David E. George

David E. George worked as a house painter in Enid, Oklahoma. Those who knew the mysterious man described him as a drunk who barely worked and quoted Shakespeare often. On January 13, 1903, George committed suicide by ingesting strychnine. The town undertaker hesitated to bury the body since it had not been claimed, so he had it embalmed. This photograph, taken after the embalming, shows George on public display at Penniman’s furniture store/funeral home, with newspaper in hand. Rumors that the body might be that of John Wilkes Booth provoked mixed reactions – some were simply curious, while others wanted the body destroyed. The mummy remained at Penniman's for several years before it was finally claimed.