Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-10-07
LIACCLE'S ASSASSINATION.
: .eview of John Wilkes Booths
Conspiracy.

Booth spent nearly the whole OF the
war time about Washington is dissipa-
ton, flirting and hotel society, and that
streak of in+anity remaining in his fam
ily, set on fire by dramatic ambition and
romance, led him to contemplate the
greatest personal net of the war, If he
could find the proper tools to help him.
Probably, if be could have obtained
some of the reckless AIissourians with
Quantrell, or even some OF Morgan's
men detailed to him from the Confed-
crate almv, he might have succeeded in
taking off Lincoln either alive or dead.
He might have gagged the President, to
render him, to all intents, a helpless
piece OF freight, though yet alive, and,
by tearing up bridge somewhere, or
giving false scent, hnva got start Of
half all hour to an hour, and let the
shades OF night shut Ill himself and his
prisoner, and then they would have ten
or twelve hours of work.
As long rs there WAS Confederacy in
tact and offensive the problem of capt
uring Lincoln would stop at the Potomac
river. There was but one obstacle on
the road, and that was the eastern
branch OF the Potomac, in the fork of
which hes Washington city. This
stream, Immediately opposite Washing
ton, has two ridges, both guarded
but five miles above Washington the
east IN branch was fortlable. On the
night OF the murder Booth had no
trouble in passing the most important OF
these bridges as lute as IL o'clock.
Both he and Harold were allowed to go
over and neither gave pass, but the
hvery-stablc keeper, hunting for the
horse on which HarO d rode, was stopped
aud told he could go over, but could not
come back. Booth had to fall back on
the Maryland element around him, as
the Confederate Government did not
entertain such an irregular proposition
as his. About the last of October, 1864,
Booth went to the house of DR.. Queen,
several miles from Bryanstown, with q
letter of instruction from Martin in Can.
ada. Martin had been a b ockade-run-
ner in conjunction with Keith of Thom-
assen, who, years aftcrward, blew up q
steamer at Bremen, Germany. with an
internal machine. Booth told DR.. Queen
and DR.. Queens neighbors that he was
going to buy land III Lower Maryland.
He was referred to Henry Mudd, father
of DR.. Mudd. This was Saturday, and
the next day, Sunday, DR.. Queen and
his son-in-law, Johu G. Thompson, took
Booth to the Catholic Church ut Bryans-
town. DIR. Samuel A. Mutld was stand
ing in front of the church with others,
and Booth was introduced to him by
Thompson. THUS began the conspiracy,
nearly six months before it's finale.
Booth went back to DR.. Queens that
night, and stayed there till the next
day. Monday. About the middle of De-
cember following he returned and STAYED
one night with DR.. Queen. and went
away the next morning. How often he
went to DR.. Mudd's only that person
knows. Bryans.own, where DIR. Mudd
resided. is about twenty-seven miles
from Washington on the regular stage
road leading to Leonardstown and Point
Lookout. Mudl's was four miles north
Of Bryanstown. From Bryanstown to
the nearest crossing on the Potomac, at
Matthias point, is about sixteen miles.
In the early part of the war around
Bryans.own was "a portion OF u rebel State
guard, which, being run down by the
Union forces, hid i'll the vicinity OF DIR.
Mudd's house. Mndl was a stakeholder.
He, Booth and Surratt were intimate ut
the National Hotel in Washington as
curly as january. 1861.
David G. Harold WIS vagrant drug
gis.'s clerk in Washington, who was
fond Of cunning through Lower Mary
land, ard knew Surr.tt. Surratt
had employed Atzelpdt to cross to Vir-