The Washington herald., 1915-04-27
Q
BOWLING
GREEN

By WINFIELD M. THOMPSON.

oOOtu ) TOute dCTOSs tNe POTOMAC
II was the tenth day after mis- crime.
in the afternoon of April ~ that Booth.
still accompanied by Young Herold. who
had chung to him throughout his flight.
reached the ferry across the Rappahan-
mock River at Port Conway. Va. fifty
miles in an air line south of Washing
ton.
One day he had srent at the home Of
DR.. Samuel A. Mudd in charles County,
Maryland; six he had lain in pine
growth few miles southeast of Port
Tobacco Md. near the Potomac. The
eighth he had passed in a swamp beside
Avon Creek. still on the Maryland side
of the Potomac. after failure in an at
tempt to cross the river in skif. On
the night of Saturday. April -, he had
crossed the river. The next day he had
spent at the house Of friendly white
man. and tho night az the house of a
negro. eight miles inland. who, on Mon
day, April "a. drove him ten miles to Port
Conway, which lies across the Kappa =
hammock from Port Royal. Caroline
County.
Impatient to put the Rappahannock be-
tween himself and the detectives and
cavalry he knew to he hunting for his
trail. Booth was forced to wait three
hours for the rising tide in the river to
float the ferryboat AS he was waiting.
seated in the poor wagon the negro three
Confederate officers. freed from service
to the Lost Cause. rode down to the
ferry and halted before the house of
William Rollins. fisherman.
They were: Mai. NJ. r. RuCgles Lieut..
A. r. Bainridge. and CAPT Willie s.
Jett. late of Mosby's Rangers. They
still wore their gray uniforms. All lived
In that part of Virginia and were home
ward bound
As the three Young men dismounted
they noticed at the ferry wsrf the wag-
on in which sat Booth. Herold stood
hear it. After brief scrutiny he sp
proa ched them and asked to what COM
mand they belonged. They replied brief
ly to Moshy's. He asked them where
they were going. They replied that they
did not care to state. il was a secret.
The Confederate officers showed no in
Clination to pursue the conversation
further. and Herold went back to the
wharf The officers leisurely followed.
Booth climbed slowly from the wagon
as they approached and they had good
opportunity to observe. him. His tragic
appearance was sufficient TO rivet their
attention.
Booth Seeks Compa Mons.
Wearing a black SLOUGH hat and gray
shawl about his neck. with a blue-black
growth of ten days Stuhble beard upon
his haggard face, burning black eyes set
deep in darkened sockets, clothing STAIN
ed with mud and torn by brers and with
one swollen leg clothed only in a black
and bound between rough
splints of wood and pasteboard. he was
a strange figure. The most casual glance
L.
the deepest suffering. He was in pain
then and WINGED when he moved his
wounded limb.
As he stood before them. silent and
Herold again addressed them.
He said his name was Boyd and the
man was his brother, who had
been captured at Petersburg and had
broken his leg escaping from a North
ern prison. They were Of a. p. Hilrs |
CORPS and wished to get through the
lines to the South. Could the |
officers not take them through.
The three Confederates made. no |
definite reply. and rode back to the |
isherman's house, where they dis ]
and sat down on the steps.
Herold followed them and Joined in |
heir conversation. |
Il suppose you are raising a COM |
nand to go South" he said. I'VE would |
ike to go along with YOU"
Jet replied. after a pause that he |
would not travel with any man he |
<new nothing about.
Herold's manner on hearing this re-
mar attracted Jett's attention. He was |
lgitated and seemed struggling to
make some revelation. Finally he |
poke. addressing himself to Jett. and |
n a trembling voice faltered out the |
words:
We are the assassinators OF the |
President. Yonder is ]. Wilkes Booth.
he man who killed the President"
Befriended by Ex-SoIdier..
Astounded. the Confederate captain
made no immediate reply. 1t seemed
hardly possible that this timd, trem-
ling youth before him could be the
ccomplice of the assassin or that the
vretched man at the wharf could be
he assassin himself.
After pause Jett called to Ruggles.
vho was watering his horse nearby.
nd on his coming up HeroId repeated
o him his statement. The first feeling
4 Ruggles and OF Jett ard cambridge.
vas one of repulsion.
But the shock of Herold's revelation
vas quickly followed by the appear
nee of Booth. who. painfully hobbling
n his rude crutch, came up from the
wharf. and stood before them. He saw
y their faces that they knew his
ecret. His brow darkened
Il suppose he has told you who
M" he said. addressing Ruggles.
Ruggles nodded assent Booth then
threw his weight upon his
rutch. and drawing q revolver. and
ssuming menacing attitude he
Jared at the men before him and said:
Z hAAnst In S~rl y