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Jim Garrett · 10-01-2012, 04:32 PM

Back this past winter, I was priveledge to have a orivate viewing of the contents of AL's pockets from the night of the assassination. I was with David Fleishman, who is probably the world's leading authority on eyeglasses. The contents are well published, but here is the interesting thing to me.........

In the mid 1930's, Mrs. Charles Isham (RTL's daughter) sent over a box wrapped in brown paper to the librarian of congress with a note simply stating that the package contained the contents of AL's pockets. At the time, Mrs. Isham was living in the RTL hous on N St. N.W. The amazing thing is that the Librarian of Congress didn't open it. He simply put it in storage. The package sat in storage until Daniel Boorstin, Librarian of Congress in the 1970's and 80's re-discovered it. The darn thing sat in the Library of Congress for over 30 years without anyone bothering to unwrap the package and open the box to see what was inside.

So please share your most interesting "relic" story.

RJNorton · (This post was last modified: 10-01-2012 05:39 PM by RJNorton.)

On p. 314 of her Mary Lincoln biography Catherine Clinton writes that Lincoln was carrying a pistol the night he was assassinated. If true, could that be "lost" in the LOC? Also, one theory on the papers Edwin Bedee picked up in the street as Lincoln was being carried to the Petersen House is that they may be "lost" somewhere in the LOC. Could Bedee also have picked up the pistol?

Rsmyth · (This post was last modified: 10-01-2012 08:16 PM by Rsmyth.)

Ok Jim. The time we went to CT and I got to hold Mary Surratt's hair. I know some on this board are suspect but what if it was! I held history in my hand. Besides, the same person had the Lucinda Holloway lock of Booth's hair (which we got to see) and that provenance is rock solid. What a day! We even saw Geronimo's ponytail.

Roger, after Beedee's arrest, I do not believe he would have withheld anything picked up or handed to him at Ford's

Jim Garrett · 10-02-2012, 06:18 AM

(10-01-2012 08:14 PM)Rsmyth Wrote: Ok Jim. The time we went to CT and I got to hold Mary Surratt's hair. I know some on this board are suspect but what if it was! I held history in my hand. Besides, the same person had the Lucinda Holloway lock of Booth's hair (which we got to see) and that provenance is rock solid. What a day! We even saw Geronimo's ponytail.

Roger, after Beedee's arrest, I do not believe he would have withheld anything picked up or handed to him at Ford's

There are a few moments that really stand out, but our trip up to Westport was THE STANDOUT! The lock of hair from JWB that was Lucinda Holloways was it. While some have strong doubts as to the provenance on the Mary Surratt lock of hair, we were able to put the pieces of this puzzle together and it looks to me like "that dog hunts".

Donna McCreary · 10-02-2012, 11:29 PM

Th contents of Lincoln's pockets also included a pocket watch which is not at the LOC. The watch was handed to Robert T. Lincoln; who gifted it to his cousin, Benjamin Hardin Helm, Jr; who gifted it to William H. Townsend; who left it to his daughter; who donated it to the Kentucky Historical Center in Frankfort, KY. I'm not sure if it is still on display, but it is part of the permanent collection. There are hand written notes and letters to make the provenance solid.