Jumbo's Hide, Elvis's Ride, and the Tooth of Buddha

by Harvey Rachlin

  “Mr. Lennon!”

  Famous the world over, Lennon was recognized everywhere he went, and people were constantly beseeching him for autographs. It was well known that New York City was his adopted domicile and that he had taken up residence at the Dakota, a building known for its famous show-biz inhabitants. Lennon was probably not surprised to hear the voice of a stranger call to him, but this time he was met not with gushing admiration but with lethal action.

  At about 10:50 P.M., the sound of a flurry of shots echoed from the face of the massive stone building across the intersection and into the park across the avenue, followed by a woman’s scream. Four bullets struck John Lennon—two in the back, two in the left shoulder. As Yoko Ono, who was not hit, cried out for help, the wounded Beatle staggered up the walkway past the guardhouse, collapsing as he emerged into the Dakota’s courtyard.

  The gunman did not bother to run or toss away his gun, but rather just paced about under the archway holding his weapon, getting into a verbal altercation with the frantic doorman, then quietly waiting for the police.

  By the time police arrived minutes later, scores of people had gathered around the entrance to the Dakota. Word of Lennon’s shooting spread with amazing rapidity. Tears streamed down the shocked faces of many of the onlookers. Television crews pulled up shortly afterward. Soon the world would receive the news that John Lennon had been shot and possibly killed.

  New York City police officers lifted the mortally wounded victim and placed him into the back of a police car, where he sprawled across the seat. An officer asked him if he was John Lennon, and the dying man, barely conscious, muttered, “Yeah.” During the ride to the emergency room Lennon moaned. The police sped to nearby Roosevelt Hospital, but by the time they arrived the life had already trickled from the once-vibrant musician. In the emergency room doctors pronounced John Lennon, forty years old, dead at 11:15 P.M.

  Yoko Ono, driven to the hospital in a police car, became hysterical, begging, “Tell me it isn’t true.” A crowd was building outside the hospital now, and by one in the morning about a thousand people stood outside the Dakota, some mute and numb, others softly chanting one of Lennon’s musical mantras about giving peace a chance.

  The gunman was identified as twenty-five-year-old Mark David Chapman. He had traveled to New York City from his home in Hawaii, making a stop in Georgia where he had lived as a teenager. He brought with him a gun that he had purchased for a reported $169 in Hawaii to carry out the execution. Chapman did not have a criminal record, but he had tried to commit suicide twice—once in 1977, the second time a couple weeks earlier while he was in New York City stalking Lennon.

  Until recently Chapman, who had previously done social work for the YMCA, had worked as a security guard at a condominium in Hawaii. After the first of his suicide attempts, he had been temporarily confined to an institution. A high school rock-band guitarist who was obsessed with the Beatles, Chapman, like Lennon, was married to a Japanese woman. Although a fan of the former Beatle, some dark impulse in Chapman had driven him to destroy his idol.

  The news of the death of John Lennon stunned the world. Society had become inured to the premature death of its cultural icons; many popular entertainers had died prematurely due to fatal accidents, drug overdoses, or other calamities. Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Mama Cass, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison had all succumbed at relatively young ages. But the killing of John Lennon was different, a new phenomenon: the murderer committed the deed merely to have his name linked with a famous person.

  In the last months of his life, John Lennon had become musically active once again. The preceding summer he had begun recording with Yoko Ono the album Double Fantasy. Shortly before he was fatally shot, a single, “(Just Like) Starting Over,” was released and became a hit. With the song an overture to his musical resurrection, it was one of life’s cruel jokes that Lennon was cut down just as he was returning to music after a period of quiet domesticity.

  One man, one gun, one psychotic impulse, and the world was deprived of one of its great musical geniuses. With the voice silenced, people everywhere mourned the man who had brought pleasure to their lives and in his songs pled for peace.

  Meanwhile, on December 9, the day after the murder, the New York City Police Department’s Ballistics Squad received from the morgue three bullets in association with complaint number 14854, the designation given to the John Lennon murder case, which was caught by (that is, assigned to) the 20th Precinct Detective Unit. One piece of lead bullet found at the crime scene was so deformed that ballistics examiners could not match it with the gun. The other two bullets delivered to the squad were taken from John Lennon’s body by the medical examiner. Both were .38-caliber lead hollow-point bullets. Of these two, one bullet was in good condition, the other in fair condition. The alleged murder weapon, a .38-caliber Charter Arms Undercover revolver that was vouchered by the arresting officer, was received by the Ballistics Squad around the same time the spent bullets came in.

  On the eighth floor of the NYPD Police Academy on East Twentieth Street in Manhattan, a ballistics test was performed to determine if the weapon seized from Chapman had fired the two bullets found in Lennon’s body. After a ballistics examiner made an identification study of the gun and recorded its serial number, caliber, barrel size, number of chambers, and manufacturer, he fired it to make sure that it was in fact an operable firearm. Then he placed a couple of .38-caliber cartridges into chambers of the Charter Arms revolver and shot into a large water tank. The water absorbed the kinetic energy of the bullets, slowing them down so that they wouldn’t cause damage. But now the bullets bore the unique markings of the imperfections in the barrel of the gun.

  The two test bullets retrieved from the water tank were placed in small envelopes and forwarded to the squad’s Microscopic Section. Here a microscopic comparison was performed in which the markings of the test bullets were compared to the markings of the two bullets recovered from John Lennon’s body. As a result of the test, the Ballistics Squad matched the two bullets from the body with the Charter Arms firearm, the weapon recovered from Mark David Chapman at the Dakota on the night John Lennon was shot.

  A New York City Police Department Crime Scene Unit photograph of the gun used to kill John Lennon.

  On December 10, two days after the fatal shooting, John Lennon’s remains were reportedly cremated at a Hartsdale, New York, crematorium. The body that once was a familiar sight on millions of album covers was now a pile of ashes. But although his life was terminated, his songs endure as a testament to the indomitable spirit and creative genius of one of the twentieth century’s great musical talents. The gun that discharged the fatal bullets survives as well and will continue to be a grim reminder of the day John Lennon became a martyred icon for the ages.

  LOCATION: Firearms Analysis Section, New York City Police Lab, Jamaica, Queens, New York.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The Tooth of the Buddha

  Kurunegoda Piyatissa of the New York Buddhist Vihara invited me into his sanctuary and with extraordinary patience spent many hours explaining the subject material of this chapter to me. Over the course of time Reverend Piyatissa continued to assist me; he was always a kind and generous purveyor of information, and I am most grateful to him.

  The Gold Larnax of King Philip II

  Andreas G. Vlachopoulos, Hellenic Ministry of Culture; Dr. Angeliki Kottardi, Archaeological Museum of Vergina.

  The Magna Carta

  Dr. Christopher Fletcher, Curator, Literary Manuscripts, The British Library; Dr. Andrew Prescott, The British Library; A. C. Dawson, Salisbury Cathedral; Darlene McClurkin, Exhibits Staff, National Archives.

  The Stone of Scone

  I am most indebted to Christine Reynolds, Assistant Keeper, Muniment Room and Library, Westminster Abbey, for answering my questions and providing additional details. Ms. Reynolds’s correspondence was invaluable to me in writing this chapter. Christopher J. Tabraham, Principal Inspe
ctor of Ancient Monuments, Historic Scotland.

  The Essex Ring

  Christine Reynolds, Westminster Abbey; John J. Doherty, Reference Librarian, Montana State University Library; John Ulatowski graciously conducted valuable research for me.

  Galileo’s Middle Finger

  Mara Miniati, Institute of the History of Science, Florence, Italy. Permission to reproduce the Tommaso Perelli quote was kindly provided by the Institute of the History of Science.

  George Washington’s Schoolboy Copybooks

  I am indebted to Dr. Gerard W. Gawalt, a historian at the Library of Congress, who extended to me a rare privilege by granting me permission to personally examine two of the three extant George Washington copybooks (one of the volumes was on display during my visit). This was a most thrilling and exhilarating experience for me. I was able to spend a day touching and combing through the very pages George Washington wrote on as a youth in the 1740s. As one who is passionate about historical artifacts, I am grateful to Dr. Gawalt for the opportunity to examine firsthand a fabulous national treasure.

  John Harrison’s Fourth Marine Timekeeper

  Jonathan Betts, National Maritime Museum, London.

  The Virginia Declaration of Rights

  I am grateful to Dr. John Sellers of the Library of Congress not only for the information he provided but for setting me on the trail to pursue the thesis of this chapter; Dr. Gerard W. Gawalt, Library of Congress; Zanne Macdonald, Research Librarian, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation; Rebecca Bowman, Research Historian, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation; John Butler, Old Military and Civil Branch, Textual Services Division, National Archives; Tom Albro, Head of the Book and Paper Treatment Section of the Conservation Division of the Library of Congress.

  The Rising Sun Chair

  Robert L. Giannini, Ann Marie Dube, and Karen Diethorn of Independence National Historic Park.

  The Louisiana Purchase Treaty

  John Butler, National Archives; Michael E. Pilgrim, Archives Reference Branch, Textual Reference Division, National Archives; Rebecca Bowman, Research Historian, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation; Aloha P. South, National Archives.

  The Lewis and Clark Journals

  Generous assistance for this chapter came from Carolyn Gilman, Special Projects Historian, Missouri Historical Society. Ms. Gilman read the chapter and suggested many valuable changes. Scott DeHaven, Assistant Manuscripts Librarian, American Philosophical Society; David F. Moore, Manuscript Specialist, Western Historical Manuscript Library; Jane Ehrenhart, Supervisor, Reference and Technical Services, Illinois State Historical Library; Carol M. Spawn, Archivist, The Academy of Natural Sciences; Rebecca Bowman, Research Historian, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation; Maureen D. Heher, Public Services Assistant, The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

  Beethoven’s Ear Trumpets

  Dr. M. Ladenburger, Beethoven House; S. Brandenburg and Nicole Kampken, Beethoven Archive; Maria Sivak Rachlin, Lexington School for the Deaf.

  Harrison’s Peace Pipes

  Lisa Ann Shockley, Registrar Assistant, The Kansas City Museum (Ms. Shockley provided the information on the history of the Dyer collection); Jim Crocker, National Museum of Natural History; Kristen Froehlich, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

  John Adams’s Pigtail

  Barbara Tomlinson, Curator, Antiquities, National Maritime Museum, London.

  The Doubleday Ball

  I enthusiastically give credit for this chapter to Thomas R. Heitz, a consummate baseball historian. Mr. Heitz laid out the whole story of the Doubleday myth for me, and provided a comprehensive explanation of the history of baseball, including its roots, evolution, and development as a professional sport in America. Mr. Heitz’s historical baseball knowledge is encyclopedic and he is a passionate and articulate spokesman of the game. He also generously faxed me many pages of rare baseball documents, and was always available to answer questions and provide additional information, anecdotes, and colorful stories.

  For a physical description of the Doubleday Ball I would like to thank Tim Wiles and Peter Clark, and for research documents, Frank Vito, all of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

  Vendovi’s Head

  Dr. David Hunt, National Museum of Natural History; Gary E. Cantrell and the Special Collections section at Swirbul Library, Adelphi University.

  The Battle Sword of Colonel Najera

  Generous assistance was provided by James Nottage, Vice President and Chief Curator of the Autry Museum of Western Heritage. Mr. Nottage brought this artifact to my attention and provided information on it, including a physical description of the sword.

  Charles Dickens’s Prompt-Copy of A Christmas Carol

  Kenneth Benson; Rodney Philips, Curator of the Berg Collection, New York Public Library; Lou Ellen Davis. The opening scene of the chapter is reconstructed from various sources including newspaper reviews of Dickens’s “final” reading.

  The First American Flag Raised in Japan

  James W. Cheevers, Associate Director and Senior Curator, U.S. Naval Academy.

  The Emancipation Proclamation

  Much gratitude is due to Dr. John Sellers of the Library of Congress for providing information and documents and answering questions. James Corsaro, The New York State Library; Judith Giuriceo, The Brooklyn Historical Society; Michael E. Pilgrim, National Archives.

  Slices of Tom Thumb’s Wedding Cake

  I am especially grateful to Chris Coenen, one of the best authorities around on Tom Thumb. Mr. Coenen not only graciously shared with me his knowledge of Tom Thumb, but also provided many rare documents. I also wish to thank Dr. Marvin Kranz of the Library of Congress and Barbara Celitans of the San Antonio Public Library.

  Thomas Edison’s Original Tinfoil Phonograph

  Douglas Tarr, Edison National Historic Site.

  Jesse James’s Stickpin

  Gary Chilcote of the Patee House Museum and the Director and National President of the James-Younger Gang generously provided information and rare documents on Jesse James; James Starrs; Sarah Elder and Marilyn Taylor, St. Joseph Museum.

  Ulysses S. Grant’s Smoking Stand

  For this chapter I was most fortunate to have the generous assistance of one of the foremost Grant scholars, John Y. Simon, U. S. Grant Association, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University. I also wish to thank Terry Miller, Sheila Cottral, and Peggy Ruthenberg, U. S. Grant Home State Historic Site; Nancy Wolfe, The Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society and Museum.

  Jumbo the Elephant

  Chris Coenen.

  Freud’s Couch

  I am very grateful to Dr. Henry Mallard of the Psychoanalytic Society and Institute for kindly giving me a mini-course on Freud and providing colorful anecdotes; Erica Davies, Director, Freud Museum. (The Freud Museum, located at 20 Maresfield Garden, London, is open Wednesday to Friday from 12:00 noon to 5:00 P.M.)

  The Hoof of Fire Horse Number Twelve

  Jane Rogers, National Museum of American History; Herbert Collins; Marilyn Higgins.

  “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”

  Timothy J. Wiles, Director of Research, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum; Thomas R. Heitz; Barbara Alejandro and Michael Kerker, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

  Mark Twain’s Orchestrelle

  Henry H. Sweets III, Director, Mark Twain Museum, kindly provided information and research documents. Astute readers may notice in the text of this chapter the titles The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and wonder why the word “The” does not precede the latter title. It may have been a printer’s error, but the word “The” does not precede the title in the original publication of the book.

  The Zimmermann Telegram

  Milton O. Gustafson, National Archives.

  The Fourteen Points

  Frank J. Aucella, Woodrow Wilson House; John Haynes, Manuscript Historian, Twentieth Century Political History, Manuscript Division, Libr
ary of Congress, kindly granted me permission to personally examine the papers of Woodrow Wilson, including his Fourteen Points address.

  The Truce Flag That Ended World War I

  Frank J. Aucella, Woodrow Wilson House.

  Wyatt Earp’s Drawing of the O.K. Corral Gunfight

  James Nottage, Vice President and Chief Curator, Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

  The Maltese Falcon

  Dr. Gary Milan.

  Monty’s Battle Caravans

  Dr. Neil Young, Imperial War Museum; Peter Simkins.

  The World War II Japanese Surrender Table

  James Cheevers, U.S. Naval Academy; James W. Zobel, MacArthur Memorial; Kenneth D. Schlessinger, National Archives.

  ENIAC

  I am grateful to Paul Shaffer, ENIAC curator, University of Pennsylvania, who critiqued the various drafts of my chapter and made corrections and suggestions for revision; Dr. David Allison, National Museum of American History.

  Marilyn Monroe’s Billowing Dress from The Seven Year Itch

  Detective Thomas O’Malley, Tenth Precinct Detective Squad, New York City Police Department; Detective William Oldham, Major Case Squad, NYPD; Alfred J. Marini and John J. Healy, Detectives Endowment Association of the NYPD.

  Elvis Presley’s Purple Cadillac

  Greg Howell, Graceland. Mr. Howell stated that the source for the grape-smashing incident is Lorraine Smith, the deceased sister-in-law of Gladys Presley, Elvis’s mother. Lorraine Smith related she was present when Elvis smashed the grapes into his Cadillac.

  Able the Space Monkey

  My utmost appreciation goes to Tom Giles of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Mr. Giles kindly provided information and research materials, answered my questions, and read the chapter and suggested revisions. He was always cheerful, enthusiastic, and a pleasure to work with. Shelly Helmer, U.S. Space and Rocket Center; Allan Needell, Curator, National Air and Space Museum; Klaus Martel, U.S. Army Ordnance Missile Command.