Decapitation of the Union

[Susan Higginbotham]

(10-03-2015 10:40 AM)John Fazio Wrote:  

(10-03-2015 09:29 AM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  

(10-03-2015 09:00 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  In his book John maintains that an inscription on a windowpane at McHenry House Hotel in Meadville, PA. was made by none other than John Wilkes Booth himself. John is certainly not the only author who has written that Booth did this. But did he? For example, here is what Roy Chamlee writes in his book:

Is this really Booth's work? Opinions?

Art Loux has Booth ill in New York with erysipelas of the arm on August 10, 1864, and still ill in New York on August 28, so he couldn't have gone to Pennsylvania to etch this on August 13. I don't see why he would have etched it later when Lincoln clearly wasn't dead by poison. That leaves only the possibility that he etched it some time before that, and that just doesn't strike me as likely.

Everyone:

I will address Major General Meade's comments later ("acquaintance", indeed!!), but for now I will repeat what Weichmann (a good source) has to say on the subject of the inscription:

In (August) Booth was playing a theatrical engagement at Meadville, Pennsylvania. He registered at the McHenry House...When (the performance) was over, Booth retired alone to his room. The following morning he left the city. When the servant...entered the room which had been occupied by the actor, an inscription was found on one of the windowpanes. It was written in a large, bold hand and was as follows: ABE LINCOLN departed...etc."...The signature of Booth entered August 13, 1864, was cut from the hotel register, and was pasted on the glass under the inscription...All the circumstances in relation to (the framed glass) and of the visit of Booth to Meadville at that time are certified to by Miss McHenry (the daughter of the proprietor) and other residents of Meadville...The handwriting on the windowpane when compared with the signature of Booth on the hotel register is found to be identically the same, and this fact is further verified and strengthened by a comparison with Booth's handwriting in his diary. There is not the slightest doubt that the writing on the pane of glass is that of Booth...

Sounds pretty good to me, especially when coupled with evidence of attempted poisoning of the President, probably with the complicity of the druggist's clerk whose name was Herold and whose place of employment was known to serve the Executive Mansion.

John

Booth's illness in New York in August 1864 is attested to by diary entries by Junius Booth (Aug. 28--"John Booth ill 3 weeks with erysepalas), a letter by Asia Booth Clarke on August 25 ("Wilkes is quite sick"), and letters by Booth himself to Isabel Sumner dated from New York on August 26 and August 28 in which he refers to his arm and thanks her for the flowers she sent him. Samuel Arnold also refers to Booth being laid up with erysipelas shortly after recruiting Arnold.

So all of this evidence of Booth being in New York, all of which except for Arnold's recollection predates the assassination, is to be set aside in favor of Weichmann's later claim? Weichmann, of course, had no access to Junius' diary, Asia's letter, and Booth's letters to Isabel.