Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-04-17
Wilkes Booth in Hiding.

Century is George Alfred Townsend
account of How Wilkes Booth crossed
the Potomac" There is a gap in tn,
history of Wilkes Booths crime, between
his disappearance in the pines of south
eastern Maryland and his re-appearanc,
in Virginia, where he WAS killed, anC
this article (the information of whicl
was supplied by Thomas R. Jones, al
actor in the escapel it is believed close:
this gap. Jones first encounter with
the fugitives is described as follows
Booth and HeIold were sent into the
short pines, and there Jones found them
He says that as he was ad Eancing into
the pines ne came upon bay mare, with
black legs, name and tail, and a white
star on the forehead; she was saddled
and reviDg around in little cleared
place as if trying to nibble something 10
eat Jones took the male and tied her
to a tree or stump. He then advanced
and gave what he calls the countersign,
remember now, though he thinks ii was
two whistles in peculiar way, and a
whistle after an interval. TIE first
person he saw was Hero,d, fully armed,
and with a carbine in his hand, coming
out to see who it was. Jones explained
that he had been sent to see them, and
was then taken to Booth, who was but a
few rods farther along.
Booth was lying on the ground,
wrapped up in blankets, with his foot
supported and bandaged, and crutch
beside him. His runpled 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 suffered a
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
broken bone perhaps in the flesh; it was
now highly irritated, and whichever way
the man moved he expressed by a groan
or twitch the pain he felt. Jones says
that this pain was more or less continu-
Gus, 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 until be
was finally put on Jones' horse to be
taken to the water side some days after
ward.
Booths first soliciDude seemed to be
to learn what mankind thought of the
crime. That question he put almost i'm
msdiatelv 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 sympathles. He frankly says
that he himself at first regarded it as
good news; but somewhat later, when
he saw the injurious consequence of the
crime to the South, he changed his mind.
Booth desired newspapers If they could
be had. which would convey to him an
idea of public feeling. Jones soon OBJ
tained newspapers for him, and coDtin
ued 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 be-
sides 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 consequences it involved. He
harped again and again upon the neces
sity 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 soldiers, and
all that can do for you is to get you
off. if can, for Cox's 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 l received this account from
Mr.. Jones, l asked him question after
question to see if l could extract any in
formation as to what Booth inquired
about while in that wilderness. asked
if he spoke of his mother, of where he
was going when he reached 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 apprehensionsf for Mrs.
SurratG or bis friends in Washington.
To these and to many other questions
Jones uniformly replied: 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 slouched hat.
At first meeting Booth in the pines, he
proved himself to be the assassin by
showing upon his wrist, in In ia ink, the
initials ]. W. B. He showed the same
to Captain Jett in Virginia. Jores says
Booth was determined man-not boast
ing, but one who would have sold his
life dear. He said he would not be taken
alive"
Escaped.
There is something To make a man