What is the latest on the Booth DNA Project?

[LincolnMan]

Anyone among the Forum members know? I'm being asked this question frequently. What is the current status?

[L Verge]

I wish I knew. I keep telling myself that, if the State of Maryland, turned down exhumation over ten years ago, the State of Massachusetts would do the same for Edwin now.

However, Surratt House recently sponsored a trip to the new National Museum of Health and Medicine at the relocated campus of Walter Reed Army Hospital. Booth's vertebrae is not on display as it used to be. That was one of the targets that they were expecting to seek for a sample.

When it was reported back to me that it was missing from the display, I wrote to the director of the museum as to why it is not on display and have heard nothing. That was about two months ago. One of the bus trips in our March conference will be to that museum, and I did mention in the letter that it would be nice to have the vertebrae back on display.

So far, no one has ever mentioned the cost of doing the DNA and who would pay for it? Also, there was an effort to obtain a sample of supposedly Lincoln's blood from a pillowcase in Pennsylvania in order to satisfy Dr. Sotos, I believe? Whatever happened to that request? The last I heard there was supposed to be a panel convened to make that decision.

[LincolnMan]

Laurie: boy, that's pretty discouraging. Basically, we know nothing about what's going on. I wonder are we intentionally being kept in the dark or what?

[RJNorton]

Laurie, regarding Dr. Sotos, this was part of Lincoln's Secret Killer which aired on NGC in February of 2011. I don't remember the show very well, but I think the museum denied the request. However, I think Dr. Sotos was able to obtain a blood sample from a small fragment of the dress allegedly worn by Laura Keene. This piece is privately held, and I do not know the provenance. We have already discussed numerous times over the years whether this is Rathbone's or Lincoln's blood. Personally, I lean toward it being Rathbone's. I really don't know. That aside, as I recall, the blood tests were inconclusive, and Dr. Sotos was unable to prove that Lincoln had MEN2B.

[Jim Garrett]

A couple of years back, shortly after the Brad Meltzer decoded show on Booth aired, I was contacted by Joanne Hulme. She was the Booth descendant (actually Mitchell descendant) the show had to re-tell the family story of JWB visiting family well after the "other" Booth was killed in the barn. She had called me at the suggestion of Dinah Farber (rest in peace) from Tudor Hall. She wanted me to buy into the alternate history.

My stock answer is always the same. I would love nothing better than to turn history on it's ear. To have proof that the alternate history is true would be the story of the century. I told Joanne that they may be able to do it without digging anybody up, or getting a piece from the Medical Museum, Neither is ever, ever going to happen. They need to go to the Player's Club and ask about hair. They may very well be able to prove it with what's at the Player's. Have Brad Meltzer throw enough money at them and Brad Meltzer could have the show of the decade. The truth of the matter is, to quote Jack Nicholson is "A Few Good Men", "You can't handle the truth!"

As long as they keep getting turned down for DNA, the story keeps going. As soon as the proof is revealed, the story goes away.

[LincolnMan]

So the State of Massachusetts hasn't approved the exhumation as yet?

[Jim Garrett]

I don't know if the Meltzer group has ever filed any paperwork anywhere. They filmed their episode in front of Walter Reed. They never called Nat'l Museum of Health and Medicine, never made any kind of request of them. Alan Hawk, curator, didn't know anything about new interest. The response from NMHM is always the same. We will turn over the vertibrae for analysis, all they need is a court order.

[Rsmyth]

DNA samples were taken from the Laura Keene swatch privately held by a family in Watertown, NY. I am not sure of the findings. The family has sent me photos and the story behind it. Laura Keene visited Springfield, Ill. and met with a women's group. She gave each member a swatch. The bloody swatch from the Watertown family was woven into a small quilt and has remained in the family up to today. I believe that is six pieces of her dress that survive.

[Craig Hipkins]

Did Laura Keene actually hold Lincoln's head in her lap? I believe that there was a question as to whether or not this part of Assassination lore was factual.

Craig

[L Verge]

(08-12-2012 07:46 AM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  I don't know if the Meltzer group has ever filed any paperwork anywhere. They filmed their episode in front of Walter Reed. They never called Nat'l Museum of Health and Medicine, never made any kind of request of them. Alan Hawk, curator, didn't know anything about new interest. The response from NMHM is always the same. We will turn over the vertibrae for analysis, all they need is a court order.

I believe that Meltzer and his History Decoded attempts were pretty well laughed off the television screen. When I was interviewed by their three investigators, they were quite interested in correct history; but every time they would ask a question with that bend to it, their young, female director would have a fit and yell, "Cut." We even found a barn for them to film, and my staff historian, Joan Chaconas, went along for that shoot. She got the same opinion that they were doctoring the story. Imagine that!

As for the medical museum, when this whole thing started into the courts of Maryland in the early 1990s, the then-curator of NMHM was adamant that the vertebrae would not be disturbed.

[Jim Garrett]

(08-12-2012 11:28 AM)Rsmyth Wrote:  DNA samples were taken from the Laura Keene swatch privately held by a family in Watertown, NY. I am not sure of the findings. The family has sent me photos and the story behind it. Laura Keene visited Springfield, Ill. and met with a women's group. She gave each member a swatch. The bloody swatch from the Watertown family was woven into a small quilt and has remained in the family up to today. I believe that is six pieces of her dress that survive.

And Harry Rubenstein, curator of the Political Collection at the Smithsonian did not sound opposed to the possibility of testing Laura Keene's dress cuff.

[LincolnMan]

To this day, I'm still getting one to two inquiries about the Booth DNA "Project." Does anyone know the latest on it? Is it over before it began?

[Jim Garrett]

There is a project under way. I will check with the parties involved about disclosing any new information and giving you all an update.

[LincolnMan]

Thanks Jim, that would be great.

[Jim Garrett]

I hope to have an update by the end of the week.