Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-05-02


to Virginia and have the comforts of Il
doctor.
SAID he to Booth: "You must stav
right here. however long, and wait till
| can see some way to get you out ;
and do not believe | can Ct you away
from here until this hue and cry is
somewhat over. Meantime | will see
that YOU are fed" He then continued
to visit them daily, generally about 10
o'clock in the morning. He always
went alone. taking with him such food
as the country had-ham, whisky, fish,
bread. and coffee. Part OF the way
Jones had to 90 bv the public road, but
he generally worked into the pines as
quickly as possible. His intercourse
at each visit with the fugitives was
short. because he was in great person
al danger himself, was not inquisitlve.
and was wholly intent on keeping his
faith with his old friend and the new
ones. He saws that Herold had moth
ing to saw Of the least importance. and
was nothing but pilot for Booth.
Not improbably Cox sent his own
overseer into the pines sometimes to
see these men and to give them some
thing, but he took no active part In
their escape The blankets they pos
sessed came either from Cox's or from
Or. Mudd's.
Booth. as ha< been said. rode a very
small bav mare from the rear OF Ford S
Theatre to Cax's pines. Herold rode
a horse Of another color. These
horses were hired at different livery
stables in Washington. Jones is not
conversaut witt. all the facts about the
shooting Of these horses, but the testi-
mony Of Cox before he died was near
lv as follows: After Booth entered
the pines he distinctly heard the next
iay or the dav following. band OF
cavalry going along the road at no
great distanc,, and the neighing of
their horses. He said to Herold :
If We can hear those horses, they can
certainly hear the neighing OF ours,
which are uneasy from want OF food
and stabling." When Jones on Sun
lav morning came through the woods
and found one Of the horses loose, he
told Cox. as we'll "a Booth. that the
hors. ought 10 be put out of the way.
Cox had Herold advised to take the
horses down into Zrkiah Swamp. and
shoot them both with his revolver,
which he did.
The weather during those dave and
nights vas Of foggy. misty character
not cold. but uncomfortable, al
though there was no rain. At regular
intervals tie farmer got on his horse
and went through the pines the two
or three mile. 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 sympa
the ic nature, and seldom failed tc
make good impression: and hat he
made this impression on Jones vii
presently appear No incident broke
tn. monotony of these visits for days
Jones sent his faithful negro out with
the boat 10 fish with gillnets, so tha
ii should not be broken up in the pre-
cautions used by the Federals TO pre-
vent Booths escape. Jones was row
reduced 10 one poor boat, which hat
cost him eighteen dollars in Baltimore
i lie hal lost several boats in the war
costing him from eighty to one hun
dred and twenty five dollars apiece
/ This little gray or lead c"lored sklt
was the only means By which the tugl
! tives could get across the river. Ever.
evening the man returned 1t TO tn
mouth of little gut or marsh calle'
+ Dents Meadow. in front OF the Huck
/ Ieberry farm. This is not two mile
north Of rope's Creek, and from tha
spot Booth and Herold finally escaped
+ Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday an
Thursday passed by, and more soldier
came IN aud began to ride hlther an
thither, and to examine the marshes
/ but they did not penetrate the pine
/ at all, which at no time were visited
/ The houses were all examined, an,
old st. Thomas's brick buildings, OF
venerable and imposing appearance
above Chapel Point, were ransac ked
The story went abroad that there wer
vaults under the priests house, lead
ing down to the river, and finally tn
soldiers tore the farm and terraces al
| to pieces. Yet for six nights an
DAYS Booth and Herold kept in tn
woods, and on Friday Jones slippe'
over to "a little settlement called Allen
Fresh, two or three miles from hi
farm, to see if he could hear anything
\ large body Of cavalry were in tn
little town. guided by Marylandel
and while Jones in his Indifferent wa
was lettering about, he heard the off
Ger say: ave have just got news tina
those fellows have been seen down i
St. Mary's county," The cavalry wer
ordered to mount and set out. A
that time it was along toward th
gray of the night, and instantly Jone
mounted his horse and rode from Al
lens Fresh by the road and throug
the woods to where Booth and Herol
were.
Said, he, with decision: "NoW
friends, this is your only chance. Th
night is pitch dark and my boat
close by. | will get you some suppe
at my house, and send you otfit | can.
With considerable difficulty, and wit
sighs and pain, Booth was lifted on t
Jones's horse, and Herold was put a
the bride. "Now," whispered Jones
''as we cannot see twenty yards beior
us, | will 60 ahead. We must nc
J speak. When | get to a point wher
everything is clear from me to you,
will whistle so" giving the whistle
In that way he went forward throus
, the darkness, repeating the signal no
and then; and although the woode
: paths are generally tortuous and ol
: structed, nothing happened. For