The Washington herald., 1915-04-20
One the Several Posters Issued by the Government Offering Re-
wards for Both Booth and His Associates It Announces That
Harborng Booth Is Punishable by Death.

cavalry post. Chapel Hill, to throw out
scouts. and kept on toward Bryantown.
In tins part of his journey his path cross
ed that which Booth pursued that night
in leaving DIR. Mudd's
| CavaIry's FruitIess Labors.
! The government great resources in
mounted troops stationed about Wash
| ington were employed to beat the coun-
| try for Booth, though with strange
| utility. Regiments secuted far and wide
to north, east and west. To the south,
! in the region of swamp and woods.
where the assassin had taken cover,
cavalry forces were not readily available.
They had to be sent chiefly from Wash
ington.- and when they were sent they
proceeded. under orders. to seek a mill
| tary enemy.
! Secretary Stanton from the first as
/ sumed that the death of the President
had resulted from great conspira cy
! of Confederates. The pursuit Of Booth
therefore, was based on the assumption
that he was receiving protection from
J a desperate band, or at least had numer-
Gus Confederates to give him aid
| The process of seeking a lone and crip-
pied murderer guided by a weakling
youth. by methods usual by the pursuit
| of criminals. was not followed. The mill
tary forces were ordered to hunt for a
band of guerrilds
This phase of the search for Booth is
not touched upon in any account of the
assassin s flight. Evidence of it, and its
abortive effect. is I'd be found In the
War Records part Ill. Vol 49,.
The records show that military DUR
slit of Booth in Maryland was not taken
up until the third day after the crime.
ON April IL an order was issued from
Gen. AuGur's headquarters 10 Mai. J.
Nj. Waite. of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry.
directing him to proceed with one bat
talon to the lower Maryland counties
of the department.
There is in that vicinity of country
a band of Guerrillas who are supposed
to have collected for the purpose of as
sisting in the escape of the murderers
of the President and assassins of the
Secretary of State" the order ran. The
Especial object of your expedition will be
10 capture and destroy this band, to ar
rest all suspicious persons. allow no one
to pass who cannot explain his business
and status satisfactory Search
houses and make arrests at YOUR own
discretion. Make your headquarters at
Leonardstown."
Maj. Waite set out that day. making
a halt on the march at Port Tobacco, a
few miles from Booths hiding place.
arrival With one company at Leonards-
town. and stated the extent of country
which he intended to search. He had
under his commarh 40 of his own regi-
ment, 100 Of the Sixteenth New York
Cavalry. and 600 of the TNventy-second
Colored Infantry. With these forces he
began working northward from Leon
ardstown.
On April y Maj. Waite reported that
he had secured the country thoroughly,
and could find no trace of any band.
On April % he reported there is no
armed band i'm the country in which he
was operating.
DIR. Mudd Provides a Clue.
While the cavalry was thus abortively
engaged. detectives nocked to the snan-
hunt, from New York, Philadelphia. Bal
timore. and Washington
Col. Lafayette G. Baker who was at
the head of the War Departments Secret
Seryice. had been called upon by Secre-
tary Stanton to see il you can find the
murderers of the President" Col Baker.
who was in New York. hurried to Wash
ington, and on April 10 began organizing
a search by police methods. In this IN,
worked without the aid of the military
officers who told him his services We're
not required by them
Before Col. Baker had progressed far
in his work, a party of eight Washington
detectives. under Maj. James r. O'Beirne.
provost marshal Of the District of Co.
lumbia civil and military police, went
down the Potomac on April IS on a
steamer, landed at Chapel Point. and
rode thence to Port Tobacco. There Mai.
OBeirne met Maj. Waite, on his way
to Leonardstown. They conferred. but
neither could give the other any cIew
Some OF O'Beirne's men went into the
hunt with more zeal than discretion. One
OF them Q.averty) impersonsted Booth.
and ACCOMPANIED BY another Hoey). who
Herold. applied at various
lighthouses for shelter, hoping to trap
S&3 one who befriended them. This
ohod was quickly discarded when the
hRis Booth narrowly escaped shooting
* The handS Of q farmer.
While the detectives secured the coun-
~ lin vain. . denrits cisv vas provided
80 by Lieut. Dana. who was still Al
hukown. =
: wss FURNISHED BY Dr.. Nudd. vhs had |
~ wegl - t1e oGlcsgs 0nae tMo my1-