The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-03-31

IN due course, and Chapel Hill, the
point Of original starting, was reached
early i'll the following morning.
Word was promptly sent in different
| directions to bring in the rest OF the
detective force operating under the
| marshal. He mounted and rode at
quarter gait to Port Tobacco,
some eleven miles distant, to issue
some orders and make a few additional.
inquiries. But a few hours were
taken in these dispositions, for he
knew no time was to be lost. Re
turning to Chapel Hill at a plunging
pace. he was accosted by a newly
arrived party sent out from Washing
ton by Secretary Stanton to
REPRESENT THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
Foremost among these was Mr.. Sam
uel BeckW1th, who had been Gen.
Grants chief cipher operator during
the war, who stated to the provost
marshal that he had been ordered to
| report to him and was ready to send
by telegraph to Secretary Stanton any
| information had as to the whereabouts
OF j. Wilkes Booth and his fellow
assasslns. For this purpose he carried
small field telegraphic instrument.
and was attended by man to tap
| wires near by in order to forward a
message. After some deliberation it
was decided to send a brief telegraphic
report in cipher of the theories pre-
vailing and what had been discovered
in Virginia. This was done reluc-
family by the provost marshal, for he
dld not wish to stop on his return to
the Virginia shore. which he was
anxious to effect forthwith. How
| ever, under the persuasion of Mr..
Beckwith, who suggested that the
war department might have some
additional information which it would
be well to have, he consented to pro-
coed to a little shanty adjacent. There
statement was made out and trans
ferred into cipher. The Geographic
wire was cut and attached to small
battery on the ground. When the
information that first gave any posi-
tive knowledge of
BOOTHS wHEREBoCTs
was dispatched TO the war department..
which, for the first time since the
assassination, gave the officials reliable
lntlmation of the locality to which he
had flown. This message, however,
was unfortunate for the glory and final
triumph Of the provost marshal's
pursuing force, and sealed their doom
SO far as participation in the capture
was concerned. He was about to start
off for Goldsborough landing, in the
vicinity of which he had tracked Booth
and: Herold, when a telegram was an
nounced from the little instrument
on the roadside, through Operator
Beckwith, in words to this effect
" GU need not return to Virginia !:
that shore will be sufficiently guarded
Establish your headquarters in Mary
land. Where is Booths horse -
Turning aside, chagrined, and disap-
pointed. and feeling that the order of
Secretary Stanton was perhaps a mis-
take, the provost marshal pondered
over the situation in great disgust. for
he felt that in twenty-four hours at
least he would have had Booth a pris-
oner in his custody-alive if possible,
dead if necessary. Nothing was to be
| done but to obey the order. It came
from the secretary Of war to an officer
OF the war department., and could not
be ignored, if military obedience and
discipline were to be observed. Mean.
time, as though to show the complete.
ness and efficiency of the plan which
the provost marshal of the District of
Columbia had adopted, and which
covered all the grounds of possibility.
the officer and men sent by him to
Surratsville and vicinity to close the
pursuit of Booth, now reported in
person. Their operations, faithfully
and efficiently carrying out his orders.
resulted in getting the first and only
evidence Of Booths movemento in
Maryland, and of the fact that he was
suffering from
l FRACTURED LEG,
and was On crutches, which CLOSELY
fitted in with and confirmed testimony
already in his possession. All had
eliminated in the discovery Of the
crutchmark, the only positive and
unshaken sign Of the exact course he
had taken, and but for which his cap
ture might never have been affected.
All else was vague. Had Booth been
carried all the way in his flight, as he
was undoubtedly part of the way, the
ruce instrument on which he leaned
for support and to ease his pain would.
parhaps, never have been known as
the one great witness against him.
He would have successfully made his
escape, without doubt, by embarking
from some southerly port in the con-
federacy for Spain, where, for time
at least, he would have been safe from
extradition, as Mr.. Tweed, the Tam
many deliquent chief, also expected
when he went to that country. The
quickness Of the pursuit and designa-
ton Of the point in the vicinity of
which he had gone by the King Gorge
Court House road were the only ele-
ments of scientific and unerring detec-
ton which outwitted Booth in the
wonderful skill, forethought. indomit-
able will and courage which were
given to every detail by him. He had
evidently weighed everything, and it
now seems that the whole course Of
his flight was planned from the time
he plunged out of the box where he
had fatally wounded Mr.. Lincoln into
the stage below, until he was over
taken in the rude barn not more than