Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-08-17
WILKES BOOTH.
What John Mccullough Told Gath"
About the Murderer of President
lencaIu

Lincoln.
John Mccullough, the actor, several
years alter the assassination OF LIN
coin, came to Washington to play, and
John T. Ford, who had owned the the
atre of which Booth had the tree run
and where he killed Lincoln, asked me
to so around to Harvey's oyster house
ana lunch with Mccullough.
| was endeavoring to discover some
unsettled points about the murder OF
Lincoln.
wanted Ford particularly to tell me
where Booth had been hiding during
the week that he remained oh the
Maryland side of the Potomac. Ford
finally told me that Booth had been
hidden on the farm of man named
Cox, q well-to-do Rebel, who had APP
pointed a white man to carry food to
him, and that he and Herold inhabited
a brush hut or covering. Ford did not
sympathize with Booths crime, but
thought he was man Of the heroic
fibre and was no common fellow.
Mccullough was always attached to
the memory of Wilkes Booth. He said
that Booth was a true man, a sincere
friend, and undoubtedly little insane
Said he 81 will give you two in
stances of Booths insanity, setting in
the direction OF the murder of Presi-
dent Lincoln. Inever was horseback
rider, but Booth had wondering mind
and love of physical excitement, and
against my will he got me on horse
one day. Instead of taking me into
the pleasant places around Washing,
ton, he rode into by-roads up along
the Eastern Branch, and be would
show me some uninteresting place and
say: Now, Johnny, if fellow was in
a tight fix he could slip right out here,
do you seer We'll, said Mccullough,
when | leave Washington | shall leave
on the cars. | am all raw now from
riding this cid horse. For Gods sake
take me back to the hotel 4 have
no doubt continued the actor, that
he was then working out his long in
tended scheme of Selling Lincoln's
person and carrying him through lower
Maryland into the rebel lines. AT an
other time | came over from New
York suddenly, and being in the habit
of going into Booths room without
knocking, | turned the knob and push
ed straight IN. At the first wink | saw
Booth sitting behind table on which
was a map, a knife, and a pistol. He
had gauntlets on his hands, spurs on
mis- boots, and Il military hat Of a
slouched character on his head. As
the door opened he seized that knife
and came for me. Said /, John, what
in the name of sense is the matter
with you; are you crazy| He heard
my voice and arrested himself, and
passed his hand before mis- eyes like a
man wiping away y dream, and then
said, why, Johnny, how are you?
When | heard that it was he who kill
ed lincoln thought that he had been
at the time | describe ready to carry
out the same purpose. 1t was at the
time of Lincoln's second inauguration
EMBARRASSING DISPATCHES.
Mr.. Ford then said to Mccullough
John, tell him about your Geographic
dispatches to Booth.
Mccullough hesitated. but he finally
said:
"WeL here is the story; "John Booth
and myself were great deal together
in Washington city when | was acting
in the stock at Ford's theatre. Booth
played for my benefit, and was my
warm friend. Society was pretty fast
in those days of the war, and there
were two young women in Washington
who were enamored with Booth and
myself. We used to meet them in
Baltimore. They were of high con
mentions, and their names required to
be protected. We called them in our
kilograms Jack aud Bob Sometimes
Booth would telegraph me, Jack and
Bob are here; come over Again, !
would telegraph him: Jack wants you
to bring Bob over Nearly all these
dispatches were sent from Baltimore
which was only one hours ride from
Washington. ] awoke one morning
and read to my horror that Lincoln
had been killed by Booth. | was in a
distant part of the country. The next
thing | read was that all the telegraph
dispatches sent by or addressed to
Booth had been seized in the telegraph
office, and | knew that there was quite
a number between Booth and me.
said to myself: How can l ever be able
to explain those dispatches 2 If de-
scribe truthfully who the parties are
will give away two ladies. If / do not
not speak the truth | shall commit q
perjury, and if l do not tell something
they will bang me as one of Booths
associates SO | started for Canada
and had to live there on $15 week
which was all the salary could get
until / could communicate, after the
excitement had subsidized, with some IN
fuential persoag and show them tina
my running away was not through any
fear of political explanations, but of
personal explanation"