To answer my question posed in the title, “I doubt it.”
We all know that the infamous John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln’s assassin, was killed
in a Virginia barn on April 26, 1865. He is said to be buried in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore. Most of us see no reason to dispute his burial in the unmarked grave in the Booth family plot.
However, there are those conspiracy theorists who claim Booth escaped and lived out his life in Enid, Oklahoma as David E. George (or John St. Helen). It seems that George became known to the world after he swallowed some arsenic on Jan. 13, 1903. As he died, he claimed to be John Wilkes Booth, dying shortly after reportedly saying, “I killed the best man that ever lived.” David George was mummified after his deathbed,” and sent on a carnival tour, his body last seen in public in the 1970s.
Sounds like “There’s a sucker born every minute” to me…
There’s a very interesting article about Booth and the various conspiracy theories, as well as Booth impersonators in the January 25, 2009 edition of the Baltimore Examiner.
Well i think that the David E. George theory is correct. there was proof that the body found after the barn was burnt down had RED HAIR and FRECKLE. I know for a fact that John Wilkes Booth had Black hair and did not have freckles. So John most have escaped and moved to Texas and changed his name to a John St. Helen. after that he moved upward to Enid, Oklahoma, changing his name to David E. George. Then in January of 1903 David (or john) committed suicide by poisoning himself because he could not take the guilt of killing president Lincoln. See there is a lot of proof that John got away and changed and committed suicide in Enid hotel in Enid Oklahoma because of guilt
My great grandfather swore that we were related to him, along with many other members back then, and they all said the same thing, that he had escaped his fate and lived as another man named david george also. I am trying to put it all together but am having a hard time. If you have more info as all these people are dead in my family now, and my grandmothers heard the story, but dont know the info. I would appreciate it. Thanks. Malindad1977@yahoo.com
THIS J.W.B. MUMMY STORY HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING STORIES IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.I, MYSELF ALSO LEAN TOWARD THE BELIEF THAT THE MUMMY IS THAT OF J.W.B.,IN THE PICTURES AND THE VIDEOS I HAVE, THE MUMMY IS A “DEAD” RINGER(JUST HAD TO DO THAT!)FOR J.W.B. THE EVIDENCE THAT CONFIRMS THIS FOR ME IS THE STORY OF THE MAN THAT JOHN ST. HELENS CONFESSED THAT HE WAS J.W.B. TO ON WHAT ST. HELENS THOUGHT WAS HIS DEATHBED. WELL AS THE STORY GOES, ST. HELENS DIDN’T DIE AND DISAPPEARED. THEN IN 1903, DAVID GEORGE ALSO CONFESSED HE WAS J.W.B. ON HIS DEATHBED.THE MAN WHO WITNESSED THE FIRST CONFESSION WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER ST. HELENS, AND GEORGE WERE THE SAME MAN AND WENT TO SEE THE MUMMY,AND THEY WERE THE SAME MEN.EXHUME,EXHUME!
This is definitely right! I watched an episode of ghost lab about jwb. his ghost haunts 2 places: the theatre (because so many people believe he died here) and his home (now an old antique shop).
I definately think it’s true, I mean this is the third resource that has said this. You just have to watch ghost lab, they went to Fords Theatre, another theatre that he was believed to have stayed at under the name John St. Helens ( John St. Helens also connfessed to being Booth, thinking he was nearing his death), ghost lab also went to Enid, to investigate an old antique or furniture store that used to be a hotel that David George stayed at and commited suicide by poisoning himself. Ghost lab set up this projector (in the room David was believed to stay in) and had someone record themselves while dressed up as Lincoln and the played it on the projector and what they got for evidence at all three theatres was very facinating. I think everyone who reads this should watch that episode of ghost lab.
There is a far cry from the “Body in the Barn” and the “Enid Mummy,” and the so called experts use the mummy all the time as a way to prove themselves absolutely correct, dangling it like a carrot waiting for us to bite. My and my siblings’ great, great . great grandmother was Jane Booth,was was JWB’S aunt.While I was a child, all thes historians and experts would come to our house to court my mother for information, but they kept the stories they liked, and supressed the stories that were not in their best interest. Many best selling books are out there about our family, but our family does not make money off of our history, and I personally work hard to inform people that many things you read are not necessairily. I am tired of reading that the Booth family owned slaves, when in fact they did not! They “subcontracted” a couple through a neighbor, and by all accounts were kind and helpful to these people, who named their own children after the young Booth children. I have only ever heard any one person talk about what a racist that President Lincoln was, and that was James Swanson on C-Span who was hawking his book “The Last Manhunt.” A primarily racist enviorment existed in our country at the time, but that was never John Wilkes Booth’s main issue, then or now. There are many excellent books out there, and maybe some research will help those interested in learning more about the cast of characters involved in both the assassination plot, excution of same, or the horrendous cover up that the goverment.As a relative that has provenence,this is a fascinating never ending story,just not necessarily that one that you have heard.
I am a firm believer that J.W.B. did escape and live in Texas and Enid. My mothers uncle was one of the doctors who performed the autopsy on the mummy who was alleged to be J.W.B. I have in my possession the doctors file, given to me by my mother, in it contains actual photos of the autopsy with a picture of a signet ring taken from the body with the letter B on it, also in the file are the findings of the autopsy, the damaged leg, the scar above the eye, etc, things that would not contradict that it could be that of J.W.B. Also, in his file are letters from people claiming to have known and come in contact with J.W.B. after his alleged death at the Garrett farm. Some letters even state “not for publication”, and one even notarized. Crazy, I know, but not improbable!
To Joanne Hulme,
I believe you are a relative of John W.Booth the famous actor. Booth was a member of the ‘Know Nothing Society’ and loosely affiliated to the Free Soil Party and the Republicans but their main agenda was to counter unfettered immigration, especially from Catholic Europe.
I have published a book called ‘Our American Hero’ that proves beyond doubt that JWB was not killed in Richard Garrett’s barn. It also proves he did not kill Abe Lincoln but did plan to kidnap him to force an exchange of prisoners. They were dying of starvation and disease in their thousands in the North and the South.
One of the conspirators, Lewis Weichmann was a government clerk working at the Capitol Prison and had informed a senior- Captain Gleason of the plot to kidnap in February, over six weeks before Abe’s assassination on Good Friday , 14th April 1865.
There is photographic evidence proving beyond doubt the man who surrended to Lt. Doherty (of the 16th NY Cavalry) at the barn and hung at the Old Arsenal was not David E. Herold (the son of a US navy Quartermaster, deceased) but a Confederate known as ‘Boyd’, small in stature with a goatee beard.
The evidence is made clear from the black and white pictures (when magnified) of the four people who were hung at the Arsenal compared with the pictures of Herold and two pictures of an un-known Confederate held on the iron clad ‘Saugus’ taken by Gardner, the official government photographer.
There are many other startling revealations in this book.
I DONT TRUST OUR GOVERMENT / CASE IN POINT MY GREAT GREAT UNCLES YOUNGER/JAMES BOYS HAD MANY THINGS SAID AND DONE TO THEM BY THE WAY OF THE GOVERMENT AND WAS KILLED OR DIED AT THE HANDS OF OUR GOVERMENT [BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD. AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM MY UNCLE COLE YOUNGER WAS LABELED A BANK ROBBER [BUT WHEN HE WENT TO PRISON HE WAS TRUSTED WITH GOVERMENT MONEY IN THE PRISON SO WHY WOULD ANY ONE BE GIVEN GOVERMENT MONEY TO HANDLE IF YOU WERE A THEIF SO YES I THINK HE LIVED AND THE GOVERMENT COVERED IT UP ,READ HISTORY FROM THE CIVIL WAR ,JWB WAS ALSO A KNIGHT OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE GOOGLE THAT ONE AS WELL FOR INFORMATION AS WELL AND WHO ELSE WAS IN THE GROUP ALONG WITH JWB,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
chickle
Well, apart from the 9 conspirators I can name seven military officers: Major Henry Rathbone, Captain Charles Leale-army surgeon, Charles Sabin Taft -Naval Surgeon, Colonel Crawford, Captain Theodore McGowan, Colonel Joseph B. Stewart (dressed like John W Booth with a large black moustache and gentleman’s grey suit but six foot 6″ tall; the man who first ran across the stage immediately after the shot was fired; and was later proved to have committed perjury by a Kansas State Senate in the Ross/ Pomeroy /Clark forged letter affair; and Dr. Albert Freeman Africanus King civilian; and an NDP officer called Major Andrew Potter who assisted Mary Lincoln in their hurried exit from the Ford Theatre. Indeed as soon as Leale had located the bullet in Lincoln’s brain the three doctor’s with help, removed him downstairs and over the road perchance, up more stairs into a lodging house, according to Rathbone. And finally the Assistant Manager at Ford Theatre a year; and ex West Virginian Cavalry officer Captain Thomas J.Raybold came in at ten o’clock to count the takings. Except the difference being these people were not in with JWB they were sent there by Edwin McMasters Stanton to protect the President.
However, Lincoln had especially asked Stanton to send Major Eckert, a physically powerful man in charge of the Army Telegraph Network to be his body guard since his usual man Ward Lamon had been sent to Richmond; whilst John F. Parker the policeman eventually ‘disappeared’ at the intermission to return to police duties having arrested a prostitute by early dawn. And instead Major Eckert’s job that night was to order all military wires to be cut, bar one to Old Point and the surrounding forts, exactly 15 minutes after the assassin had struck.
And General US Grant the most popular man in the land, being groomed for the 2nd Republican President, had declined to be the guest of honour with Lincoln in public that night, having just won the war, but would surely have been given far greater security.
Now these are just factual coincidences which could not possibly suggest any connection as to how good old Abe was really murdered.
You can however connect all these dots and score a lot more, in the book ‘Our American Hero’ by JK Ronayne.
I would really like to speak with the Jennifer John Keadle that posted on this forum about the information she possesses. On Thursday night, the History channel will be covering the Booth story on their episode of Brian Metzler’s Decoded. I am assisting in the research of one of these experts from the show.
My family believes we may be somehow related to John Wilkes Booth. Our family album even has several of his original antique pictures
(I wonder how much they are worth?)
Looks like a lot of people believe they are related to Booth.
http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.booth/1813/mb.ashx
My Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather, John Wilkes was Booth’s Great, Great Grandfather and whom Booth is named after. The conspiricy story makes a lot of sense to me.
I wished they would exhume the body they have in JWB’s supposed grave (Boyd) and compare the DNA to his actual brothers. After all this time, it’s the least they can do while theres still some dna left. Everyone needs to know the actual truth. I truly believe he lived and poisoned himself, I watched the Ghost Lab episode and I loved it. Finally, an interesting “ghost show” out of the many that makes some sense and is actually worth watching.
There are a few books that are of interest to anyone wanting to learn more about this subject, however, many are out of print and may be expensive. I have found a few on Amazon as eBooks.
The Escape and Wanderings of J. Wilkes Booth Until Ending of the Trail by Suicide at Enid, Oklahoma, January 12, 1903
http://www.amazon.com/Wanderings-Suicide-Oklahoma-January-ebook/dp/B004GNFO6M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1293158858&sr=8-2-spell
The Escape and Suicide of John Wilkes Booth: or, The First True Account of Lincoln’s Assasination.
http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Suicide-Wilkes-Booth-ebook/dp/B004GHNIZW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=merchant-items&qid=1293158968&sr=1-2
The True Story of Boston Corbett
http://www.amazon.com/True-Story-Boston-Corbett-ebook/dp/B004H4XC2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1293159028&sr=1-1
I live in Enid, Oklahoma and have been in the room where David George lived before committing suicide. After reading many stories about Booth, I believe he died in that room. I have a picture of the man after he was mummified and he looks a lot like Booth would as an older man. Why can’t they do an overlay of it on known pictures of Booth or do a time process like they do on missing persons photos? Just a thought. I am surprised no one has thought of it before. Rodney VanBuskirk
If the mummy can be found, all you would have to do is DNA with living relatives of Booth and the mummy to see if they match. Items belonging to David George or ? also might have some DNA on them. Is the mummy still around???
There is no solid evidence that he was killed in the barn. Also why wasnt the family Allowed To view the body after the death?
im a direct descendant of john wilkes booth and have the evidence to back it up and i have the last will and testment signed by jwb. also in my posession is the original death certificate of john wilkes booth that states cuase of death by self infliction by swallowing aresnic. i also have the family tree showing my direct lineage to john wilkes booth on my fathers side. iit was told in my family that he did confess not twice but 3 times on a his supposed death bed the final statement being said when he actually poisoned himself. NOW THE FACTS are he did survive the barn and lived till 1903 and along the way he had two mistress one from india who bore him 2 children two boys and another mistress in enid oklahoma who bore him a lil girl . if you are wanting information on this feel free to contact me
Here’s my take on it: John Wilkes Booth didn’t die in the barn. I’m interested in writing a screenplay about Booth from his childhood on. From what I learning about Booth he wasn’t mad or insane. From what I’m getting his had ADHD. He was impulsive, had bouts of laziness, hyper at times and even obsessed about certain things (Like the confederacy and Lincoln) But in the 1800’s there was no such thing as ADHD. He was just considered wild and erratic. But he was smart and he really believed he was going to save the Confederacy. At birth his mother ask God for a sign and she had a vision of flames with the word Country in them. Then when Wilkes was a teen a gypsy told him he’d die young and break many heart. (His life was OVER and was ‘dead’ to the world. The moment he killed Lincoln.) He wasn’t even near the barn. He’s too smart to get trapped in locked a barn like a cornered animal. That’s why they slept in the open when they could. I don’t think he left his stuff behind in the swamp. About that time I’m thinking paranoia is setting in and even though he was erratic at times he knew not to leave anything behind that could be used to track him. But I think James William Boyd (JWB) a confederate spy and fugitive in the area was in the barn Since Booth was also a spy they more than likely knew each other and interesting enough Boyd broke his right leg escaping from the union after killing an officer. I need to somehow prove this but common sense and logic says that Booth and Boyd switched clothes and Booth went on his merry way hobbling off in a confederate uniform while Boyd wore Booth’s clothes. Which would explain Booth’s items in the pockets. In their haste Booth may not have thought of taking the items out and it would explain the pin on Boyd’s underclothes. Now why would Boyd do this? Well he was a confederate spy and he was probably ticked pink that Booth shot that ‘tyrant’ and would do anything to help him. Booth must have been slowing his and Harold’s escape because of his broken foot and they stood out like a sore thumb. With Boyd and Harold going one way and Booth hobbling off in a another dressed as a confederate heading home after the war it wouldn’t attract any attention. Just another wounded soldier was a common sight around that time after Lee’s surrender. Sure Boyd had a broken right leg but it was an older injury and if they were stopped by a patrol all he had to say was he wasn’t Booth and he didn’t have a tattoo JWB on his left hand (He did have JWB on his forearm.) If they arrested him he could prove he wasn’t Booth. he may have been a fugitive but everyone’s focus was on capturing Wilkes. But Boyd/Herold didn’t expect to get trapped in a barn. Years later after the dust settled one soldier there that night says that the man in the barn yelled out his name was ‘Boyd’ Also people have speculated that Stanton was the mastermind of the assignation. That’s interesting since Boyd was in a federal prison and Stanton personally signed his release so he could go home to his 7 children after their mother died. Could Stanton have sent Boyd to replace Booth and set him up at the barn and in turn giving Booth a free pass for killing Lincoln.? As soon as the assignation happened Stanton ordered troops to all exits of the city and no one could leave unless they knew they password. So how did Booth get out of Washington? Did he has the password and the troops let him out? They didn’t leave immediately they went to the Surratt’s 1st which mean guards were all ready in place by the time they left. Funny though that Booth and Boyd both had the same initials, both had a leg injury and Boyd wrote his son to meet him and he never showed up and no one seen or heard from him again after he contacted his son right before the Garrett barn shooting. If there was a cover-up Stanton or whoever was involved manipulated Booth knowing how strongly he felt about the Confederacy promising him he’ll be a hero in the South and used him knowing full well he’ll be vilified and even if he escaped he could never go out in public again as John Wilkes Booth. Their secret was safe. Stanton went as far as condemning Mary Surratt to death because he wasn’t sure what Booth may or may not have told her. I think Johnson was involved too. He had the most to gain by Lincoln’s death and he went about reversing all the work Lincoln was doing towards civil rights for blacks. From what I gather from info I have read Booth wasn’t evil just passionate, erratic, headstrong but he had a good side to him also. But he ruined his own life because of one act. I feel bad for him. History hasn’t really looked into his psyche and what drove him to do this heinous act. It’s about time history showed the real JWB and his life. I think he was David E. George (John St. Helen) and the guilt and depression of what he did finally got to him. What pisses me off that they would take a human being mummify him and displace him like side show freak to be gawked at. Whether or not it was really Booth that is disgusting and shows how low humans can be. That man should have been laid to rest. Also the name he used David (Harold) ‘E’ (Mary) George (Atzerodt) all were hung for the crime:( Some this this I need to prove and the truth is out there hidden why after all these years it’s not being released. I don’t know. But just like Kennedy’s death the Government knows what the truth is and they aren’t going to make it public.
John booth did not get shot by officers in a barn in virgina. The officers heard there was a fugitive there but it turned out to be a guy with red hair and freckles. They covered it up so they could keep up the lie and they burnt the barn down to hide it. He relocated 2 more times ending in oklahoma were he killed himself by mixing alcohol and poisen in a hotel which is now the garfield furniture store. There are actual people
Who study this stuff and particaly John aka David aka ? He had an autopsy that said he matched all the things John should have had, broken leg and thumb, scar above eye, different eyebrows etc
During the early 1870s a man identified by my great great uncle as John Wilkes Booth came to his farm. He (Booth) handed over several objects to this relative and I still have them in my possession. These objects would’ve tied Booth to Lincoln’s murder. This great great uncle was Booth’s handler in what would be called “the Confederate Secret Service” in which he was a military engineer.