The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-09-18
IFrom tho ST. Louis Democrat. I
Wilkes Pooth Again.
A NEW soLUTioN or TIE MYSTERY
GOOD STORY AWKARDIY TOLD.

N.h oOIofioN OF TIE MfSTERY---A
GOOD STORY AwKARDiY TOLD.
We publish the following letter
because it comes to us from u gontlc-
man i'll whose truthfuInoss VIC have
reason to rut confidence, and who
holds a position which should be u
guarantee Of his integrity. But the
story which he tells is y very strange
one, and he may have been imposed
upon by the Alabama refugee, though
he assures us that tho said refugee
was known to him rs "a gontiomam Of
unimpcac!,ablc character" The sto
ry is as dramatic as the topic upon
which it bears is mysterious
EDirons DEo1ocnAr: Having hoard
50 much concerning this most mystori.
oua of all mysteries, / an led to re-
late n story as it was told TO mo by u
gentleman in the month Of May, 1866,
who was upwards Of fifty years old.
thus man vas not an entire stranger
to myself, and [ feel bound to say that
SO far as my business transactions with
him were concerned, he proved him
self strictly honorable lie was q
refugee from the State Of Alabama,
aud employed in 1864 and 1865 in
tho quartermaster's department. at
Washington, ID. 9.
We wcrc seated ono evening, OK
changing our views as TO the bost mode
of rcconstructing tho Southern States,
whom hc stated: "You believe r.
Wilkes Booth is dead, but [ do not !"
and at my apparent surprise, lie con-
tinnr1 "Ycs, ! su-cly hclicve that iln
was alive June |, 1865, and my rcas-
ons for so believing arc these I had
just been discharged from government
employ and was seated in my room
one evening, soon after the supposed
Booth had bcen captured and Killed,
whom | heard a low rap at my room
door, and at a request to como in, II
poor old bcegar entered, :pparcntly
sixty years old-gray-haircd, wrin-
klcd yisage, and bumped back-carry-
ing q snail bundle OF clothes. Tic
begged Inc to pity tho sorrows Of u
poor old man, who had Just lost his
only son in the Onion army, and ask
cd shelter for the night. gave him
bed i'll an apartment separated from
my own by planks temporarily nail
cd upright, which had been dono by
other employees, who were then dis
charged and gone home. gave the
| old bcggar my lamp and retired to
my cot. From where I lay could
sec all his movements within the lit
tic room through knot hole In the
plank, and ! noticed he was extreme
ly particular about blind for tho
little window, and he even took of his
coat and used it for blind: he then
seated himself at q small table and be,
gan writing with pencil. / watched
him closely, and be wro'n perhaps ten
minutes and then walked out into nv
room and asked tic way out, saying
that ho was sick. I opened the door
for him and no walked out, and / re :
sumod my bed. lie had not been out
long when some one asked him in a
low tone if was ready. lie replied,
eyes, what ncws 2" and was answered,
"Nono only III. Joln$on wishes YOU
to make haste. lIo says, he cannot
breathe easy until you arc on board
the vosscl.' "And no doubt he wish
os tho vessel may founder" was my
guests reply, rather hoarscly and
scarcely audible but hc continued,
81 must be of in tho morning, so fare
well, Jack"
Then he returned to his room, and
| asked him if he was going across the
ocean, which question seemed to star
tic him and after Il short pause, he
replied that he expected to be of car
| ly IN the morning, and sure enough
when morning came, he was gone
| and have never seen him since.
When sweeping out my little cabin
next morn, picked up from the floor
six small bits Of paper near The table
where The bcggar was writing The night
before, they having been torn I'D from
some cause. ] placed thcm together,
but could sec no sense in the writing /:
yet being somewhat curious to knew
what it meant, | put the pieces into a
small envelope, and laid it away, and
never thought of it again until recent
~, when l. was ovcrhauling my old pa
r." 800 St''Siol'S NitN III II(CiiliOn,
and then pasted all the bits on a
scrap Of letter paper. / could SEQ in
amomons that it was cypcr, aud my
curiosity was excited to solve the mys-
tory. Week aftor week | rcrploxed
my brain over it, and finally, ,whon
about to give it up, luck favored nc,
and stumbled upon the key, and the
following Translation was my reward ::
DEAR FRIEND | shalley rcmcm-
bcr your kindness. Tho j. D. govern
mont cannot aid mo now, and if fail
to escape, God only knows my fato,
and your arm will be powcrlcss. IF
you succeed IN your part, / shall re-
turn otherwise, novor. Yes, I leave
Tomorrow. Yours, in life and death,
Juno !, 1865. j. w, Z.
"Now," continued this old man,
"this lottcr explains my reason for bo
licying Booth escaped. | bclicvo the
old bcggar was no other than j.
Wilkes Booth. tho nssossin - Suo,,