The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-04-02

Ntsss " sNeWsphper correspondent
to his Residence In Charles County
-laterestisE Interview aud State
mehts. 4 ia
correspondent which gives an interesting ac-
count Of 0 Wait to Charles county, Mary
land, and an alleged interview with Dr..
Mudd, lately released from the Dry Tor
tugas. After describing the country through
which he passed as O terra incognitd quite
suitably selected by Booth as the route Of
his flight, he relates his approach to the
domicil OF DR.. Mudd, where the aspect Of
the. country became beautiful, yet secluded,
and proceeds;
We knocked for admission at the same
door that Booth did after his six hours ride
1t took us eight-and were promptly an
swered by pale and demonstrating gentle
man, who, In answer to our Inquiry If he
was DR.. Mudd, replied, "That's my name"
II was gratifying, after so long q journey,
to find the man you sought directly on hand
and apparently prepared to furnish you
with the amplest stores of information re-
garding his connection with Booth, &c.
Having stated the object of our visit
that the Herald felt an Interest in learning
some particulars Of his experience In the
Dry Tortugas, and his recollections of the
assassination conspirat ors-his face grew
extremely serious, and he answered that Of
all things he wished to avoid 1t was newspa-
per publicity, simply because nothing was
ever printed In connection with his name
that did not mlsrepresent him.
ga burned child breads the fire." he ex-
claimed, sand have reason to be suspicious
Of every one. II was In this way Booth
came 10 my house, representing himself as
being on journey from Richmond to Wash
ington, and that his horse fell on him, frac-
turing his leg and otherwise injuring him.
Six months or so from now, when my mind
Is more settled, and when understand what
changes have taken place In public opinion
regarding me, shall be prepared to speak
freely and fully on these matters you are
anxious to know about. At present, for the
reason stated, would rather not say any
thing"
Having, however, convinced the doctor
that Ii was with no motive to misreprescnt
his statement that we paid him this visit,
and that between Booths case and ours there
was no analogy, he invited us to pass the
evening at his house and postpone our re-
turn to Washington till the morning.
The doctor says he is thirty-flyc years Of
age; married in 1860; built the house in
which he now lives after his marriage;
owned a wcll-stocked farm of about thirty
acres, and was In the enjoyment of pretty
extensive practice up to the time Of his ar
rest In 1855. The world went well and
smoothly with him previous to that unhappy
event. His house was furnished with all the
comforts of a country gentleman's resi-
dence. He had his horses and hounds, aud
In the sporting season was foremost at every
fox hunt and at every manly outdoor sport.
He had robust health and vigorous, ath-
letic frame In those days, but 1t is very DIFF
ferent with him now. Above the middle
| height, with a reddish moustache and chin
whiskers, q high forehead and attenuated
nose, his appearance indicates man OF
calm and slow reflection, gentle in manner,
and OF very domestic turn. He says he
was born within few miles Of this house,
and has lived all his life In the country. His
whole desire now Is TO be allowed TO spend
the balance of his days quietly In the bosom
of his family. In his sunken, lustreless eye,
pallld lips and cold, ashy complexion one
can read the words "Dry Torugas" with n
terrible significance.
81 have come home" said the Doctor sor-
rowfully, ''to find nothing left me but my
house and family. No money, no provisions,
no crops in the ground, and no clear way
before me where to derive the means of sup
port In my present enfeebled condition"
There was no deception here. In the scanty
furniture of the house and In the pale, sad
countenance of the speaker, there was evil
dence enough of poor and altered fortune.
1t was now evening and growing rapidly
| dark. A big fire blaZed on the ample hearth,
| and Mrs. Mudd, an intelligent and handsome
lady, with one of her children, Joined the
Doctor and ourselves In the conversation
! over the events Of that memorable April
morning after the assassination.
"Did you see Booth, Mrs. Muddr we in
quired with feeling Of intense interest to
| hear her reply.
| eyes" she replied; 81 saw himself and
Harold after they entered this parlor. Booth
stretched himself out on that sofa there, and
Hal old stopped down to whisper something
to him
'How did Booth look2'
every bad. He seemed as though he had
been drinking very hard; his eyes were red
and swollen, and his hair In disorder"
"Dld he appear to suffer muchi"
"Not after he laid down on the sofa. In
fact. It seemed as If hardly anything was
wrong with him then"
''What kind of fracture did Booth sus-
tainl" We inquired, addressing the Doctor.
"Well," said he, "after he was laid down
on the sofa and told me that his leg was
fractured by his horse falling on him during
the Journey up from Richmond, l took O
knife and split the leg of his boot down tc
the instep, slipped It off and the sock with IT.
then felt carefully with both hands down
along his leg, but at first could discover
nothing like crcpitation till, after a second
investigation, found on the outside, neal
the ankle, something that felt like indulatet
flesh, and then for the first time / concluded
that 1t was direct and clean fracture Of thu
bone. / then improvised out of pasteboart
| a sort of box that adhered close enough Il
the leg to keep it rigidly straight below thu
knee, without at all Interfering with the fleX
ure of the leg. A low cut shoe was substi
tuted for the leather boot, and between hy,
aud six o'clock In the morning Booth and hi
I a. .t..N . L.
river below"
"How did Booths horse look after lii
long ridel" VIC inquired.
"Thc boy, after putting him up in til
I | stable the doctor replied, "reported tina
p his back underneath the forward part of tn
q saddle was raw and bloody. This crcum
stance Tailed with Booths account that h
z had been riding all day previous from Rich
. mond, and no suspicion arose In my min
for one instant that the man whose leg wa
r attending to, was anything more than wha
he represented himself"
h "You knew Booth before, Doctorl"
:. eyes" replied the Doctor. II was frs
Q introduced to Booth in November, 1864, q
the church yonder; spoke few words to hr
and never saw him afterwards until littl
If while before Christmas, when / happened t
a be In Washington making few purchases
and waiting for some friends from Bait
u more who promised to meet me at the Penn
d sylvania House and come ont here to spcn
IS the holidays. Twas walking past the Nationt
n Hotel at the time, when person tapped m
= on the shoulder, and on turning round,
i discovered it was the gentleman was intro
t duced to at the church about six weeks pre-
Il yiously. He asked me aside for momeT
n and said he desired an Introduction to job
= II. Surratt, with whom he presumed wa
Il acquainted. said that was.
/. ESnrratt and became almost nnrnssaril
d acquainted frsm the fact of his living on tn
o road Travelled so often on my way to Wasl
Z, ington, and having the only tavern on IL
II way that | cared to visit. Booth and
W walked along the avenue three or four block
when we suddenly came across Surratt an
Weichman, and all four having become u
n qualnted, we adjourned to the NationI