[Rarebooks] fs: John Wilkes Booth survival legend (2 books)

[Back Creek Books]

Greetings Booklovers,

We are pleased to offer the two most important books in the mythology of
John Wilkes Booth's survival:
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(No. 7167 )  Bates, Finis L[angdon]. THE ESCAPE AND SUICIDE OF JOHN WILKES
BOOTH, OR THE FIRST TRUE ACCOUNT OF LINCOLN'S ASSASSINATION, CONTAINING A
COMPLETE CONFESSION BY BOOTH MANY YEARS AFTER THE CRIME..
Atlanta: J. L. Nichols & Company, [1907]. Full cloth, Octavo, [x], 309
pages, Black & white plates. Very good.
      Subtitle continues, ".Giving in Full Detail the Plans, Plot and
Intrigue of the Conspirators, and the Treachery of Andrew Johnson, then
Vice-President of the United States. Written for the Correction of History."
One of the founding works in the "Booth survived!" legend. In 1872 Finis
Bates, an attorney in Memphis, took a client by the name of John St. Helen.
Five years later on what he believed was his deathbed, St. Helen confessed
to Bates that he was in fact John Wilkes Booth, and had escaped capture by
the Union forces after assassinating Lincoln. St. Helen survived his illness
and Bates lost touch with him. In 1903 one David E. George committed suicide
in Enid, Oklahoma, whereupon a local clergyman claimed that Mr. George had
confessed to him that he was actually John Wilkes Booth. Finis Bates got
wind of the eerily familiar confession of David E. George in Oklahoma and
went there to view the body. Bates identified the body as that of his old
friend John St. Helen, and become fully convinced that George/St. Helen had
indeed been John Wilkes Booth. He got custody of the remains, wrote this
book, and travelled the country exhibiting "Booth's mummy" and hawking this
book at carnivals and side shows. The book reportedly sold some 75,000
copies, mostly in the South (fancy that), and yet it is fairly scarce today
due to the poor quality of its manufacturing. This copy remains quite nice,
however. Frontispiece photo of the author plus 15 other double-sided plates,
some from photographs. MONAGHAN #1519. Bound in red cloth over boards with
spine and upper board titled in black. Light wear to extremities, some minor
stains to cloth, prior ownership name on front free endpaper and pastedown.
There is a small old bookseller label at lower fore corner of front
pastedown as well. Textblock is browned, as usual. Hinges not cracked.
$200.00
See photo: http://www.backcreekbooks.com/bookphotos/7167.jpg
~
(No. 9430 )  Forrester, Izola. THIS ONE MAD ACT: THE UNKNOWN STORY OF JOHN
WILKES BOOTH AND HIS FAMILY - BY HIS GRANDDAUGHTER.
Boston: Hale, Cushman & Flint, 1937. First printing, Original cloth, Octavo,
xii, 500 pages, black and white photographic plates. Very Good in a Worn
Dust Jacket, Jacket in Mylar protector.
      Forrester vividly shares her family memories, traditions, and relics
in this account of Booth's escape and survival after the Lincoln
assassination. She argues that Booth was a tool of the Knights of the Golden
Circle in the killing of Lincoln, that this secret group then helped him to
escape, and that he lived the life of an exile until 1879. Included are many
old family photographs that do indeed bear strong resemblances to Booth.
Forrester's book is the best in the "Booth survived" genre in terms of
writing and research. MONAGHAN #3562. Bound in red cloth over boards with
silver foil stamped pine and upper board, family tree on endpapers, black
topstain. Shallow wrinkles to cloth at spine ends, light rubs to
extremities, browning to endpapers. Prior owner bookplate on half title,
name neatly penned on both pastedowns. Dust jacket has chips to extremities,
rubbed wrinkles at edges, a few edge tears, and some browning along spine.
Jacket price remains intact, as does all jacket text. A pleasing copy of an
essential Lincoln assassination item, scarce in the original dust jacket.
$175.00
See photo: http://www.backcreekbooks.com/bookphotos/9430.jpg

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Terms:
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domestic shipping $4.00 for the first book, $1.00 each additional book or 
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individually upon inquiry. Payment accepted by credit card (V,MC,Amex, 
Discover), check, money order, or PayPal.

Thank you for your interest.

Best regards,

Rock Toews
Back Creek Books
Post Office Box 3540, Annapolis, MD 21403, U.S.A.
Tel. 410-626-1363 or toll free 877-626-1363 -  Fax. 815-425-8542
Web: http://www.backcreekbooks.com  ~  Email: admin at backcreekbooks.com
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 Waters, D[avid]. W[atkin].  'The Rutters of the Sea; The Sailing Directions 
of Pierre Garcie: A study of the first English and French printed sailing 
directions, With facsimile reproductions.'
 Details and secure ordering: 
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medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom.' - Dwight D. 
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