Izola Martha Mills marriage certificate/note to Mr. Hall

[Jenny]

Hi all!

I've been cruising around Ancestry.com (yeah, I hear everyone yelling, "GET OFF!") and decided to check in with an old "friend" of mine: The John Byron Wilkes family tree based on that nutty will written by Booth imposter John Byron Wilkes. I was surprised to find several new documents under Izola Mills' profile. One is a picture of labeled "Izola Martha Mills and JWB" which I will post here in a moment.

The other is a marriage certificate under the label "Letter certifying marriage of JWB and Izola Martha Mills." However it appears whoever posted this certificate might have missed something. Something important.

There is a note attached to the bottom which addresses a Mr. Hall (I am assuming Mr. James O. Hall). Even though I darkened it, I am not sure what it says - can you guys help me decipher it? But on the top of the document I believe I see a handwritten note that says, "Declared a forgery by Mr. Hall."

I don't know much about the whole "Izola Mills marriage" theory but I do find it amusing that someone submitted this as proof of a marriage when it clearly has notes declaring it a forgery! And I thought you all might like to see this picture of "Izola and JWB." Again, no idea where it comes from... and it doesn't really look like him to me.

Thoughts? Opinions?

[Gene C]

He certainly won't win the JWB "Snappy dresser of the year" award. From other photos of Booth, I can't imagine him having his photo taken in those clothes or hair not perfectly combed.

Also his hands look arthirtic, rheumatism or injured in some way.

She looks like she is enjoying the happy occasion too!

Neat find Jenny, but I'm with you on this one.

[Laurie Verge]

James O. Hall spent a great deal of time and money dealing with this issue and found no legitimate evidence of any marriage between John Wilkes Booth and any woman. Two New England members of the Surratt Society even researched for years and wrote a book on The Elusive Booths of Burrillville, stating that they found no evidence of a marriage.

I have never seen this particular photo, but it's definitely not JWB, and the woman only vaguely resembles Martha in darker coloring.

The note re: "Miss Gail" must have been referring to a descendant of Izola Forrester that I have known for thirty years and who is a member of the Surratt Society. Wonderful woman and resigned to the fact that there may not be a connection with Booth - at least not a legitimate one.

[Jenny]

Thanks for the info, Laurie! I wish I'd known Mr. Hall - he must have been quite the researcher! I'm very grateful for all the research the Surratt Society and Mr. Hall did over the years in regards to the elusive women in Booth's life.

Agree that it isn't Booth in the picture; I've seen about five different pictures of "Izola" so I'm not sure what to think about the woman in this particular picture but it's probably not her. Do you have the "definitive" image of Izola Mills on hand to post here by any chance? I would love to see her. If she looked anything like her granddaughter, she must have been lovely!

I'm just amused that someone would completely ignore the "declared a forgery" note on this and use it as "proof" for a marriage.

[Laurie Verge]

I'm pretty sure that we have a photo of the lady in our volumes of photograph albums that we are in the process of digitizing into Flickr. Give me a few days.

[Jenny]

Awesome! Thank you!

[Craig Hipkins]

I can add this one to my list of Booth impostors and alias'

Craig

[Jenny]

I really do think a list of them would be handy...
I have pictures of John St. Helens/David E. George (alive, not the mummy) and John Byron Wilkes if anyone does start a list and would like them. I think those two have the honor of being the most (in)famous out of the lot of fake John Wilkes Booths. Feel free to contest me on that though!

[Craig Hipkins]

I really do think a list of them would be handy...
I have pictures of John St. Helens/David E. George (alive, not the mummy) and John Byron Wilkes if anyone does start a list and would like them. I think those two have the honor of being the most (in)famous out of the lot of fake John Wilkes Booths. Feel free to contest me on that though!

Jenny,
You are absolutely right. Those two are the ones that seem to be often mentioned thanks to Finis Bates and company.

Craig

[Jenny]

And I just found another Booth imposter, Craig! A new one to me! His name was William Murray, he confessed to being JWB on his deathbed, etc.! The usual story.

I'm about to give up trying to remember them all.

EDIT: I feel the urge to start a new thread on here so we can start listing all of the fake Booth stories... someone stop me...

[RJNorton]

Thank you to Laurie who sent these photos along with the following intro:

Jenny recently asked about Izola Martha Mills, who claimed to have married John Wilkes Booth before the “unpleasantness.” Posted here is a photo of the lady and also one of Booth’s “supposed” daughter, Ogarita. These photos appear in the book This One Mad Act, written by Izola Forrester, “supposed” granddaughter of Booth and Martha.

[Jenny]

Laurie, bless you for remembering and thank you for sending these! I certainly hadn't ever seen either image. Ogarita's picture here is definitely the most flattering one I've seen of her.

[Gene C]

Ogarita is certainly an unusual name. Was it more common back in the 1860's?

IS the "supposed" actually out of Izola's (that's unusual name too) the "supposed" granddaughters book. I bet she wasn't to happy about that caption. Does she make a strong claim that she is JWB's granddaughter?

[Rsmyth]

Speaking of strange names or words; above Ignatius Booth Grossman's name on his grave marker is the word Orokre. He is buried in the Booth plot at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. Any idea what that means? Googling it only gives me one Hungarian reference.

[RJNorton]

Rich, did you see the English translations here?