The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-02


found, and in it was written with ink, J.
Wilkes, the word Booth evidently having
been scratched out with q knife. Why
any portion of the name was left Is q mys-
tery, unless 9 sudden alarm hurried of the
party before the eompletioDlof the erasion-
The next place Booth and Harold were
heard from was st the house Of DR.. Coke
The latter, on being questioned, denied
having seen any such persons, but said
tnst three paroled rebel soldiers had sp-
] pheo there for accommodations, and had
oeen sent away. Coxe's servants, however,
All sssert that the two men had stsyed
there over night, that their master had en-
tertained them in the most hospitable man
ner Rnd upon their departure il the NOM
ing gave each quantity of whisky.
The detectives next came upon the f1of-
tives at or near Thatcher swsrnp. in CbsrIes
county. There they found q diIspidsted
shanty, occupied by an old colored woman
who stated thst on that morning two nen.
one Of them with s cruteh, hsd come out
of the woods and asked for something to
eat, Offering to pay any sum for it. She
being afraid of them told them she had
nothing there were no white people around
there; and that they could get nothing to
eat in that vicinity.
The lame man then inquired the direc-
tion to the Great Swamp, which she gave,
and they went of,
The shanty stands in 3 small clearing,
surrounded on all sides by dense pine
woods, with the exception Of the one side
bounded by the swamp.
The sth Illinois cavalry and a regiment
OF cOlored troops were Immediately sent
through the swamp in every direction,
searching every thicket but without find
ing any trace Of the assassins, the latter
evidently having secreted themselves in
the pine woods and made their escape
while the swamp was being secured.
On Sunday afternoon Booth and Rarold
crossed the .Potomse, st Swami Point a
short distance below Msthiss Point, and
passing Port Royal, sa route TO Louiss
Court House, were captured at Gsrretts
place.
Harold, In 8 conversation with an &C.
quAintance of his who resides in MARYLAND.
some time previous to the murder of Presi-
dent Lincoln made q remsrk that excited
no special attention at the time, but in ths
light of subsequent events it would appear
that Booth and himself contemplated shsl.
ter somewhere in the Spanish dominions.
Surprise has been expressed thst Booth
selected such shsllow-psted blsb-mouth
as harold IS his nearest sccomplice in so
terrible 8 plot. This mystery may be ex-
planned in this wsy:-Hsrold, a Young
man of idle and vAgsbond habits. was 3
good shot and capital boatman, spending
much Of his time in cunning and fishing
excursions in the lower counties of MsrT-
lsad, acquiring in this way 8 thorough
knowledge of the country, especially its by
paths, forests, swamps, and creeks, sought
only by the hunter and fisherman.
On the outbreak of the rebellion thig
knowledge made his services valuable in
the capacity of guide for blocksde-runners.
and there is no doubt but that he has been
actively engaged in that business through
out the war. Doubtless he was. recon-
mended to Booth as suitable guide in his
light, and that the scq lAintance between
them was formed in that wsY.
But for the injury received BY Booth In
jumping to the stage, by which he wss
crippled, it Is possible that the we'll
arranged plans Of escape might have sue
eeeded.
1t is believed that had he not been i'm.
medistely captured, death would have en-
sued from modification of his broken leg.
uncared for as it necessarily was, and in
use. Traces st points Of his routa
Indicate that he attempted to ooliterate
the tell-tsle marks Of his erutch in tho
esrth, whereby his route might be traced,
and that he hoped on one leg st other
points, not using the crutch, to the same
end.