The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-16

MUDD's HOUSE
Near the roadway is q low, collonaded
porticoed house, in decay. Passing this 1
came to gate in large field where the
wheat was tender and green, and some stacks
OF straw in the middle of the field showed
that wheat grew well here. The wagon
track went right through the field, unbor-
dered by fence, and it was nearly mile back
to Mudds mansion, which is a square house.
with its gable toward the road and its side
toward the lane or track. 1t has two high
brick chimneys at the farthest end. The
door is at the side nearest the intruder, and
the hall goes nearly through the house along
the northern gable, but is blocked by small
room at the far end. To the left of this hall
are two doors opening into different rooms.
In the front room Booth was entertained,
and afterward went upstairs, some say to take
a nap. This square, main portion of the
| building, with steep, black, windowless
roof, is continued to the west by lower
building of two stories, and beyond that
still is the kitchen. AT the termina-
ton of the wheat Geld begins a peach
orchard, and a gate leads into this; and still
beyond is another gate entering the yard
proper. A number of tall trees grow against
the gable. 1t is as far from the house down
in Zekiah swamp as to the roadway. The
I
| seen, Notwithstanding its remoteness, from
much of the surrounding country for the
distance of at least one mile. .-..
The road to Bryaptown, leaving the road
| already described at right angle continues
around the base of the hill, and there is
sort of back way to get into this road from
Mudd's. On Saturday afternoon, only sew
enteen hours after Mr.. Lncoln's murder,
Herod and Mudd started together to Bryan
town. but seeing soldiers when within mile
of that place, Herold rode into the brush,
while Mudd went on to ascertain the news.
On his return the two outlaws quilted the
house for the swamp on the west of it till
darkness allowed them to take the road
which thanked Bryantown to the east, and
carried them, in a ride of twenty miles or
less, to the region about Cobb's Neck,
whence they could see the Virginia shore.
Booth went to Canada in the summer of
1864, and while there communicating with
the restless spirits who were raiding the
northern frontier, appears to have imbibed
the idea of capturing the President and other
important personages at Washington, and
taking them through this country. So Mar
tin gave him q letter to DIR. Queen, and
Booth went down there and the next day
they brought him to their church. Standing
before this church, on n sort of lawn, was
DR.. Sam Mudd, who that Sunday had come
out of his usual course to attend the Bryan
town services. Booth and Mudd shook
hands ana exchanged some words. and the
service was called. If Mudd ever prayed
hard in his life he should have done so that
morning, for the devil was near his elbow
Nothing ever happened at this church or
hereabout of any record or moment until the
actor, bred on unsoundness and high rhet-
orc, concluded to come down here to Bryan
town and do real, great service for the So
ciety, and heroize himself and make them
all remember him as the Brutus. or Sergeant
Jasper, or something else that poets and
school-boys feed on. | inquired about the
priest who preached the morning Booth
came to church, and they told me- | think,
that his name was Southgate, though my
memory did not seize the name. These
priests are frequently changed from one
place to another, and when l asked the
Dutch sexton about Booth he looked at me
with a vacant face, and evidently had not
the least idea who Booth was. l repeated
the question two or three times,
and l know that 1 left him wonder
mind. What a blow it would be 70 the as
sassin to come into this region and find that
he had made no more impression upon i'll
Here were two strangers, who had made
pilgrimage out of the enemy's land into
Booths own district, but his own had re-
ceived him not. The daily struggle for
bread, and the eye steady on the future, were
to be dscerned in that society altogether
more than the wild escapades of the civil
war.
Corrections Concerning Booth and Herold.
National Republican.
"The New York Sun illustrates how false
history is made" said gentleman to Re-
publican reporter yesterday
"How SOP" said the Republican.
'Tn speaking of our old criminal court
room at the City Hallit recently said;
In that dirty and dngy old courtroom were
teau's trial, Before that in the same courtroom
had occurred the trials of the persons who were
charged with the assassination Of Lincoln
Paine, Atzerott. Herold and Mrs. Surratt. There
they were convicted aud sentenced to execution.
so that this room has been the scene of three
important state trials. -... ,.
Now, this is laughable to Washington
people. 1t is we'll known that the trials of
the conspirators occurred at the government
penitentiary where the prisoners were con-
fined. 1t was down at the arsenal, or what
is now known as the Washington barracks,
and two splendid residences, used as officers
quarters now, represent two wings of that
old institution. In the space between these
two houses the four conspirators were
hanged"
Ibid you know any of the conspirators?"
Eyes. L knew Dave Herold intimately,
and with John Wilkes Booth l had speak
ing acquaintance. Herold was a drug clerk
on Eighth street southeast, between and X
streets His mother lived in the neighbor-
hood. DR.. Francis S. Walsh kept the apoth-
ecary store, and was also an old clerk in the
quartermaster's department of the Marine
Corps, whose headquarters was one block
north. Herold was a harum-scarum young
fellow, fond of his dog and gun. He was a
good fellow to go with down into Maryland
on a hunt" -sr.,.t...,. ....s ....t 80 ....-t.-
WAS he crazy young fellow, as some
people represented him to be?'
mo. I'm glad you mentioned that John
Clampitt. who, with Fred A. Aiken, defended
Mrs. Surratt, published an article in the
North American Review two or three years
ago, in which he did injustice to Herold and
his family by stating that he (Herold) was a
half-witted fellow Half-witted fellows were
not acting as drug clerks then or now Her