The sun., 1908-01-19

and he requested the man 10 stop 4. The
man didn't stop, and Juniua Brutus leaped
ron his horse, grabbed the man, hueky
one, too, and thraahed him sOundly.
Occasionally when he made these run
aways from his Baltimore engagement
the manager OF the Baltimore theatre
would send hard riders scooting after him,
and they'd ride up now and then when
tnelr man was enjoying himself IN the
tavern. They'd have TO argue with him
Tor a long time TO get him to see the de-
sirablhty. OF returning with them to Balti-
more. Usually he'd consent to return
with them IL he could see his children. So
they'd accompany him out to the home
stead, and he'd play with the children
for bit and roll around with them on the
grass and then he'd remount and hurry
back along the long road to Baltimore with
has virtual captors. Often, though, he
lost nights at the Baltimore theatre through
hia habit Of rushing on to Hartford county.
l don't know about another story that
they told me OF the elder Booth down there,
and 30 only repeat II for what Il is worth.
The story goes that while Junius Brutus
the elder was at a considerable distance
from baltimore-somewh here in what was
then considered the West-one Of his
younger children died at the homestead.
The elder Booth could not get back to the
homestead for several weeks after this
berea rement, and he had heard nothing
about IL when he returned. When he
asked for the child that was dead they had
TO tell him. His grief was 80 poignantly
terrible that he was determined TO open the
grave in order 20 SEQ the child's face again.
He was 80 bent upon doing this that 1t re-
quIred all the strength OF several hands
around the farm to restrain him. That
story Is vouohed for and thoroughly believed
oy many well known people OF the county,
but. as say, aTn only repeating It with re-
serve, for IL surely has an uncanny sound.
The Booth boys all left Hartford county
THAR VQfV manhood hNIt fhAv
are very well remembered by some very
old folks still living in the county. / saw
the ruins Of the little old stone schoolhouse
which all the Booth boys attended. This
was on the Fountain Green
road, and il was built. stone upon stone,
by the hands of the father OF an elderly
farmer named Robert Hanna, who still
cultivates a large farm near Fountain
Green.
Edwin was the boy who left the most
agreeable memory OF all Of these Booth
boys. He was quiet to the point OF taciturn-
tty, aud the old folks say much the hand
somer boy OF the lot, although this dis
tinction has been given to John Wilkes.
John Wilkes, they recall, was not Particu;,
larly handsome as a lad, being gawky and
somewhat loutish. This boy too, they say,
was a wild one from the very outeet, un-
eQualled among all the lads Of his mel ghbor-
hood as a wrestler and fighter, and fighting
most Of the time as IL out Of pure love OF
=
il seems, he tackled grown men, farm hands,
and whipped them until they were ready to
stop. The younger Junius Brutus Booth,
according TO these recolleotions, was far
less clever than the other boys of the family
aud was in addition sullen, revengeful
and dif1cult to get on with.
John Wilkes when a mere lad. il appears,
had a way Of mounting big vicious block
riding horse and laundering along the road
leading to Balair. and il there happened to
be a little child on the road he'd ride per
ilously close, and leaning out of the addle
pick the young one up while going full
tilt He never hurt any OF the children in
doing this, but Of course it was dangerous
and he was told not to do il any
more. didn't hear whether he obeyed
the mandate.
when Lincoln was assassinated soldiers
on horseback seemed to come out Of the
ground all over Hartford county, but par
ticularly around the old Booth homestead.
They formed an immense Gordon around
the place on telegraphed orders for it was
supposed that the assassin. obeying a hom-
ing instinct. might attempt 70 get back to
the old place. The sudden appearance of
the soldiers caused many of the Hartford
county folks TO imagine that the war had
begun all over again"