Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-06-17
An Incident of Lincoln's Murder.
How AN ATTORNEY WAS MISTAKEN FOR
Wukgs Booru.

''Those are not cheerfnl-looking things.
are theys" said Counselor NJ. A. Mcdonald
rs he sarntered into the office of the United
| States Marshal a few DAYS ago aud pointed to
pair of handouts which were lying upon
the table.
| Not especially enlivening." replied
| Deputy. picking up the rogues' bracelets and
examining them thoughtfully.
'There was one time that thought they
were the most cheerless and terrible things
| IN the world"
The Deputy looked up in surprise.
"Yes," continued Mr.. Macdonald, II had
them on both my hands and feet at once for
a number of hours. | assure You they are
not pleasant things to wear
Were they put on to keep YOU prison
| err" queried the Deputy, wondering ii his
friend could have done ANYTHING criminal
''You would have thought SO had you been
| in my place. was arrested by officers who
thought was J. Wilkes Booth"
"No." calculated the Deputy, more as an
expression of surprise than an intentional
| reflection upon the veracity of Mr.. MacDon-
aid.
at came about in this way," began the
lawyer, whose dark hair and eyes, even now
| that sixteen years have passed, bear a strik-
| ing resemblance to those of the assassin of
| Lincoln. "Lincoln had been murdered but
a few days. and the entire country was
plunged in grief and the desire for revenge
upon tho murderer. NV home was in Titus
vile, Pa, and was on the way to il from
Washington, where my father was then q
Government contractor. The route was by
the wav of Erie. The train had left Erie
and gone perhaps dozen miles when a couple
of officers surprised me by putting me under
arrest and clapping handouts on my wrists
and manacles on my feet. In vain protest
ed. They would not believe that was not
Wilkes Booth To add to the unpleasantness
| of the thing and a fact which also gave
color to the belief that | was the
Presidents assassin, it was well known that
Booth had interests in the oil regions Of
ptnnsyl, ania and had been there a number
of times The men who arrested me did so
upon the strength of my great resemblance to
a picture of Booth which they had in their
possession. When it became known on tn.
train that the assassin of Lincoln had been
arrested and was on that very train, the eX
citement was intense. The officers who were
guarding me had all they could do to prevent
the infuriatcd passengers from doing me
bodily harm. 1t had been telegraphed all
along the line of the road that Lincoln's mur-
derer was under arrest and would pass
through on his way TO Titusvilc. At every
station the train was met by infuriated men
| who climbed upon wood-pilcs to get glimpse
of me. and many times on that journey
feared thai, the mob would get possession of
me- When the train reached Cory there
was man boarded the train who knew me.
But the officers would not listen to him, and
it was not until Titusville was reached,
where every man, woman and child knew
me- that the handouts and manacles were re-
moved from my wrists and ankles and was
allowed my liberty. ! have the photograph
which furnished the clue to the officers who
arrested me in my possession now