It seemed like a great and potentially lucrative idea to Phill Howell, who's always been told he looks a lot like Abraham Lincoln.
On Presidents Day Monday, the 6-foot-4, black-bearded 25-year-old donned a black tuxedo and top hat and delivered the 1863 Gettysburg Address at the Lincoln Memorial.
"Ever since I was in high school, I had a beard and have been told I look like Lincoln," Howell said. "I grew it out for Presidents Day and some friends said I could make money if I dressed like him and read the Gettysburg Address."
So that's what Howell did Monday. As Howell spoke, crowds gathered around him. Tourists wanted his picture and to shake his hand. A friend set out a collection basket. Tourists dropped in a total of $25 within five minutes.
"We weren't trying to make a ton of money," Howell explained. "We thought we would do it and see what would happen."
But U.S. Park Police informed Howell and his friend with the donation basket that they were breaking the law against soliciting donations on federal property. They were cited with a vending violation, which carries a $50 fine, and police confiscated the cash.
U.S. Park Police said they cited the two for collecting the money, not for making the speech. What they were doing, police said, was similar to panhandling.
"The U.S. Park Police cites illegal vending on an ongoing basis, ranging from people giving musical performances, oratory performances, selling maps, selling ice cream, that type of thing," Sgt. David Schlosser said.
Howell said he now knows what he did was against the law. He has no plans to fight the citation. He hasn't decided if he'll do it again next year. He hopes to get some legal jobs being a Lincoln impersonator to cover the fine.
