The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-02

/ down into /eklah swamp. and shoot them
/ both with his revolver, which he did.
The weather during those days and
/ nights was OF 'oggy, misty character
/ not COLI, but uncomfortable, although
| there was no rain. At regular intervals
the farmer got on his horse and went
! through the pines the two or three miles
/ to the spot where still lay the yearning
| man with the great crime behind him
and the great wish TO see Virginia Booth
/ had a sympathetic nature, and seldom
failed to make good impression aud
that he made his impression on Jones viii
presently appear. No incident broke the
monotony of these visits for days. Jones
sent his faithful negro out with the bos,
TO fsh with glll-nets, SO that 1t should
not be broken up in the precautions used
By the federals TO prevent Beoth's escape
Jones was now reduced to one poor boat,
which had cost him eighteen dollars in
| Baltimore. He had lost several boats in
the war, costing him from eighty 10 one
hundred aud twenty-five dollars apiece.
| This little gray or lead-colored skiti as
! the only means by which the fugitives
could get across the river. Every even
! ing the man returned it to the mouth of
the little marsh called Dents Meadow,
in front of the Huckleberry farm.
Monday, Tuesday, "Wednesday and
Thursday passed by, and more soldiers
came IN and began To ride hlther and
thlther, and to examine the marshes
but they did not penetrate the pines at
all, which at no time were visited. The
house were all examined, and old ST.
! Thomas brick buildings, of Venerable
| and imposing appearance, above Chapel
| Point, were ransacked. The story went
abroad that there were vaults under the
priests house, leading down to the river,
and finally the soldiers tore the farm and
| terraces all to pieces. Yet for six nights
and days Booth and Herold kept in the
woods, and on Friday Jones slipped over
to little settlement called Allen Fresh
two or three miles from his farm, to see
if he could hear anything. A large body
of cavalry were in the little town, guided
by Marylander, and while Jones in his
indifferent way was lettering about, he
heard the officer say 1--WE have just
got news that those fellows have been
seen down in St Mary's County" The
cavalry were ordered to mount and set
out. At that time it was along toward
. the gray OF the night, and instantly Jones
mounted his horse and rode from Aliens
Fresh by the road and through the woods
to where Booth and HerOld were.
Said he, with decision: Now, friends,
this is your only chance. The night is
pitch dark and my boat is close by. |
will get you some supper at my house,
and send you off if | can" With con-
siderable difficulty, and with sighs and
| pain, Booth was lifted on to Jones {
| horse, and Herold was put at the bride.
Now" whispered Jones, "as we cannot
| see twenty yards before us, | will 60
ahead. We must not speak When |
| get to a point where everything is clear
from me to you, | will whistle so, :" Civ.
| ing the whistle. In that way he went
forward through the blackness, repeating
| the signal now and then and although
the wooded paths are generally tortuous
and obstructed, nothing happened. For
a short distance they were on the public
road they finally turned into the Huck-
leberry farm, and about fifty yards from
the house the assassin and his pilot stop
ped under two pear trees.
| AT this moment very pathetic Incl
| dent took place. Jones whispered to
Booth: Now | will go in and get some
thing for you to eat, and you eat it here
while | get something for myself. Booth,
with sudden longing, exclaimed "Oh,
can't go in the house just a moment
and get little of your warm coffee p
Jones says that he felt the tears come to
his eyes when he replied "Oh my friend,
it would not be safe. This is your last
chance to get away. l have negroes at
the house and if they see you, you are
lost and so am L." But Jones s,ys, as
he went in, he felt his throat choked. To
this day he remembers that wistful re-
quest of the assassin to be allowed to
enter warm habitation once more before
embarking on the wide and unknown
river.
The negro, Henry Woodland, was 10
the kitchen stoidly taking bis meal, and
neither looking nor asking any questions,
though he must have suspected from the
occurrences of a few days past that some
thing was in the wind Henry" said
Jones, did you bring the boat back to
Dents meadow where | told you =
"Yee, master" How many shad die
you catch, Henry p II caught about
seventy, master" Ard you brought
them all here to the house, Henry?
~ es, master.
Jones then took his supper without
haste, and rejoined the two men. L
was about three quarters of mile to the
water-side, and, although it was very
dark, they kept on picking their way
down through the ravlne, where little
almost dry stream ran of to the marshes
Not far from the watcr-sIde was strong
fence, which they were unable to take
down.
Booth was now lifted from the horse b,
Herold and Jones, and they got under hi
arms. he with the crutch at hand, and 81
they nearly carried him to the water
The boat could be got By a little wadlng
and Jones brought it in. Booth too.
his place in the stern. tie was heavily
armed. and Jones says had not only hi
carbine, as had Herold, but revolvers anC
knife. Herold took the oars, which
had been left in the boat, and sat amid
ships. Jones then lighted piece o
candle which he had brought with him
and took a pass which Booth haC
brought out from Washington, and b
the aid of the candle he showed Bootl
the true direction to steer. Said he
Keep the course lay down for you, anC
it will bring you right into Machodo,
Creek. Row up the creek TO the frs
house, where you viii find Mrs Quesen
berry. and | think she will take care 0
you if you use my name"
They were together at the water-sld'
an unknown time, from fifteen minute
to balf an hour. At last Booth, will
his voice full of emotion, said to Jones
God bless you. my dear friend, for a.
YOU have done for me- The last word
Jones thinks Booth said were: Good
bye, old fellow !" There was a moment
sound of oars on the water, and the fugi
tives we're gone.
"a little son Of Col. I Sumnt