OMG!! John - YOU da' Man!!

Thank you so very, very much! This is extraordinary......downloaded my own personal copy -can't wait to get into this....

Thanks!

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Whoa.....

Just read the entries for July 6-8, 1865....

All he talks about are buying cigars and "sponges?!?"

NOTHING about the visit to Powell's cell, Powell giving him his pocket knife and nothing about the hanging???!!!!!

I was hoping for more....not Eckert's shopping list! Oh well....

(06-03-2013 03:09 PM)Rsmyth Wrote:  So, does this mean that the circa 1970’s statement that autograph dealer Joseph Lynch had not only the missing pages of Booth’s diary but the glass plate negative taken by Gardner is false?

I wasn't aware of that statement but I'd have to say 'yes' it was false. I'm betting on Lawrence Gardner being a reliable and truthful witness.

(06-03-2013 03:09 PM)Rsmyth Wrote:  So, does this mean that the circa 1970’s statement that autograph dealer Joseph Lynch had not only the missing pages of Booth’s diary but the glass plate negative taken by Gardner is false?

Yep, along with his claim that he had gotten them from a Stanton descendant.

If Gardner did not take a photograph on board the Montauk would it have been possible for him or someone else to have had the opportunity at some other time and location?
I like throwing a bone out there!
Very interesting thread and good detective work John!

Craig

(06-04-2013 06:15 AM)Craig Hipkins Wrote:  If Gardner did not take a photograph on board the Montauk would it have been possible for him or someone else to have had the opportunity at some other time and location?
I like throwing a bone out there!
Very interesting thread and good detective work John!

Craig

Hi Craig, its always possible but highly unlikely. Booths body was secreted to the Penitentiary and buried in am old store room. He was then transferred to a warehouse where he was buried in a common grave with the dead conspirators and Wirtz.

I would suspect that Booth's body was heavily guarded the entire time. The government was certainly wary enough about anyone getting it that they faked the water burial in the Washington Channel while he was being buried in the store room at the Penitentiary. Isn't there a log book of who was signed onto the Montauk after the body came aboard. Are the tales of Fanny and Lucy and others coming on board substantiated in any way?

John,

Thank you for your article on the autopsy photo. It would certainly seem to settle the question, but I wonder what you make of Wardell's letter where he says that he delivered the negative to Stanton per his orders. Was this just implied in Wardell's letter (I just read a synopsis of the letter on Barry's site and not the actual letter) or did he literally write that? I can't imagine why he would say that a photo had been taken if that was not the case. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Heath

Back in May Laurie wrote, "I believe I'm correct that, since the publication of Mark Katz's book, there has been some question as to whether or not James Wardell even existed?" Did anyone ever reply to her? Is it conceivable Wardell didn't exist? Anyone know?

John replied to me earlier in the thread that there is no hard evidence found to date that Wardell existed. No census record or the like.

Although I wonder why Katz would go to such great legnths to create this character and this rather elaborate letter. I realize he was trying to sell a book but for the purpose of establishing there was a death photo of Booth???

Hi folks,

Yes, its my belief that James A. Wardell never existed and was a fictional character completely made up. I don't believe Mark Katz made the story up but I do believe he may have falsely attributed it to Osborn Oldroyd.

Barry suggested that the name James A. Wardell may be an anagram for something else. I came up with a few things but always ended up with leftover letters. Have at it folks! See what you can come up with.

I was wondering if there was ever any mention by anyone other than Lawrence Gardner of the wreath of stars surrounding the JWB he saw tattooed on Booth's hand. According to Asia Booth Clarke, "....across the back of one (hand) he had clumsily marked, when a little boy, his initials in India ink". She made no mention of a wreath of stars, which may have been added later in his life. It seems sort of odd she never mentioned it in her writings after his death.

I think we all wondered about that when John posted this piece that he found. It was certainly the first time I had ever heard of it; I immediately wondered if Booth added the stars when his patriotic fervor took over. Something else to speculate on...

(05-30-2013 03:45 PM)Laurie Verge Wrote:  Given Stanton's aversions to dealing with death, I can easily see where he would not want to view the body of the man who had caused so much grief.

As for some other questions: I don't think we can dismiss a 42-year-old's memory as being vague after 25 years compared to other times when the "eyewitnesses" were in their twilight years.

Also, a 17-year-old is going to definitely remember the day that he went with his father and saw the assassin of the President. That would be burned into my memory until I was 42 or older.

I can also see where a photo of that corpse could create problems if it ever saw the light of day. Linda Anderson and I were discussing this about an hour ago. If the corpse didn't look like Booth (which it obviously didn't), the Northerners would immediately claim that the assassin had escaped (just like some of us are speculating now!). On the other hand, if the corpse was in bad condition (which frankly still shocks me that it was that badly decomposed in 24 hours), Southerners would scream that the authorities had desecrated the body (or even that Booth had been brutalized before death). It was a no-win situation to me.

And finally, since we have never found any further evidence to suggest what happened to the photo or anything to document that the photo was actually taken, we have to go with this account until something different can be proven.

Laurie, I could not agree with you more. As far as Booths death goes there will always be controversy on both sides. But I am told that controversy is a good thing. It keeps you thinking and also gives O'Reilly something else to write about. Best Gary

(06-16-2013 04:55 PM)NJREB1863 Wrote:  I was wondering if there was ever any mention by anyone other than Lawrence Gardner of the wreath of stars surrounding the JWB he saw tattooed on Booth's hand.

I've never seen it mentioned anywhere else. I've read accounts of the tattoo being located on the left arm, right arm, left hand, etc. It's very confusing. According to Mike Kauffman, many of Booth's theater friends said that the tattoo was located on the left forearm.

It's hard to say and can be very confusing to sort out.

If we have verification that Booth was right-handed, it would make sense that the tattoo would be on the left arm or hand. It has always been my understanding that the tattoo was in the curve between the forefinger and thumb on top of the hand. In the days when men seldom showed their forearms, it would make more sense to me that Booth would have tattooed his hand so that it would be seen by others.