The New York Times published a correction today to an article from April 30, 1906. Apparently, an 84-year-old watch repairman, whom the Times back in the day credited with having “a remarkable memory,” misremembered (big time) what he had secretly inscribed inside Abraham Lincoln’s watch. A descendant of that repairman recently found the 1906 Times article, approached the Smithsonian (which had acquired the watch), and, yesterday, the museum opened the watch to reveal the actual inscription (prompting today’s rectification).
Liz Cox Barrett is a writer at CJR.
the kicker
