The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-09-19
4 STRINGE STORY.
Is WILKES BOOTH, THE ASSASSIN OF PI{EsI-
DENT LINCOLN, DEAD OR AIIAE =
REMARKABLE NARRATIVE.

REMARKABLE NARRATIVE.
The ST. Louis Republican of the oth lnst'
has this sensation
Recently reporter of the ReP"oS'eo"
learned from Mr. Henry Maury, OF TINS
CITY, the particulars Of a remarkaole story
II v,os no less than an alleged meeting
between Wilkes Booth and one OF his ac-
onaintances, the account of which Mr.
Many had from the lips of the man who
met the assassin.
During the month of June Mr.. Maury
had visited Florida, making a tour of bus
mess and pleasure combined, visiting nu-
merous places of note-Pensacola, Key
West, Dry Tortugas and about the INST
of July was en- route for New Orleans ana
Memphis on board of Mississippi river
steamer. Among the passengers he no
ticed one of soldierly bearing, about forty
five years of age, and wearing about his
dress something that denoted seaiar1ng
man. Mr. Maury was thrown into his
company. and soon found that he was a
man of refinement and polished manners.
TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION.
Ny name, said the narrator, is Carroll
jackson Donelson, and l am blood rela-
tive of Andrew jackson Donolson, who
died recently at Memphis, Tennessee (at
the Peabody hoter, for which city I am
now EN- route to assist in the settlement of
his estate.
During the war between the sections
was captain in the Eighth Texas cavalry.
At the close of the struggle | returned
again to the sea, and in 1866 found myself
in San Francisco. There l shipped on
board the ship Kate Hoober, bound for
Shanghai.
Reaching Singapore, we took in a cargo
of mahogany, sandal wood, rattan and su-
gar. 1t was in the month of September
when we sailed from Singapore, passing on
the western side of the Pelew islands. 1t
was early in the morning that we first saw
the Pelew islands. We had with us sea-
man named Curry Chicken" who had
tshed and coasted among these islands for
years. Putting a couple of casks on board,
as we were short of water, we pulled in for
the island.
When a mile and half from shore We
laid on our oars, as the natives were too
numerous for us to venture among them
without Farley. AS they gathered
around us in their canoes Curry Chicken"
talked with them, and learned that white
men were on the island. Leaving guard
with the boats, we took the casks and
skirted along the shore, and ahead of us
we discovered two tents peeping out among
the foliage. Knowing from the natives
that the occupants of the tents were white
men, we pushed boldly forward.
HE MEETS BOOTH.
Five men and one woman made theirap-
pearance from and around the tents. The
first one that advanced towards me and eX-
tended his hand was ]. Wilkes Booth.
There was no mistake as to his identity, as
l had been an intimate friend of his in
Montgomery, Alabama, years before. He
directed my men where water could be
procured, and then entered into a conf
dental conversation with me, asking that
should not reveal his name to my men,
nor to any one for a period of one year
''besides," said he, ''the world would not
believe you if you were to say that John
Wilkes Booth lives. have lost my iden-
tity among living men. \ great govern
ment has killed me, buried me, paid its re-
ward, and 1 live new and original exist
ence."
His conversation with me was long and
earnest. He stated that but one person in
his party knew that he was Booth, and
that was the female who accompanied him.
nd Sha Ca;J 49, NV fo
How he made his escape from the Uni
ted States he di6 not reveal, except that he
did not leave Washington city for thirty
days after the assassination. During his
wanderings he had been in Mexico, South
America, Africa, Turkey, Arabia, Rome,
ard latte~ly in China.
While III Rome he met John Surratt. In
China lie entered the imperial service I'M
der Ward, the American Irishman who
commanded the emperor's forces against
the rebels of the Tartar breed, the latter
being under the command of an American
from New Orleans of the sobriquet OF
Peacock" While under Ward he was
engaged in many battles, and fast gained
the emperor's favor, when an accident
hclNSO W CiNiSc lAIl " ltttNc lilC COlIIl
hurriedly by command of Ward.
a MOST ROMANTIC STORY.
While in Shanghai, which has three di
visions of settlements of oreigners-Amer
icans French and English-his old passion
for the stage returning, he and severa
English and American naval officers anC
residents, with the countenauce of Ward
organized a dramatic club, and Booth be
ing the leading spirit, was cast in the char
acter of Richard in the play of Richard
III. All were astonishcd at the grace anC
bearing of the youthful actor Throughout
the performance, until the scene wher
Richard and "Richmond'' fight with sucl
terrific energy, when astonishment gav,
wayto a wild storm of applause, and higl
over all the tumult came the Ominou