The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-02-17
A WILD RIDE FOR LIFE.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE FLIGHT OF JOIN
WILKES BOOTH FROM WASHINGTON.
IBoston Traveler.l

Lincoln. tOllOWed the exact route Booth
pursued, for distance of nearly forty miles,
to the house of DR.. Mudd, near the village of
Beantown, St Charles county, Maryland,
where he had his broken ankle set. After
this he and his companion Harold, rode seven
miles further, where they struck The ferry on
the Potomac to Virginia, crossed the river,
and penetrated as far as CARROTS farm,
where the one was shot and killed, and the
other made prisoner.
The object of my mission was an interview
with DR.. Mudd, one of the alleged conspira.
tors in the murder of Lincoln. He had re-
turned to his home from the Dry Tortugas,
where he had been banished for life, but was
pardoned by President Johnson after four
years confinement On the trial Of the con-
spirators he came within an ace of being
hanged-in fact, 1t was as close a shave OF
the moose as any 1 ever remember-and yet,
practically, Mudd had no more to do with the
assassination-of Lincoln than the child un-
born. But in those days 1965) fierce and
vindictive wave Of passion rolled over the
country and victims were demanded to ap-
pease the cry for blood. Any ore against
whom the least suspicion existed was ruth
lessly seized and hurried off to the old Capt.
tOl Prison, in Washington.
Booths original intention was to abduct
Presiden. Lincoln, and to carry him down to
Virginia, over precisely the same route that
he took when he attempted to make his es-
cape, and deliver him over to the rebels.
For six months before the fatal Good Fri
day evening, April IA, 1865, Booth had fire.
quently Travelled over this route between
Washington and Virginia via Maryland, and
had made himself acquainted with every
tree. and every turn on the road He visited
the houses of the people, paid no little atten-
tion to the girls, stood unlimited whisky to
the men and made himself generally popular.
All this time he was preparing for the abduc-
tion of Lincoln, and it is understood by those
who know the facts of the case best, that the
idea of assassination never came into his head
and was never limited at, until the surrender
of Gen. Lee, less than a week before the aw-
full crime was committed. Among those
whose acquaintance he cultivated was Dr.
Mudd, but 20 none with whom he sought to
ingratiate himself did he breathe the purpose
he had in view. He pretended to be very
fond of hunting and fowling, and as st.
Charles county, Maryland, is famed for its
wild game and spoItsmen, no suspicion of
his motive was entertain ed. There was
numerous Catholic population in the county
and Booth was on the best of terms with
Father Flanagan, parish priest of Beantown,
and was well recommended to his congrega-
ton. At place called by two letters, T. B..
was a tavern where Booth was well known >,
and where hundreds of dollars were spent by
him on drinks for the rustic frequenters.
AT the moment when Booth shot Lincoln
Spangler, the stage carpenter of Ford's The
atre, was standing in the lane back of the
rear entrance to the stage, holding Booths
horse, fine, we'll groomed booded bay. 1t
took less than three minutes from the time
Booth jumped on the stage from the Pres i
dents box, after doing the fatal deed, until
he was mounted on his horse and breaking
away down the cobble- paved lane with the
speed of the wind, the sparks flying from his
horses hoofs as they struck the uneven paw
ing stones. From the lane he turned into F
street, continued along to Four-aud- a Half
street, and then down to Pennsylvania ave-
nue., wheeling to the east and bearing Oh by
the north wing of the Capitol He swept
swiftly past the east front of the white and
silent building and struck the continuation
of Pennsylvania avenue. Here he gave the
horse full rein, for he had a straight and level
course before him as far as the bridge lead
ing across the east branch of the Potomac
into Maryland. At the Marine Hospital
Harold, mounted on horse, waited to re.
ceive him, ard here the course of the nara
tive has to be checked for a momentary di-
gression.
yUa oraI frv-
close, military sentinels were posted at both
ends OF the bridge that crosses the Anacostia
or East Branch of the Potomac, from the Dis
trict of Columbia to Maryland These SEN
tinels sharply challenged and inquired the
business of every one crossing the bridge.
To get over this difficulty 1t was arranged
between Booth and Harold that the latter
should stay in Union City, on the MARYLAND
side, until night and then, about 10 o'cIocl,
ride down to and across the bridge, answer
ing the challenge of the sentry of '"Who goes
there - by replying, ''a messenger going for
DOCTOR The answer was, of course
bound to pass him over On returning, and
atter meeting Booth near the Marine HosDi
tai, Harold was to ride back ahead, and after
answering the sentry's challenge again of
WHO goes there?" by saying '"The messen-
ger who went for the doctor" Booth was to
ride up, and to the challenge of "Who goes
there % answer, The Doctor"
This arrangement worked to a charm. -
Harold met Booth at the appointed place and
they crossed over into Union CITY. a small
village on the Maryland side without suspi.
cion or molestation At the other side of the
bridge the road turned to the left, and for
some distance was up hill. The night was
fine, but cloudy. The roads were heavy
here and there from recent rains. but Rootb
took little thought of that When the Iavel
road was reached he dashed ahead at the
fullest possible speed, and never drew rein
TIL he reached the place, oddly called T. B.,
sixteen miles from Washington, where he
was forced to dismount, owing to a broken
saddle girth. This was quickly repaired bv
handy man in the tavern, who remember
ed we'll, four years after, what an enormous
drink of brandy Booth swallowed before re-
mounting his horse. No time was lost in
getting forward. Both fueitives kept well
together on the wings of the wind. Beyond
l. b. the road becomes very lonely. and the
country wears a desolate and deserted look
Groves of tall pine trees OBJ one side. and
dreary stretches of marshland on the other
are visible
Flying along this dark and gloomy bipb-
way what thoughts must have filed Booths
mind In every nodding pine branch he
must have imagined an arm of vengeance
stretched out across the road to smite him I