Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-06-05
wilkes Booth i'm Hiding.

Century is George Alfred Townsend's
account Of "How Wilkes Booth crossed
the Potomac" There is a gap in the
history of Wilkes Booths crime, be-
tween his disappearance in the pines
of southeastern Maryland and his re-
! appearance 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 be-
lieved closes this gap. Jones' first en-
counter 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 a bay mare, with black legs,
name, and tail, and white star on the
forehead; she was saddled, and rowing
around in little cleared place as if
she was trying to nibble something
to eat. Jones took the mare and tied
her to tree or stump. He then ad-
vanced and gave what he calls the
countersign, or whistle, which he does
not precisely remember now, though
he thinks il was two whistles in q Pc
culiar way, and a whistle after an in
terval. The first person he saw was
Herold, fully armed, and with car
bine in his hand, coming out to see who
1t was. Jones explained that he had
been sent to see them, and was then
taken to Booth, who was but few
yards farther along.
Booth was lying on the ground,
wrapped up in blankets, with his foot
supported and bandaged, and a crutch
behind him. His rumpled dress looked
respectable for that country, and Jones
says 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 suf-
fered fracture OF one of the two bones
in the lee, down close 10 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 whichever way the man moved he
expressed by twitch or u groan the
pain he felt. Jones says this pain was
more or less continuous, and was great
ly aggravated by the peril of Booths
situation--unable to cross the river
without asss ance, and unable to walk
any distance whatever. Jones believes
that Booth cid not rise from the ground
at any time until he was finally put on
Jones' horse to be taken to the water
side some days afterward.
''Booth's first sollcitude seemed to
be to learn what mankind thought of
the crime. That question he put al
most Immediately to Jones, and con-
tinued 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
frankly says that he himself at first re-
garded rs good news, but some what
later, when he saw the injurious conse-
quences of the crime to the South, he
changed his mind. Booth desired news
papers if they could be had, which
would convey to him an idea of public
feeling. Jones soon obtained newspa-
pers 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
lAlO lNttNalll2 Niiftu lllS "OiLu lAstu
to say about his case He seemed never
tired of information on thisone subject
and the only thing besides he was So
licitous about was to get across the
river into Virginia.
Jones SAYS Booth admitted that he
was the man who killed Lincoln, and
expressed no rcgrct tor the act, know
ing MI the cons qucnccs it involved.
He harped again and again upon the
necessity of his crossing the river. He
said if he could only get to Virginia he
could have medical attendance. Jones
told him frankly that he would receive
no medical attendance in Maryland.
Said he: The country is full of SOL
diers, and ali that | can do for you is
to get you off, if l can, for CoX's pro-
lection and my own, aud for your own
safety. That will do for you if there
is anv way in the world to do it
"When l received this account from
Mr.. Jones, asked him question after
question to see. if l could extract any
information as to what Booth in
quired about while in that Wilderness.
l asked if he spoke of his mother, OF
WueIc ilc WAS g3ollS WHcli ho lcaClou
Virginia, OF whether he meant to act
on the stage again; whether he blamed
himself for jumping from the theater
box; whether he expressed any appre-
tensions 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 u 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 Cap
tain Jett in Virginia. 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"