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Trata riiilAuolt*lU» luquiiw.Tho following verbatim copy ofa letter in writing which is the hand-wrifing of Johu Wilke* Booth. the murderer»d Pre** ident Lincoln, hu Keen furnished us by the IIou* Win. Millward, United States Marshal of tho Kastern District ni I’cnna. It was handed over to th:»t officer by Johu S. Clarke, who is a brother-iu law of Mr. ' Booth. -The history connected with it is: somewhat peculiar. Iu November 1864. ' the paper was deposited with Mr. Claiko by B ooth. In a sealed enve ope, “for safe keeping.” Mr. C'luiko being ignuraut ol the contents. In January 1 ist Booth called at Mr. Clarke's house, asked for the package and it was given up to him. It is now supposed that at that time he took out the paper and added to it his signature, which appears to l o in a diiiercnt ink froui that used in the body of the letter, and also from the language employed ould not have been put to it originally Afterward he returned the package to Mr.Claike i gain for sate keeping, scaled and j bearing the superset iptiou, J. Wilkes Booth/'The inclosorewns preserved by the faiu-ilv without susj-iciou ol its nature. Alter j the afflicting information ol the a sar.-ipa- jtiou of the President. which came upon jthe family of Mr. Cl.ukc with crushing force, it was considered pro} or to open tin; envelope, 'ilicio weic b»un ! in it the lid- , lowing paper, with pome Sevcu-Thirty I,, j States onds, atid ceitilieatfs cl Glares iu oil companies. Mr. (/l.ifke promptly handed over the |nper to M u-hal Miliward. in whose custody it now remains. Tn in a perusal of this paper it -eein; to have been prepared 1 y Booth as an indication ot eomc despcrutc act lie had in c utoin-■plation ; and from the language used it is j probable that it was n plot to abduct the President and carry hiui ciT to \ ir-i:.ia.1A.If this wa* meditated, it failed, and irom making a prisoner of the President to his assassination was an oitey step for a man of perverted principles. It also appears that Booth was one of tho party that was engaged in the capture and execution oi John Brown oft). saw.iUomie, at which time lie doubtless imbibed from Wise and [ his associates those dele-tihle sentiments a of cruelty which have culiuiuated in an ! • infamous criuic. The letter is a.s followst j11, -, 1804. 1 11If
Newspaper Details
Butler American Citizen
Butler, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Apr 26, 1865
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 21 Jul 2022
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