St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-01-25
WILKES BOOTH.


/ 4AnGIAy 4DOS
|IxrEREsrrxG NARRATIVE OF A,
EvExrrrL TINE.
! New YORx, Jan. 18.-''Johr
Wilkes Booth, broken leg. sick and
in torture, was put in my hands t.
be smuggled across the river, and
your $500, 900, yes, or even S.
600, 900, wouldn't have made me
turn traitor to the South by giving
him up, even il l had known at the
time that he killed Lincoln" So
said Thomas A. Jones, . recently
discharged labOrer Of the Navy
Yard, to Detective Capt. VIM. VIII
liams to-day. Jones' discharge was
through the influence Of Congress-
man VIM. Mudd, Of Maryland, and
BY direct order Of the Secretary Of
the Navy, who had learned the part
that Jones played in
THE EsCArx OF BOOTH.
Capt. Williams, at the time Of
the murder, was in the secret ser
vice at Washington, and in the hunt
for the assassin at that time sus-
pected Jones and tried unsuccess-
fully to pump him. and that these
men should meet again to-day for
the first time since the occurrence
Was, to say the least, remarkable.
Said Williams: 1.-THE first stop
our search party made was at Sur
rattville, where Mrs. Surratt had
left field glass and two carbines
in Lloyd's tavern for Booth and
Herold. From there We went to
Bryantown, where met you, and I
can never forget the sanctimonious
face you wore, and you've got it on
to-day. II you had told me where
Booth was, you would have been
living on Fifth Avenue to-day"
''Yes, and l would have had . |
soul a. black as purgatory," said
Jones, land the hatred Of the whole |
South
Who placed him in your hands ? |
''Samuel Cox, Sunday morning, |
April Is. He told me that Booth |
and Herold were hid in . pine
thicket . mile and . half from the |
house, and instructed me how to
reach them without being shot, by
whistling in certain way. Herold
met me in the thicket, and piloted
me to Booth, who, wrapped in two
blankets, lay On the ground,
HIS FACE FULL OF PAIN.
Booth asked what the people said
Of his deed, and he appeared to be
proud Of it. i carried him some
thing to eat, papers to read, and
tried to keep him in good spirits
until . chance would offer to get
him across the river. The country
was full Of soldiers and detectives.
On the following Tuesday l went
up to Port Tobacco to see how the
land lay, and 1t was there, in the
bar Of Brawner's Hotel, you said
you would give $500, 900 to any
man who would tell you where
Booth was.''
''Yes, and II you had told me
vou would be Gen. Jones to-day,
instead Of discharged Navy Yard
abOrer."
THAT may be trnc, but honor
vas worth more to me than al the
wealth Of the Government. At the
md Of the sixth day chance came
o help the men, and / went into
he thicket with my horse. The
light was dark and We lifted Booth
Up ON the horse. l went in adj
'ance and Herold walked by the
ide Of Booth. Reaching my place j
made the men stay in the orchard
vhile l went in and got them some .
hing to eat. |,
BOOTH BEGGED PITEOUsLY
70 be helped of of the horse and
nto the house, but I refused, be-
ause there were too many colored .
men around. Bringing out some h
upper, We stopped there long y
nough to eat it, and then went to
he river, where my c0lored man,
henry Woodland, had . boat in
eadiness. Helping the crippled
IAN from the horse into the boat,
told Herold how to lay his course
o rs to get into Machocdoc creek,
here, ON stepping on shore, they
Fould be in Virginia. Booth thank
d me over and over again, and
ave me a few dollars for my boat.
say . few, because it was all I
'ould take Of the big sum he ofPer.l
d me. That was the last I saw of ]
Doth. I heard the next day Of
'ooth's safe arrival on the Virgins
lore; and then, do you remember,
Oh posted bills ordering everybody =
help search for Booth, and :
lreatening with death anybody who
Finished him with bread or water?
was then arrested and sent to
'ashington in charge Of Detective
Of Philadelphia, who tried
get me drunk to tell what I knew.
hen he found out how badly he
lied he took it out in cursing. I
seven weeks in Carroll
risOn, but was not used 40 . wit
sss, because nobody found out ;.
at knew anything" u