The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-03-07
Additional "reminiscences of the Booth Family.

win Arnold l.. l.. d., whilom Principal o
| the Bel Air Academy. Some of hese were
boarders making their temporary homes
at the residence of the Doctor, corner O
Main street and Bel Air turnpike, but
the great number, like the writer, were
what was then called day scholars
Among these pupils were John Wilkes
and Joseph A. Booth-the latter boarding
with DR.. Arnold and the former riding
on horseback into the village daily from
his home beyond Founta ain Green on the
| Churchville road. These were the two
younger sons of Junus Brutus Booth the
great tragedian. The two elder viz:
Junius Brutus, Jr., and Edwin Booth,
with their sisters, Misses Rosalie and
Asia (another child, Henry Byron having
died in early life) were also either resi-.
dents or spent at intervals considerable
time at the old homestead above alluded
to, which was purchased by the great
actor i'll the year 1924 and remained in
the possession of the family until it was
sold by the widow, Mrs. Mary A. Booth,
to the late Samuel A. S. Kyle in the year
1878. All the Booth children, with the
possible exception of Miss Rosalie and
Junius Brutus, .Jr., were there born and
reared. The death of Joseph A. Booth,
the last of the children named occurred
i'll New York last week. John Wilkes and
Joseph A. Booth, as l said, were both
pupils of DR.. Arnold at the Bel Air AGA
denny for the five years or large portion
OF that time during which the writer at
tended that school. John Wilkes was by
no means considered studious boy-or
as one inclined to take advantage to the
full of his educational opportunities
Joseph A. was much more naturally that
way inclined, that is, was much more
studious. The two were very little alike
i'll experimentation Wilkes being much
the handsomer in face and figure. The
clear cut lineamentS of his face with
slightly acquiline nose and altogether
magnetic expression of countcnancc, was
such as once seen, could never be forgotten
or mistaken for anyone else. His pictures
that | have seen afford a very fair idea
of his appearance. Joseph was lighter
complexion, of slender BUILD, as the ex-
preston is, and of all together different
shape of features and expression-Also,
up to the last time that saw him, which
was sometime after he had left school
and after he had graduated in medicine,
on occasion of a casual meeting with him
in Baltimore City, his personal figure had
very little changed, from a rather tall
looking person, who paid slight attention
to maintaining an upright, straight
carriage of his body-whercin he differed
from John Wilkes, his brother-Thc |
latter when he left school and entered |
upon his profession as an actor, used to
return every summer for period ofSomc |
weeks or even months to Bel Air, and on
each visit one could notice the progressive |
L,
"A matter to which he evidently devoted |
duck" or ''bow-lcggcd" in his boyhood |
body they supported, into well nigh a
perfect specimen of a we'll proportional
shapcly man. John Wilkes was by 10
means deficient in intelligence and brains
VERY much i'll fact the other way), but
was not ''bookish'', which is all mean,
when l say he was not as boy devoted
to his studies. Joseph Booth, l am almost
sure, from the lengthy conversation we
had on the occasion referred to above,
was never on the stage-as he related to
me his movements quite in detail, since
we had separated as school fellows, and
nc made no allusion to anything of the
kind, and in fact seemed in manner and
-oilNNlSflbiOll llOlD !
he actor us anyone could be.
| we'll remember a school boy incident
II which the brothers. John Wilkes and
Joseph figured and which if l am not mis-
aiken, the president of the Board of
County Commissioners and Others of my
of the Academy in the
REGIME of Dr. Arnold, now resident here
about, can recall as we'll as myself
debating club had existed for a long time
1T that institution and thereby in the
way of dues etc, fund of some size,
had accumulated. AS
he spring of the year and short evenings
we're approaching. and we had concluded
o suspend the club at least for a while,
he question arose what to do with our
money. 1t was soon resolved that we
would elbow it in in grand elbow
'ut' at our last meeting, prior to sus-
'ending altogether. Accordingly, the
lay scholars procured to he prepared at
lone and brought with them Suudrv
axes and CONNECTIONS and so forth, and
1ughey Rogers, barkeeper at the Har-
ord House, was Seduccd by the larger
BOYS (Somc of them in fact young men)
nto making divers pitchers of hot stuff
it was cold weathcr) of cogent quality.
so on the night Ill question, the matter
having been carefully concealed from DR..
Arnold, The affair came off. The Doctors
on, one of the good boys of the school.
lad been taken into our plans in order to
insure his secrecy, as We well knew he
otherwise would "blow' on us ifh found
t out. The Booth boys, | remember,
we're among the chief promoters and
eaders in the affair, although they were
most efficiently seconded and encouraged
" others fully as much inclined for
mischief and Il good time" as themselves
Nell, it is only necessary to say, that
lftcr partaking of the refreshments pro.
'idcd, including Hughey Rogers "hot
tuti,' which was freely imbibed pan .
broke loose at the old AGA
lenly and continued loose until midnight
If the evening inquestion. Card playing
md shouting lit would he misnomer to
av singing of songs intcrSperscd with
blood curelling yclls and whoops such as
'nly boys can emit, made up the bulk OF
he proceeding on the festive occasion.
This was Friday night and you can
imagine our consterna ton on the follow
ny Monday morning, when on the as
cmbling of school we learned from his
,wn lips, that we had been visited, I'M
,nown to ourselves, in the very height of
,ur riotous proceedings by the venerable {
Or. Arnold himself He had expected
omething and made a personal inspec-
ion and fairly caught us all in crimine
lelicto. The only thing that saved us
rom being expelled was that so many
we're engaged in the affair, equally guilty,
hat expulsion as Il punishment would
ave broken up the school. We received
however, such a lecture as made US thor
,ughlv ashamed of our conduct, and
wish TO remark to any Young persons
Hho may chance to read this, that doubt
ess all engaged i'll this disreputable
affair like myself, havee since regarded
he occurauce with full appreciation of
is cuormity and due adherence of the
,iimes committed.
| remember on one occasion whilst q
party of us younger men were gathered
oil the upper porch OF the dwelling now
occupied as store by Mr.. c. c. Rouse,
in the sixties, discussing poll
lies and what not, on a July afternoon,
when everything seemed TO he iii rcpose
and quiet prevailed all around, we were
startled by a terrific explosion
md crash as if mine had been sprung
II our midst. On lcaping to our feet. il
WAS discovered that Mr.. John Wilkes
Booth had espicd our asscmblage from
the porch of the adjoining hotel, and pro-
curing all the "torpedocs" left over from
the fourth Of July, had hurled them i'll
our midst to enjoy the effect of the eX-
plosion.
But my paper is drawing out too long
One other matter which may or may not
be authentic, will set down here and
then close these meagcr additions to the