St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-25
WILKES BOOTH.
Il Ne,C Narrative of the Last Hours of the
assassin
ventures.

George Alfred Towsend contributes an ar
| ticle to the April number of The Century ac-
counting for week in the history of Wilkes
Booths flight after his assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln unaccounted for in that history
as hitherto related. Lincoln was shot al
about 10 O'Clock Friday night, April IA 1865.
Near midnight he and David E. Harold
called at Surratt's tavern, about ten miles
southeast of Washington. Saturday morn
ing they were at DR.. Samuel A Mudd's
twenty miles further on, where Booths brok-
en- ankle was set and crutch was made fol
him that evening he was at the house OF
Samuel Cox, a prosperous southern sympa-
thizer, living about fifteen miles southwest
The last witness in Maryland ended here.
The government took up the fugitive next al
the crossing of the Rappahannock river in
Virginia. on the oath of April. What occur
red to Booth in the interval Mr.. Towsend
tells on the authority of one Thomas A.
Jones, a foster-brother of Samuel Cox, who
always exerted strong influence over him.
Jones was of course at this time stron 9
sympathizer with the southern cause, which
he had aided throughout the war in his own
small way. He is at present in business at
North Baltimore, and keeps coal, wood, and
fuel yard. Among the services which Jones
rendered the confederacy was the carrying
of persons and mails across the Potomac, a
service involving some danger, and fire.
quently requiring GOODNESS and cunning.
His usefulness in this direction was in
creased by the fact that after being arrested
in 1861 and released in March, 1862, he was
not regarded with any suspicion by the fed
eral officers. He was aware of the scheme
which existed late in the war pariod for kid
mapping President Lincoln, though it was
not designed that he should take any part in
it, The bateau which was to carry Lincoln
across the river was kept in readiness from
the time the scheme was conceived until the
end of the war. Jones heard of the murder
of Lincoln on Saturday afternoon, April Is.
The next morning Jones was summoned
to Cox's residence, the young white man
who bore the message intimating mysteri-
ously that there were very remarkable visit
ors at Cox's the night before, Jones res
pended to the summons, and being taken
aside by Cox was informed that on the pre-
vious night the assassin of President Lincoln
had come to the house in company with al
other person, guided by negro, and had
dShCu III dooioIdhSC, W SiOSo OhO OeoHidS
river; ''and,'' said Cox, 'you will have to
place where the fugitives were hidden among
some short pines near by, and there he found
them. As he advanced into the pines he
came upon saddled mare rowing around in
little cleared space, and tied her. He then
gave signal, and Herold, fully armed and
with carbine in his hand, came out. Her
nj taH him N Ronth yUhn Twin q
on the ground wrapped up in blankets, with
his foot supported and bandaged, and a
crutch beside him. His rumpled dress look
ed 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 dur
ing the several days that Jones saw him. He
was in great pain from his broken ankle,
which had suffered 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 exertion of his escape, which
irritated it by scraping the ends of the brok-
en- bone, perhaps, in the flesh. 1t is now
highly irrtated, and whichever way the man
moved he expressed by twitch or groan
the pain he felt.
Booth was very solicitous to know what
mankind thought of his crime, which he fully
admitted. He was very anxious to get to
Virginia, where he could have medical at
tendence, and he declared that he would
never be taken alive. In day or two Jones
went up to Fort Tobacco to hear about the
murder, and while there heard detective
say that he would guarantee 500, 900 to the
man who could tell where Booth was, but it
never occurred to him for q moment that it
would be good thing for him to have the
money.
He comforted Booth in his conceal
him daily and carried him food. With
the fugitives in their concealment were two
horses on which they had rode. Within a
day or two after entering the place, Booth
heard band of cavalry going along the road
at no great distance and the neighing Of their
horses. He said to Herold: eff we can hear
those horses, they certainly can hear the
neighing of ours which are uneasy for want
of food and stabling'' Jones subsequently
said the horses ought to be put out of the
way, and they were accordingly taken into
swamp and shot. No incidents broke the
monotony for days, though soldiers rode
hither and thither examining the marshes, but
not penetrating the pines. Six days and
nights the fugitives remained in conceal
ment and on Friday night an opportunity
presented itself for escape. The night was
pitch dark, and Jones had found that the
soldiers would be out of the way. He had
but one little skiff in which to make the
ferriage of the river. Going to Booth and
Herold he said: ''Now, friends this is your
only chance. The night is pitch dark and
my boat is close by. will get you some sup
per at my house, and send you off if
can. With considerable difficulty and with
signs and pain Booth was lifted on to Jones'
horse, and Herold was put at the bride.
Jones led the way, progress being made in
silence, except as Jones occasinally gave a
whistle as signal. They stopped near
Jones' house. Booth, with a sudden long
ing, exclaimed, "Oh, can't l go in the
house just a moment and get little of
your warm coffee" Tears came into Jones'
eyes as he denied the request, because, as
he said, there were negroes in the house
who would betray them. Jones went in,
ate his supper without haste, rejoined the
fugitives and proceeded to where his boat
was. Booth was carried to the boat and en-
barked with Herold. Both were heavily
armed. Jones gave Booth the directions
as to the course to be steered, and told
him to row up Machodoc creek to the house
of a Mrs. Qusenberry. who would care for
them if his name was used. They were to-
gether at the water side some time, and at
last Booth said to Jones with emotion
''God bless you my dear friend, for all you
have done for me-"
The last words Jones thinks Booth said
were: "Good-by, old fellow!'' There was a
moments sound of oars on the water and
the fugitives were gone. They did not sue
coed in CROSSING the river that Friday nipht
but struck the residence of Col John j.
Hughes, near Nanjemoy Stores in Maryland,
west of Pope's creek about eight miles.
Booth hid in the marsh near by, and Herold
procured food for him at the house. On Sun
day morning, the ninth day after the assass-
lnatlon, they reached Mrs. Quesenberry's,
o. nd laft thair haat - ].