Booth's women

[Susan Higginbotham]

(05-07-2018 08:30 AM)Ernesto Wrote:  as famed Jimmy Durante (Im giving away my age) used to say, "everyone wants to get into the act". Witnesses at the assassination, "I knew Lincoln" etc. The mystery woman story comes out almost fifty yrs. later and is not corroborated, as far as I know, by anyone else. Getting on board the Montauk would have taken a lot of effort, but no one else mentioned the episode. I give it the same credibility as Lucy saying she would marry Booth even at the foot of the scaffold. How can anyone prove or disprove the mystery woman. But given all the press and later coverage, if there had been a woman, surely it would have been mentioned. Hence, the speculation, may be fun, but scarely, "worth the candle."

I see no reason to doubt that there was a woman on the Montauk. The 1890 article I mentioned earlier quotes 1865 military correspondence concerning the comings and goings on the ship, and it is one of those letters--not meant for the public and not naming the lady--that mentions a lady's presence there (see the attached file).

A September 30, 1881, story in the Washington Post reports a rumor that Maggie Mitchell was the mystery lady, acting on behalf of Booth's fiancee. Mitchell, contacted by the reporter, denied the story and pointed out that she was not even in Washington at the time.

[Jenny]

(05-07-2018 12:00 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  

(05-07-2018 08:30 AM)Ernesto Wrote:  as famed Jimmy Durante (Im giving away my age) used to say, "everyone wants to get into the act". Witnesses at the assassination, "I knew Lincoln" etc. The mystery woman story comes out almost fifty yrs. later and is not corroborated, as far as I know, by anyone else. Getting on board the Montauk would have taken a lot of effort, but no one else mentioned the episode. I give it the same credibility as Lucy saying she would marry Booth even at the foot of the scaffold. How can anyone prove or disprove the mystery woman. But given all the press and later coverage, if there had been a woman, surely it would have been mentioned. Hence, the speculation, may be fun, but scarely, "worth the candle."

I see no reason to doubt that there was a woman on the Montauk. The 1890 article I mentioned earlier quotes 1865 military correspondence concerning the comings and goings on the ship, and it is one of those letters--not meant for the public and not naming the lady--that mentions a lady's presence there (see the attached file).

A September 30, 1881, story in the Washington Post reports a rumor that Maggie Mitchell was the mystery lady, acting on behalf of Booth's fiancee. Mitchell, contacted by the reporter, denied the story and pointed out that she was not even in Washington at the time.

Maybe that article is what I am thinking about - thank you for sharing it, Susan.

[STS Lincolnite]

(05-07-2018 12:00 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  

(05-07-2018 08:30 AM)Ernesto Wrote:  as famed Jimmy Durante (Im giving away my age) used to say, "everyone wants to get into the act". Witnesses at the assassination, "I knew Lincoln" etc. The mystery woman story comes out almost fifty yrs. later and is not corroborated, as far as I know, by anyone else. Getting on board the Montauk would have taken a lot of effort, but no one else mentioned the episode. I give it the same credibility as Lucy saying she would marry Booth even at the foot of the scaffold. How can anyone prove or disprove the mystery woman. But given all the press and later coverage, if there had been a woman, surely it would have been mentioned. Hence, the speculation, may be fun, but scarely, "worth the candle."

I see no reason to doubt that there was a woman on the Montauk. The 1890 article I mentioned earlier quotes 1865 military correspondence concerning the comings and goings on the ship, and it is one of those letters--not meant for the public and not naming the lady--that mentions a lady's presence there (see the attached file).

A September 30, 1881, story in the Washington Post reports a rumor that Maggie Mitchell was the mystery lady, acting on behalf of Booth's fiancee. Mitchell, contacted by the reporter, denied the story and pointed out that she was not even in Washington at the time.

I agree Susan. Those letters make it pretty clear there was a woman on board - and escorted by 2 Naval officers no less.

Also, I am including a link below for a transcript of the report this article got its information from (Navy Yard, Washington, History from Organization 1799, to Present. By Henry B. Hibben):

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/li...ibben.html

You have to scroll down quite a way to get to the relevant excerpt but it is there just as in the article. There is also some other in the information that looks interesting that I want to go back to and read. Just had a few minutes over my lunch for a cursory glance and then post. Also, with a little digging, I would guess one could find the original 1865 letters quoted in this report in the National Archives.

[RJNorton]

(05-07-2018 11:59 AM)Jenny Wrote:  Roger, I think I remember you mentioning on a similar topic that Baker himself actually mentioned having to stop a woman on the ship from cutting off a lock of hair from Booth’s body.

Jenny, you have a terrific memory! I made that post here. Now, of course, my aging brain has forgotten where I read that. I shall try to find out this afternoon.

[Steve]

Here the text of the letter in question about the lady:

NAVY-YARD, Washington, D.C., April 27, 1865.

SIR: It appears from the best information I can gather from the officers of the ship that on the 27th instant, at 1.30 a.m., a tug came alongside, on board of which was Colonel Baker, the detective, with a dead body, said to be that of J. W. Booth, the assassin. Said body was passed on board with the implied understanding that it had been put on board for safe-keeping.

No orders whatever were left with the officer of the guard or the commanding officer of the vessel concerning it, nor was any written authority for so disposing of it shown to any officer of the vessel. It was a most informal and unmilitary proceeding, which should have been nipped in the bud. The only restrictions to viewing the corpse were to strangers and workmen not employed on board of the vessel. Persons known to the officers of the Army and Navy were permitted to come on board. A lady accompanied by two naval officers came on board, to visit the ship, and not to gratify a morbid curiosity.

About 11 o'clock a.m. Surgeon-General Barnes came on board, and, without asking for the captain of the guard or commanding officer of the vessel, or showing any written authority or informing any officer who he was, or seeming to pay the slightest respect to the military etiquette due one officer from another, walks up to the corpse and commences to cut adrift the wrappings. He was stopped by Captain Munroe, with the inquiry as to his authority for so doing. He replied, "by order of the Secretaries of War and of Navy," and afterwards Major Ekert produced the written order. Hair was cut from the corpse by one of the assistants who accompanied Surgeon-General Barnes, and I am led to believe that it was a portion of that hair which some naval officer very foolishly boasted of possessing.

As soon as the order from you to permit no visiting except by passes from the Secretary was received, it was promptly obeyed. The proceeding of taking the body from the ship was of the same informal nature.

I am sorry to say that I was not present at either time, or I should have put a stop to it.

No persons except those duly authorized have been permitted even to see the prisoners now confined on board.

E. E. STONE,
Lieutenant-Commander.

To Commodore J. B. ,
Commandant.


The wording, "A lady accompanied by two naval officers came on board, to visit the ship, and not to gratify a morbid curiosity", suggests the woman boarded the ship for other reasons, not to see Booth's body.

[RJNorton]

Jenny, I found it in the first place I looked - Baker's History of the United States Secret Service: (pp.507-508)

"I had not had my clothes off for nearly two weeks, and was granted leave of absence from the vessel, on whose deck was lying the corpse of the assassin, covered with two blankets sewed together like a sack, completely concealing it. Upon my return, I was greatly surprised and indignant, to find persons of high position, and some of secession proclivities, around the dead body, the coarse shroud parted at the seam, and a lady at that moment cutting off a lock of the black, curled, and beautiful hair. I seized the fair hands, and, after a refusal to give me the relic, forcibly took it, and then cleared the deck, to the amazement and displeasure of some of the party."

[Steve]

(05-07-2018 01:21 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Jenny, I found it in the first place I looked - Baker's History of the United States Secret Service:

"I had not had my clothes off for nearly two weeks, and was granted leave of absence from the vessel, on whose deck was lying the corpse of the assassin, covered with two blankets sewed together like a sack, completely concealing it. Upon my return, I was greatly surprised and indignant, to find persons of high position, and some of secession proclivities, around the dead body, the coarse shroud parted at the seam, and a lady at that moment cutting off a lock of the black, curled, and beautiful hair. I seized the fair hands, and, after a refusal to give me the relic, forcibly took it, and then cleared the deck, to the amazement and displeasure of some of the party."

Well maybe she did come on board specifically to see the body... Although reading Baker's account the woman comes off more as a souvenir-hunting relative/friend of one of the officers onboard, not an acquaintance of Booth.

[Jenny]

(05-07-2018 01:21 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Jenny, I found it in the first place I looked - Baker's History of the United States Secret Service: (pp.507-508)

"I had not had my clothes off for nearly two weeks, and was granted leave of absence from the vessel, on whose deck was lying the corpse of the assassin, covered with two blankets sewed together like a sack, completely concealing it. Upon my return, I was greatly surprised and indignant, to find persons of high position, and some of secession proclivities, around the dead body, the coarse shroud parted at the seam, and a lady at that moment cutting off a lock of the black, curled, and beautiful hair. I seized the fair hands, and, after a refusal to give me the relic, forcibly took it, and then cleared the deck, to the amazement and displeasure of some of the party."

Thank you, Roger and Steve!

---

(05-07-2018 01:29 PM)Steve Wrote:  Well maybe she did come on board specifically to see the body... Although reading Baker's account the woman comes off more as a souvenir-hunting relative/friend of one of the officers onboard, not an acquaintance of Booth.

Baker does make it sound that way! It’s interesting that the transcript you posted mentioned that the lady specifically *wasn’t* there to satisfy morbid curiosity.

[STS Lincolnite]

(05-07-2018 01:41 PM)Jenny Wrote:  Baker does make it sound that way! It’s interesting that the transcript you posted mentioned that the lady specifically *wasn’t* there to satisfy morbid curiosity.

Stone: "A lady accompanied by two naval officers came on board, to visit the ship, and not to gratify a morbid curiosity."

Baker: "Upon my return, I was greatly surprised and indignant, to find persons of high position, and some of secession proclivities, around the dead body, the coarse shroud parted at the seam, and a lady at that moment cutting off a lock of the black, curled, and beautiful hair."

I suppose both could be true at the same time. It's certainly possible that although the lady came on board for other reasons (and not to satisfy a morbid curiosity) once there, and the opportunity presented itself (or was created), she and the others decided to seize it.

[Gene C]

Lafayette Baker is an interesting person, but .... he's one of those people you might say "wouldn't steal a red hot stove" and then upon further reflection, change your mind.

And that reminds me of an old TV theme song,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz3WMFEC9Gs

[Ernesto]

well i take it all back about mysterious lady speculation.
If Baker and the others can be believed (and we can speculate about him as well) there may indeed have been a woman on board, but I still doubt it. But it wasn't Lucy, (she was no secessionist proclivities) and wasnt Maggie MItchell who was not in Wash.
Note that Stone said he himself didn't witness any woman coming on board.