The Legend Of John Wilkes Booth

[L Verge]

Backwards Abraham - I invite you to purchase an excellent booklet on The Body in the Barn, compiled by several experts in the field and published since the 1990s by Surratt House Museum for sale in its gift shop. Not only does it contain factual documentation to refute the escaped theory, but also contains statements by then-leading proponents of the "yes, he did escape" theory.

Too bad that you were unable to attend the three-day trial in Baltimore twenty years ago when both sides argued the case in court. I was there for the whole session as were a good number of experts. The judge ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to disturb the bones of JWB and his siblings who had died as children and whose remains were placed on top of John's coffin when he was reinterred in Green Mount. The "escapists" took their plea to a higher Court of Appeals in Annapolis, where their appeal was once again rejected.

The courts used historical documentation to render their decision. Why can't we do the same?

[RJNorton]

Legal briefs for this case can be read online here.

[maharba]

True enough, Susan. Hundreds, thousands likely had worked at some capacity in Shakepeare plays and theatre and opera houses. But how many could recount intimate personal details of the leading actors and actresses, like John St.Helen? Which suggested that this man had worked at a level very similar to Booth. And his knowledge of stagecraft indicated a sophisticated level of experience, as well. And how many looked like John Wilkes Booth, and how many claimed to BE John Wilkes Booth --but only in a final illness situation. Almost like a dying declaration.

John St.Helen (and/or) David George may merely have been a huckster having some knowledge and then trading off his similar looks to accrue the fame of Booth. But, I think it is possible we may yet unravel much more of the Legend of John Wilkes Booth Surviving On, and to do so means looking over original records and making close analyses and even shrewd guesses as to what was taking place. History will not be served by glibly claiming 'the official government record is such and such', or
with revisitations back to the traveling mummy narratives --but only to shortcircuit a stronger investigation into the Legend from all sources of information.

[Gene C]

backwards Abraham, to bad you don't have any FACTS to back up your hypothesis.

This thread is a review and comments about a book that deals with the subject of the Legend of Booth. When asked, I understand by your silence you haven't read it, nor do you have any specific references to share with us regarding this subject.

Hard for me to take your comments seriously.
Or maybe we're not expected to?

[L Verge]

True enough, Susan. Hundreds, thousands likely had worked at some capacity in Shakepeare plays and theatre and opera houses. But how many could recount intimate personal details of the leading actors and actresses, like John St.Helen? Which suggested that this man had worked at a level very similar to Booth. And his knowledge of stagecraft indicated a sophisticated level of experience, as well. And how many looked like John Wilkes Booth, and how many claimed to BE John Wilkes Booth --but only in a final illness situation. Almost like a dying declaration.

John St.Helen (and/or) David George may merely have been a huckster having some knowledge and then trading off his similar looks to accrue the fame of Booth. But, I think it is possible we may yet unravel much more of the Legend of John Wilkes Booth Surviving On, and to do so means looking over original records and making close analyses and even shrewd guesses as to what was taking place. History will not be served by glibly claiming 'the official government record is such and such', or
with revisitations back to the traveling mummy narratives --but only to shortcircuit a stronger investigation into the Legend from all sources of information.

May we assume that you intend to do further extensive research on this subject in order to prove (or disprove) the escapist theory? May we assume that you think there are legitimate avenues that have not yet been found or analyzed? May we assume that you consider yourself a step above the respected historians who have pursued this "chase" for over 100 years?

I can only say, "Good luck with that project and get back to us with your conclusions."

[maharba]

If your assumptions are valid, where would you suggest a man to begin his search? How about with the 1870 census. Have you ever yet seen even one of the "respected Lincoln scholars" simply do that much? As I pointed out in another thread, they have not yet bothered to try and track down Abraham Lincoln in the 1840 census. Do you really think that history was well served by having those "Lincoln experts" quash a simple DNA test for Booth? And for them to actually crow about it, as if they had done history a great service. I admit it is vastly easier merely to point to an "official government conclusion" from the Victorian era. But the same official government hanged Mary Surratt and never even jailed (Lincoln's security guard) John Parker. If all these scholars and investigators do is look for a way out of pursuing viable leads, then they are not serving the interests of genuine history, not in the least degree.

[Gene C]

Bless your heart, you sure know how to hijack a discussion about books you have never read into a lot of nonsense.

Have a good time looking through the 1870 census records in Texas and Oklahoma for John Wilkes Booth, John St Helens, David George, George David, John Doe, John Q Public, Wilkes John Htoob (Booth spelled backwards) or whatever name someone who does not want to be found might use.

[maharba]

Have a good time looking through the 1870 census records in Texas and Oklahoma for John Wilkes Booth, John St Helens, David George, George David, John Doe, John Q Public, Wilkes John Htoob (Booth spelled backwards) or whatever name someone who does not want to be found might use. >

Ahh. NOW you may be closer on the track of the elusive fellow than an ordinary search would produce. I don't know that I ever met a man with last name of George. But there are a surprising abundance of them in the old censuses.

[Wesley Harris]

Wish I knew the current whereabouts of the pistol St. Helen supposedly claimed he used to kill Lincoln.

---

Didn't St. Helen work in a saloon next door to a theater/opera house in Granbury?

[maharba]

I read somewhere that a pistol (derringer?) that either John St. Helen or David George had had hidden away, that it was recovered and is or was in some small town museum. I can't locate the old clipping or item, just now. I think it was in El Reno OK but maybe Granbury TX. My guess is that if a man approached the city and offered a few thousand they would sell it. I have seen items in small museums that somehow seem to disappear over time, with perhaps a small newspaper item that..some items had been sold to reduce inventory.
And there are at least 2 interesting items I have seen about JWBooth's derringer dropped in the Ford Theatre. I seem to remember that I concluded that THAT derringer was likely just one of a matched set of two derringers.

In researching the Legend of Escaped John Wilkes Booth, I have come across some curious coincidental incidents. Those items are never brought out in the Finis Bates and Mummy narratives. One where a grown man 'remembers meeting the escaped JWBooth' at his father's house, as Booth is passing through. Then in researching the father, beyond the surface level of the old article, I see where and how the father really would have known the real JWBooth in Baltimore earlier, and that (his brother) was instrumental in setting up the original
elements of the Confederate government. Yet in the old newspaper article --the boy grown into a man--had known none of this, or mentioned any of it.

[maharba]

Reading the death of David George/JWBooth narratives, it is not clear what poison that David George suicided in taking. Was it arsenic in some compound or was it strychnine? Arsenic
is an elemental and would persist forever in body tissues. While
strychnnine is an exotic plant poison, and should break down over time in the body. Some say that because of the high arsenic level he supposedly drank, that helped to auto-embalm
the body, keep it from decaying soon. Then, most articles say he was embalmed and with a strong arsenic compound, later as well. Strychnine alone would not act much as a preservative after death, but he still may have used that to kill himself, initially. Either of those would be painful, and I'm surprised he didn't just overdose himself with laudanum.

[maharba]

Here's where the trail appears to lead, from

1883 St Helen briefly in Village Mills, Texas.
1884 or 1885 sited in Fort Worth Texas.
1896 David George appears in Heanessy, OK Territory
1899 El Reno Oklahoma Territory

Remember, David George/John Wilkes Booth dies
1903 Enid, Oklahoma

[RJNorton]

Reading the death of David George/JWBooth narratives, it is not clear what poison that David George suicided in taking.

In C. Wyatt Evans' The Legend of John Wilkes Booth it says George had purchased 15 grains of strychnine from the Watrous-Harley drugstore on the morning of January 13, 1903. So it would appear to be strychnine poisoning.

[maharba]

I agree it does very clearly say that, right there. Strychnine. But...we both know that all this Booth, Lincoln stuff always seems to have other 'experts' of the time with diametric claims. And you've likely read enough old clippings and letters, as we all have, you have come across the oddball claims similar to: the KGC and Bill Quantrill came and killed him, etc. I can't remember what method of execution that Jesse James etc are supposed to have used (to supposedly) kill George/Booth or why. In Enid Oklahoma 1903, I'm guessing JWBooth/George was in constant pain from liver disease (cirrhosis, cancer, etc) and possible metastasis spread to bones, organs. Years of hard drinking had not killed him, as he hoped. Strychnine did the trick. William Broadwell Penniman owned the small mortuary and I believe his assistant
named William Ryan did the embalming. I think Ryan figures back into the equation in future years, as he realized whom he was supposed to have embalmed that day.

[Houmes]

I agree it does very clearly say that, right there. Strychnine. But...we both know that all this Booth, Lincoln stuff always seems to have other 'experts' of the time with diametric claims. And you've likely read enough old clippings and letters, as we all have, you have come across the oddball claims similar to: the KGC and Bill Quantrill came and killed him, etc. I can't remember what method of execution that Jesse James etc are supposed to have used (to supposedly) kill George/Booth or why. In Enid Oklahoma 1903, I'm guessing JWBooth/George was in constant pain from liver disease (cirrhosis, cancer, etc) and possible metastasis spread to bones, organs. Years of hard drinking had not killed him, as he hoped. Strychnine did the trick. William Broadwell Penniman owned the small mortuary and I believe his assistant
named William Ryan did the embalming. I think Ryan figures back into the equation in future years, as he realized whom he was supposed to have embalmed that day.

How could George/Booth have been murdered in 1903 by the outlaw Jesse James? Jesse was shot dead on April 3rd, 1882 in his own home, in Missouri.