Another Booth threatens assassination

[Rhatkinson]

I came across this letter today reportedly from Junius Booth threatening to kill Andrew Jackson apparently for the latter not pardoning someone about to be executed. Does anyone know the story behind this?

Heath

   

[Joe Di Cola]

I saw a story about this letter not too long ago. For years, the letter was assumed to be a fake, but has recently been authenticated. It seems that Booth the elder followed the trial of two mean accused of piracy, De Ruiz and De Soto, and felt that they should be pardoned. Booth often acted intemperately and this is one of those instances. The return address on the envelope was for the Browers Hotel, where Booth often stayed.

[Jim Garrett]

The Junius Booth Society believes it authentic and completely in character for Junius. After all, with the name Junius Brutus, well one would tend to think......

[L Verge]

If the photocopy of the letter is hard to read, here's the transcript:

Brown's Hotel, Philadelphia
July 4th, 1835
You damned old Scoundrel if you don't sign the pardon of your fellow men now under sentence of Death DeRuiz & DeSoto, I will cut your throat whilst you are sleeping, I wrote to you repeated Cautions so look out or damn you I'll have you burnt at the Stake in the City of Washington.

Your Master
Junius Brutus Booth

You know me! Look out!

There's a bit of a story here, however, that many books don't tell you. Mike Kauffman makes it a little clearer in American Brutus: Shortly after coming to America, Junius became friends with both Sam Houston and Andrew Jackson (both of whom were characters in their own right!). He occasionally visited Jackson at his home even. Bill Richter brings this out in Last Confederate Heroes, also. When President Jackson began to change to more autocratic politics, Booth turned against him.

BTW: Jackson did commute the death sentence of those two (accused of piracy), but there were five others in the group who were hanged. Can we say "favoritism?"

[Dave Taylor]

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives...th-letter/

[jonathan]

If the photocopy of the letter is hard to read, here's the transcript:

Brown's Hotel, Philadelphia
July 4th, 1835
You damned old Scoundrel if you don't sign the pardon of your fellow men now under sentence of Death DeRuiz & DeSoto, I will cut your throat whilst you are sleeping, I wrote to you repeated Cautions so look out or damn you I'll have you burnt at the Stake in the City of Washington.

Your Master
Junius Brutus Booth

You know me! Look out!

There's a bit of a story here, however, that many books don't tell you. Mike Kauffman makes it a little clearer in American Brutus: Shortly after coming to America, Junius became friends with both Sam Houston and Andrew Jackson (both of whom were characters in their own right!). He occasionally visited Jackson at his home even. Bill Richter brings this out in Last Confederate Heroes, also. When President Jackson began to change to more autocratic politics, Booth turned against him.

BTW: Jackson did commute the death sentence of those two (accused of piracy), but there were five others in the group who were hanged. Can we say "favoritism?"

Okay, that makes more sense. I've just started reading My Thoughts Be Bloody, and from what I've read so far Junius was friends with Jackson. I was a little confused after reading those first few posts. By the way, I wasn't all that enthusiastic about reading the book, even though it's been recommended. But so far I'm really really enjoying it.

[L Verge]

My Thoughts Be Bloody is on my short list of favorites.

[LincolnMan]

I had a patient years ago in the psychiatric hospital who had made a verbal threat against Bill Clinton. The FBI made a visit to the ward to check him out. It's somewhat amazing that the elder Booth made that statement regarding Jackson without any repercussions.