Booth Brothers: Drama, Fame, and the Death of President Lincoln

Booth Brothers: Drama, Fame, and the Death of President Lincoln — page 1
Many miles away John’s older brother Edwin was in hiding of another sort Edwin Booth ranked among the country’s best-known actors and he was accustomed to seeing his picture in the newspaper He was no stranger to being the subject of gossip But his brother’s actions had put his entire family under criminal suspicion Their older brother Junius known as June and John Clarke their brother-in-law had been jailed They were suspected of helping John Wilkes Booth plan his crime Edwin’s scheduled performances were all canceled Booth a last name that had drawn great crowds of paying customers into theaters had become overnight a lightning rod for hatred gossip and threats Edwin stayed in seclusion hoping to avoid John Wilkes Booth had enjoyed a successful career as a stage actor but he became consumed by resentment and anger during the Civil War both the public and the newspaper reporters He believed he might be taken into custody at any time He worried for his mother After reading in the newspaper of her brother’s crime and then only minutes later watching her husband’s arrest as a suspected accomplice his pregnant sister Asia Clarke had fallen ill Surely Edwin along with the rest of America wondered where John Wilkes Booth had gone Had he committed the crime of which he was accused Had others helped Edwin and his family members likely shared one worry that their fellow citizens did not Was their brother all right Feverish and aching in the cold dark barn John Wilkes Booth badly needed rest He knew he would have to move on when the sun rose Clearly his latest host Mr Richard H Garrett had become suspicious Initially John had passed himself off as a wounded