1920s. Interesting new Smithsonian article here:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news...180949855/

[LincolnMan]

When did the FBI officially come into existence?

[Wild Bill]

in the 1920s

[Hess1865]

eBay has been selling copies of Booth's FBI report for years

[L Verge]

So has the Surratt House gift shop. One of our members supplied us with the material, and we converted it into a booklet about 25 years ago. It really isn't all that spectacular. Kate Larson alerted me to this little item a few days ago, and we both had a chuckle about what a piece of fluff it is. The lone comment at the bottom was more "interesting" than the article.

[Houmes]

(02-24-2014 09:51 PM)Tom Bogar Wrote:  The first official Bureau of Investigation file on Booth was opened in 1908, and the first documents on Booth came in the 1920s. Interesting new Smithsonian article here:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news...180949855/

Let's see: the Smithsonian is in Washington, D.C. and has one of the highest prestige factors for collection and documentation of U.S. history--does it trouble anyone else that they report Booth "was taken to New York for autopsy and identification"?

[Gene C]

Is't that where Lafayette Baker secretly took Booth's body after pretending to dump it in the Potomac River? Quite an accomplishment in that little rowboat. ...

[RJNorton]

(02-25-2014 09:56 AM)Houmes Wrote:  does it trouble anyone else that they report Booth "was taken to New York for autopsy and identification"?

It definitely does, but perhaps the author also believes the missing diary pages are hidden in the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel.

[L Verge]

We chuckled over that also, Blaine. And, Gene, maybe Baker forced Davey Herold to do the rowing to New York? When Herold was finally captured, he kept complaining about his hands hurting; and I believe there is a reference to them being quite blistered from all the rowing he had done several days before.

For once, I behaved myself and did not post a comment back about this "article."

[Tom Bogar]

[Abashedly] Um, Roger? How 'bout we delete this entire thread?

[SSlater]

Maybe all the FBI reports on Booth are also going to New York, and there is a gigantic file up there somewhere.