The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-05
| GAPTER IN THE DEATH GASE
OF ASSASSIN JOHN Wilkes BOOTH

Dr. iOOc-treatmeut that would enable
MIN go make his arduous journey with
less discomfort.
Finding that Dr. Hooe's magnificent
mansion, which had so long overlooked
The broad Potomac Zoe many miles, had
been reduced 20 "a heaD OF ashes. and Dr.
liooe and family gone. Booth ana MS
c0mpdnlOn. Harold. IOWed some Two
miles further down the river 10 the
mouth of MachOdOc creek. thence a mile
OF 30 uu the creek 90 the QuesenDeffy
home. ln the vicinity of Mrs. Guesen-
DERRY there lived man VINO owned
Vue-hOrse spring Waeon-One of the
IeW such vehicles 90 be Io-ud anywhere
Boz AN this section at the close OF the
var. and this, man agreed 20 convey
Booth from HoOes neck across King
GcUrEc county 10 Port Conway. on the
Eauuahaunock river.
$50 clevcrlv and successfully dld Booth
Keep bis Identity concealed, and 50 un-
su1pegtuE were The people here that ne
was enabled 10 consume all This time ln
getting from "Hooc Neck on the Po-
t0mae. 90 Port Conway, on the Kappa
hammock without being detected. T..
Wexford Mason. Who had Just recently
returned 90 his home I'm King Georse
from The confederate service. started 10
caroline county, on the Souln SIDE OF
the Ranpahannock, for the purpose OF
purchasing wagon. Arriving at the
ferry at Port Conway, Mr.. Mason uheN-
uectCdlv met his acGuaiutances. Messrs.
RuEgies, cambridge and JetL WITH them
and among others about the Terry W''a
stranger who attracted his Afternoon
bv a constantly and remarkably mann
tanned reticCuce.
Tbcre was nothing about Herold, tho
Other stranger. 90 attract bis allthuoh.
and hc soon lost sight of him. But the
retieeut. set restless and peculiar man-
ner OF the snare. pale. LnshdNen-Idccd
strdusCr aroused his curiosity, and When
au opportunity was afforded Mp. mason
remarked TO Mr. Buggles that IL was
fIesr. -f41r a.
introduce the stranger. However, no
introduction followed.
soon the party of men-lncludlng Mr.
AIasOn-Was iu the ferrybOat and COINS
toward the Caroline shore. Here MT.
Mason noticed that Mr. Bainbridge car
ried a cruth and cane, without using
OF seeming 90 have use Tor cllner,
whereupou he thus queried: say. Balh-
bridge. what in the devil are you car
ryIng a crutch and a cane for, while
YOU are without an ailment2
ION. we'll. lust for amusement re-
piled Mr.. Ba.nbrldgc. after pileI
pause Mr.. Mason said; Darn poor
amusement. it seems 20 me-a crulth
and cane carried around for amusement
YOU must be hard mp for amusement
Bainbridge. The crutch and cane pee
loused 20 Booth, but Mr.. Mason did not
When he ferryboat landed on the Car
Oline shore the party separated, AIT.
Mason going one way. and Booth. Hdr-
ing another. Mr.. Mason having ldlled 10
ascertain the name of the stranger.
Mir Mason returned TO his home thal
night and the following morning started
back 90 Caroline, with a pair OF hoISt9
with which 90 bring the wagon OF Wn!tu
he went iu search The previous day Inls
time he found number of soldiers anu
others at Port Conway. an OF WhoM, IL
seemed, had just crossed over from lhc
other side of the river In the MIDST
OF the group of soldiers was am OLD
fashioned curtained carry-au wagon.
which was being driven by coloreu
man whom Mr.. Mason had known lot
many wears.
Sitting erect and mouonless on one Of
the seats Of the carryaN was The same
stranger who had attracted MT. Ma
sons attention when crossing the river
the previous day. Not suspectlus JhaL
tha STRANGER was dead. Mr.. Mason APP
preached the driver and asked, wv no
Is this YOU have here in your wagon olu
man.
The darby. iu a suppressed and trem-
bling voice. answered: 1T is Booth dc
man what kilt dc president You see ne
Is stone dead uOW-dey done shot him
and dey got me here carrying dis corpse
over wonder sOmewhOr. 90 de Potomac.
Iu the presence of the soldiers and with
out weighing his words. Ma Mason eN-
claimed Great God, this ls the same
man that crossed the river with me yes
terday- Booth, lis that BoOth' w ny, 4
was with him Yesterday and did not Aho"
who he was.
Nr. Mason then made inquiries where
uD1u the e0lOr6d man told him about the
/ capture. the burning of the barn. etc. and
/ told where the fatal bullet struck Booth,
etc. Mr. Mason here raised curtain
and on seeing the wound ln Booth s
head. lust behind the left ear, exclaimed.
"Why. that was no rifle ball az all You
told me that he was shot with rifle
didn't y0u1 I'm swear pistol bullet
made that hole in Booths head, No rifle
| I'm mis- crowd carries so small a bullet
qs that, I've been handling rifles and
pistols too long not 10 know pistol ball
/ fr,r7 Cd rfFT. hall 90