The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-04-11
T III il MONITO r.
WILKES BOOTH IN HIDING.

How Wilkes Booth crossed the Potomac" !
There is gap in the history of Wilkes Booths
crime, between his disappearance in the pines
of south eastern Maryland and his reappear-
ance in Virginia, where he was killed, and
this article (the information of which was
supplied by Thomas A. Jones, an actor in the
escape) it is believed closes this gap. Joness
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 advancing into
the pines he came upon bay mare, with
black legs, mane and tail, and white star
on the forehead she was saddled, and row.
ing around in little cleared place as if try
ing to nibble something to eat. Jones took
the mare and tied her to tree or stump. He
then advanced and gave what he called the
countersign, or whistle, which he does not
precisely remember 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 taken to Booth, who
was but few rods further along
Booth was lying on the ground, wrapped
up in blankets with his foot supported and
bandaged, and crutch beside him. His
rumpled dress looked respectable for that
country and Jones said it was of black CLOTH
His face was pale at all times, and never
ceased to be SO during the several days that
Jones saw him. He was in great pain from
his broken ankle, which had suffered a frac-
ture 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 exertion
of his escape, which irritated it by scraping
the ends of the broken bone perhaps in the
flesh; it was now highly irritated, and which
ever way the man moved he expressed by
twitch or 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
without assistance, and unable to walk any
distance whatever. Jones believes that Booth
did not rise from the ground at any time I'M
til he was finally put ON Jones' horse TO be
taken to the water-side some days afterward.
Booths first solicitude seemed to be to
learn what mankind thought of the crime.
That question he put almost Immediately to
Jones, and continued to ask what different
classes of people thought about it, Jones
told him that it was gratifying news to most
of the men of southern sympathies. He frank
ly says that he himself at first regarded it as
good news but somewhat later, when he saw
the injurious consequences of the crime to
the south, he changed his mind. Booth de-
sired newspapers if they could be had, which
would convey to him some 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 into them, reading what the world
had to say about his case He seemed never
tired of information on this one subject, and
the only thing besides he was solicitous 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 conse-
quences it involved. He harped again and
again upon the necessity of his crossing the
river He said if he could only get to Vir-
ginia he could have medical attendance.
Jones told him frankly that he could receive
no medical attendance in Maryland. Said
he: The country is full of soldiers, and all
that can do for you is to get you off, if l
can, for Cox's protection and my own, and
for your own safety. That l will do for you,
if there is any way in the world to do it.
"When I received this account from Mr..
Jones, asked him question after question to
see if could extract any information as to
what Booth inquired about while in that will
derness. asked if he spoke of his mother,
of where he was going when he reached Vir-
ginia, of whether he meant to act on the stage
again whether he blamed himself for jump
ing from the theatre box; whether he ex-
pressed 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 a
slouched hat At first meeting Booth in the
pines, he proved himself to be the assassin by
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