, 1884-04-24
BOOTH IN HIDING9
An Untold Story of the Assassin O.
.ltf Pesident Lincoln.
A Gap In History closed Mt Last----
Booth'S Anxiety 20 Know What IN
Mankind Thought OF =
His Crime.

George Alfred Townsend in The Century,
There is a gap in the history of Wilkes
Booths crime, between his disappearance in
the pines OF southeastern Maryland and his
reappoarunce in Virginia, where he was
killed, and this article 1.-THE 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 fugi-
tives is described as follows: Booth and
Harold were sent into the short pines, and
there Jones found them. He says
TINT as he was advancing into the
pines he came upon a bay mare with
alnck legs. name aud tail, and a white star
on the forehead; she was saddled, and rowing
around in a little cleared place us IL trying to
nibble something to eat. Jones took the
mare and tied hor to IA tree or stump. He
then advanced and gave what he calls the
couuteTsigu, or whistle, which he docs not
precisely remember now though he thinks IL
WIS tWo whistles in IA peculiar way, and a
h,stle after AN interval. The first erson
he saw was Harold, fully armed. and with
"a cui ia dis land, coming out TO see
ALo 1t was. Jones explained that
.c had b.en sent out to see them,
mi was then taken to Booth, WHO was
TAT a few rods further along
sBo1ih WAS lying on the ground, mapped
up in hlnnlets. with his foot supported and
b%anduged and II crutch beside him. His
rulDplcd dress looked respectable Tor that
country, uud Jones says it was Of black cloth.
Ills fac. was pale at all times, aud never
ceased to be 50 during the several days that
Jones saw him. He was in great pain from
his broken ankle, which had suffered II
fracture OF one of the two bones in the leg,
down close to the foot, 1t would not nave
given him very much pain but for the exer-
ton Of his escape, which irritated It by scrap
ing the ends Of the broken bones in the flesh;
it was nov highly irritatsd, and whichever
why the Iuan novel he expressed by atwitch
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
situatiun-unable to cross the river without
assistance, and unable to walk any distance
whatever. Jones believes Tint Booth did not
rise from the ground at any time until he
WINS finally put on Jones' horse to be taken
to the watcr-side some days afterward.
"Booths first solicitudo seemed to be to
learn whit mankind thought of the crime.
That question he put almost Immediately to
Jones, and continued to ask what different
clnsses of people thought about it. Jones
told him that it was gratifying news to most
OF the mel of southern sympathies. lie
frankly says that he himself at first regarded
it as good news; but somewhat later. when
lie saw the injurious consequence Of the
crime to the south. lie changed his mind.
Booth desired newspapers il they could be
had, which would convey TO him an idea of
public feeling. Jones soon obtained news
papers FOR him and continued to send them
In; aud Booth lay there. where the pines We're
~ thick that one could not see more than
thirty or forty feet into them, reading what
The world la 70 lay abont his case. lie
seemed never tired o~fintormation on this one
subject, and the ouly thing besides he was
solicitous about was to get across the river
into Virginia.
Jones says Booth admitted that he was
The nlHn who killed lincoln, and expressed
no regret for the act, knowing all the couse.
quences it involved. He harped again and
again upon the necessity of his crossing tho
river. He said If he could only get to Viz
ginia he couldnSpve medical attendance
Jones told him frankly that he would receive
no medical attendance in Maryland. Said
he: Tile country Is full Of soldiers, and ali
that ! cau dc for you is to get YOU oil, II
can, for CoIs protection 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 ] received this account from Mr..
Jones i nsked him question after question, to
se IL ] could extract any Information as to
what Booth inquired about while in that
wilderness. / asked IL be spoke of hismother,
Of where he was going when he reached viz
ginta, Of whether he meant to act on the
stage again; whether hs blamed himself
Tor jumping from the theatre box; whether
he expressed any apprehension for Mrs
Surratt or his friends in Washington. To
these and to many other questions Jones uni.
formly replied: No, he did not speak about
any Of thoss things He wanted food, andto
Cross the river, and to know what
was said about the dsed.'s Booth, he thinks,
wore II alOuched hat. At first meeting Bouth
In the pines he proved himself t. be the
assassin by showing upon his wrist, in India
ink, the initials J. ". d. lie showed tina
same 70 Capt Jett in Virginia, Jones says
Booth was IA determined man-not boasting.
O.t Que who would have sold his life dear.
tie said he would not be taken aliye. nasl