Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-26
Gales aud Sketehes.
wilkes Booth In Hiding.

An important feature of the April Cent
of How Wilkes Booth crossed the Po-
tomac." There is gap in the history of
Wilkes Booths crime. between his disap-
pearance in the pines of southeastern
MARYLAND and his re-appearancei in Virginia
information of which was supplied by
Thomas A. Jones. an actor in the escape)
it is believed closes this gap. Jones' first
encounter with the fugitives is described
as follows: Booth and Herold were
sent into the short pines, and there Jones
found them. He says that as he was ad-
vancing into the pines he came upon a bay
mare, with black legs. name, and tail and
a white star on the forehead she was sad
died, and rowing around in little cleared
place as if trying to nibble something to
eat. Jones took the mare and tied her to
a tree or stump. He then advanced and
gave what he calls the countersign, or
whistle. which he does not precisely re-
member now, though he thinks it was two
whistles in peculiar way, and whistle
after an interval. The first person he saw
was Herold. fully armed, and with car
bine in his hand. coming out to see who it
was. Jones explained that he had been
sent to see them, and was then taken to
Booth. who was but few rods farther
along.
wrapped up in blankets, with his foot
supported and bandaged, and a crutch be-
side him. His rumpled dress looked re-
spectacle for that country, and Jones says
it was of black cloth. His face was pale
Il 60 l>o,
during the several DAYS that Jones saw
him. He was in great pain from his bro
ken ankle, which had suffered a fracture
of one of the two bones in the leg, down
close to the foot. 1t would not have given
him any very great pain but for the exer-
ton of his escape, which irritated it by
scraping the ends of the broken bone per-
haps in the flesh; it was now highly irri-
tated. and whichever way the man moved
he expressed by twitch or a groan the
pain he felt. Jones says that this pain
was more or less continuous, and was
greatly aggravated by the peril of Booths
situation-unable to cross the river with
! out assistance, and unable to walk any
distance whatever. Jones believes that
Booth did not rise from the ground at any
time until he was finally put on Jones's
days afterward.
.'Booth's first solitude seemed to be to
learn what mankind thought of the crime.
That question he put almost Immediately
to Jones. and continued to ask what diff
ferent classes of people thought about it.
Jones told him that it was gratifying news
to most of the men of Southern sympa-
thies. He frankly says that he himself at
} Id - [~I L,,A
what later. when he saw the injurious
consequences of the crime to the South.
he changed his mind. Booth desired
would convey to him an idea of public
feeling. Jones soon obtained newspapers
for him, and continued to send them in :;
and Booth lay there. where the pines were
so thick that one could not see more
than thirty or forty feet int them, read
ing what the world had to say about his
case. He seemed never tired of informa-
ton on this one subject, and the only thing
besides he was soiicitous about was to get
across the river into Virginia
Jones says Booth admitted that he was
the man who killed Lincoln. and expressed
no regret for the act. knowing all the con-
sequences it involved. He harped again
and again upon the necessity Of his cross
ing the river. He said if he could only
get to Virginia he could have medical at
tendance. Jones told him frankly that he
would receive no medical attendance in
Maryland. Said he: The country is full
of soldiers, and all that can do for Won
is to get you of, if can. for Cox's pro-
lection and my own, and for your own
safety. That will do for you, if there is
any way in the world to do it,
when l received this account from
Mr.. Jones, I asked him question after
question to see if could extract any in
formation IS to what Booth inquired about
while in that wilderness. I asked il he
spoke of his mother. of where be was go
ing when he reached Virginia. of whether
he meant to act on the stage again whetb.
er he blamed himself for jumping from
the theater box; whether he expressed
any apprehensions for Mrs Surratt or his
friends in Washington. To these and to
MANY other questions Jones uniformly re-
piled: No, he did not speak about any of
those things. He wanted food. and to
cross the river. and to know what was
said about the deed. Booth, he thinks.
wore slouched hat At first meeting
Booth in the pines. he proved himself to
be the assassin by showing upon his wrist,
in India ink, the initials. j. w. B. He
showed the same to Captain Jet in Vir-
ginia. Jones says Booth was determined
man-not boasting, but one who would
have sold his life dear. He said he would
not be taken alive.''