Evening star., 1936-04-12

bid for immortality. John Wilkes Boo
dent Lincoln he was striking down the
be king. In his diary he referred to
his act as one for which Brutus was
honored and Tell made hero.
Men close to Lincoln repeatedly
warned him of danger Of just such an
act as Booths, but he paid little heed.
1t was his way of joking to say that
no one would assassinate him and take
o chance on getting worse President.
Booths escape from Ford's Theater
that night started the greatest man.
hunt the world has ever known. With
q reward Of more than 100000 on
his head, he defied the Army Of the
Potomac and the brains Of the de-
tective force Of the United States.
The route he took out of Washington
is only one of many contentious con-
nected with this historical tragedy.
Authorities on incidents of the time
have accepted a route which would
have taken Booth from F to Ninth
street, thence down to Pennsylvania
avenue and toward the Capitol and
Eleventh street southeast, where he
turned in the direction Of the Navy
yard bridge. Had Booth taken such
q course, he would have galloped along
crowded streets. passed the National
Hotel, where he was we'll known, and
found himself on the main thorough
fare OF the city. Assassins do not
escape that way; they seek the pro-
lection of darkness and untraveled
roads.
MANY startling disclosures are
made by digging down into dust
covered Government records and ex-
amining unpublished afidavits Of
persons questioned at the time. An
Official document states: "The chief
assassin and his dupe (Herold) met
Immediately after the crime in the
next street IF street, and they rode
at a gallop past the Patent Office
and over Capitol Hill" There were
pedestrians who saw horseman come
out of the street alley and disappear
beyond the Patent Office few minutes
before they learned Of the assassina-
tion. A man standing at the corner
OF Fifth and F streets saw the fugi-
tives "gallop from F street onto the
cinder pathway under the trees Gin
Judiciary Square) and proceed toward
Indiana avenue" After the capture
OF Herold and death Of Booth these
persons were not placed on the wit
ness stand and their statements have
remained unnoticed, but they give us
a clue to the actual route Booth and
Herold took out Of Washington, which
can be substantiated by the testimony
of John Fletcher, the foreman Of
MAYORS Livery Stable, who was a
valuable witness at the trial Of the
conspirators during May and June
OF 1865, and, two years later, at the
trial of John Surratt.
At l o'clock on the afternoon OF
April II Herold and George Atzerodt,
another conspirator, appeared at Nay
lor's Stable. Herold rented a roam
horse, which he was to call for
later in the day, Atzerodt gave in
structions to have his horse ready at
10 o'clock that night and the two
men left the stable.
Herold returned about o'clock and
asked for the roam horse he had Sc
lected. It was brought to him and
he agreed to have 1t back at the
stable by 9 o'clock. But when Atzerodt
came for his horse at 10 o'clock Her.
old had not yet returned and a
remark made by Atzerodt concerning
his plans" made Fletcher suspicious.
Taking lighted lantern, he followed
o short distance and saw him stop
at the Kirkwood House.
Fletcher then began looking about
The streets for Herold and while In
front Of the Willard Hotel spied him
coming down Pennsylvania avenue
from the Treasury Building. He called
out to Herold, who recognized him
by the lantern he was carrying, but
Herold did not stop. Instead. he
spurred the animal, galloped up Four
teenth street and turned east on F
street. Fletcher then concluded, from
Atzerodt's remarks, and from Herold's
actions, that something mysterious
was happening.
HE RUSHED back to the stable,
obtained a horse and went In
pursuit Of Herold, taking a course
along Pennsylvania avenue to Thir-
teenth street, up Thirteenth street to
i, along e to Ninth and down Ninth
to Pennsylvania avenue. From that
point he went in the direction Of
the Capitol, as he believed Herold
might ride out that way to meet
Atzerodt. who lived at Port Tobacco
and would take the Navy Yard Bridge
road home.
While Fletcher was riding along
Pennsylvania avenue between Ninth
street and the Capitol, the assassina.
tion occurred. Booth lost no time in
getting away from Ford's Theater, as
we know, and had he taken the route
historians have accepted, he would
AioEO 0SC41 1IoCICSPUCo Oy CleICIl6I.
The fact that Fletcher saw no fleeing
horsenan on Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween Ninth street and the Capitol,
nor was told of one by persons whom
he questioned, disqualifies the state
ment that Booth or Herold took that
Route.
The fugitives. after meeting on F.
street, evaded Fletcher by taking the
route along r street and Indiana ave-
nue., turning toward the Capitol at
First street northwest, and crossing
to B street southeast. few minutes
before hit-. Coyle's grade-sheets Of
the time indicate a steep ascent on
First street northeast between G and
d streets, and 1t Is evident the fugi-
tives would not have taken that route,
rs it would have slowed their horses
and needlessly tired them. There was
o building on that route, too, which
The fugitives were seeking to avoid.
1t was called the Old Capitol Prison.
Somewhere beyond the Capitol
Fletcher met q friend and stopped