Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-04-14


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PERSONAL sKfrvn.
The Doctor says he IL 95 years of
are. married in 1850, built the house
in which he now lives amer bis mar.
rinrc. owned a woll.stockcd farm Of
about thirty acres, and was In The
enjoyment Of a pretty extensive prac.
,ice up 10 the time OF his arrest in lS05.
The world went well and smoothly
with him previous to that unhappy
event. His house was furnished with
all the comforts Of a country gentle
mans residence. lie had his horses
and hounds, and in the sporting season
was foremost in every fox hunt and
at every manly outdoor sport. He
had robust health, and q vigorous,
athletic frame in those days, but il is
very different with him now. Above
the middle heighth, with n reddish
mustache and chin whiskers, high
forehead and attenuated nose, his APP
pearance indicates a man of calm and
slow reflection, gentle in manner, and
of a very domestic turn. lie says he
was born within a few miles Of his
house, and has lived all his life in the
county. His only desire now is TO be
allowed TO spend the balance Of his
days quietly in the bosom Of his iarni-
ly. In bis sunken, lustreess eye, palid
lips, and cold, nsEy complexion, one
can read the words, "Dry Tortugas,"
with a terrible significance. In the
prime of his years, looking prema-
turely old and care-worn, there are
few indeed who could gaze on the
wreck and ravage in the face of this
man before them without feeling a.
sentiment of sympathy and commiser-
alton. 81 have come home" said the
Doctor, sorrowiully, "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 means of support
in my present enfeebled condition"
There was no deception here. In the
scanty furniture Of the house, and in
the pale, sad countenanoe Of the
speaker, there was evidence enough
Of poor and altered fortune.
II was now evening and growing
rapidly dark A big fire blazed on
the ample hearth, and Mrs. Mudd, an
intelligent and handsome lady, with
ono 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. Mudd 2"
we inquired. with feeling Of intense
interest TO hear her reply.
ayes" she replied 81 saw himself
and Harold, after they entered this
parlor. Booth stretched himself out
on that sofa there, aud Harold stopped
down TO whisper something to him"
Chow did Booth look 7"
avery bad. He seemed as though
be bad been drinking very hard. His
eyes were red and swollen, and his
hair in disorder"
add he appear to suffer much 7"
"Not after he had laid down on the
sofa. In fact, il seemed as IL hardly
anything was wrong with him then"
aWhat kind Of a fracture did Booth
sustain 7" we enquired, addressing the
Doctor.
"Well," said be, Hafter be was laid
down on that sofa, and having told
me his leg was fractured by bis horse
falling on him during his journey up
from Richmond, ! took a knife and
split the leg Of his boot down TO the
instep, slipped it of, and the sock
with it. / then felt carefully with
both hands down along his leg, but at
first could discover nothing like
erepitation, till, after a second investi-
CATION, found on the outside, near
the ankle, something that felt like
indurated flesh, and then, for the first
time, / concluded II was q direct and
clean fracture Of the bone. then
improvised out Of pasteboard a sort Of
boot that ahered close enough TO the
leg TO keep it rigidly straight below
the knee, without at all interfering
with The fixture Of the leg A low
cut shoe was substituted for the leather
boot, and between five and six o'clock
in the morning, Booth and his com
panion started for point on the river
below"
allow did Booths horse look after
bis long ride p we inquired.
"The boy, after putting him in the
stable" the Doctor replied, reported
that his back underneath the forward
part Of the saddle was raw and bloody.
This circumstance tailed with Booths
account that he bad been riding all
day previous from Richmond, and no
suspicion arose in my mind for one
instant that the man whose leg was
attending to was anything moro than
what he represented himself"
"You knew Booth before, Doctor 2"
ayes" replied the Doctor. 81 was
first introduced 10 Booth in Novem-
Der, 1864, at the church yonder, spoke
a few words TO him, and never saw
him afterwards until a little while
before Christmas, when | happened
to be in Washington making few
purchases, and waiting for some friends
from Baltimore, who promised to meet
me at the Pennsylvania House, and
come hero to spend the holidays. ]
was walking past the National Hotel
at the time, when person tapped me
on the shoulder, and, on turninground,
discovered II was the gentleman l
was introduced to at the church, about
six weeks previously. He asked me
aside for a moment, and said he de-
sired an introduction TO John II. Sur.
ratt, with whom he presumed was
acquainted / said that | was. Sur.
ratt and / became almost necessarily
acquainted from the fact of his living
on the road / Travelled so often on my
way TO Washington, and having the
only tavern on the way that l cared
to visit Booth and | walked along
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