Thomas Jones

[mgambuzza]

Hi,

I've always wondered why Thomas Jones was not executed for his role in clearly harboring JWB. It seems that Stanton was very inconsistent in deciding which people would hang for the crime. Any opinions?


Mike

[Hess1865]

Because they didn't know the extent of Jones' involvement at the time

[J. Beckert]

The extent of his involvement wasn't known, as Hess stated and I think with the multitude of arrests that were made, Stanton wanted to whittle it down to those who actually participated or planned the acts.

[Laurie Verge]

Also, Jones had been clever enough to talk his way past the Feds throughout the war. I believe I'm correct that he said under questioning, "You are arresting me because someone stole my boat?" The Feds had no other evidence to refute that, and Jones didn't come clean until years later.

If you notice, the Feds seemed to lose interest in people who assisted the fugitives after the assassination - except for Dr. Mudd, which would indicate to me that they had enough information to tie him to the original conspiracy.

[J. Beckert]

Jones had been arrested a few times for his pro Confederate activities, I believe, as did Dr. Stuart. It shows his dedication to the cause for assisting Booth as he did and stating he wouldn't have turned him in for any amount of money. I heard a story somewhere that years later Jones was attempting to sell his book at a Civil War reunion and was chased out by some old Union soldiers.

[mgambuzza]

Jones had been arrested a few times for his pro Confederate activities, I believe, as did Dr. Stuart. It shows his dedication to the cause for assisting Booth as he did and stating he wouldn't have turned him in for any amount of money. I heard a story somewhere that years later Jones was attempting to sell his book at a Civil War reunion and was chased out by some old Union soldiers.

Jones looks like he would have some interesting stories if he was alive.

[Gene C]

Anybody read his book?

[Hess1865]

I heard a story somewhere that years later Jones was attempting to sell his book at a Civil War reunion and was chased out by some old Union soldiers.

I heard that happened at the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair. He set up a stand where he sold his book-some vets saw it and chased him off the grounds.
Reportedly his book was such a poor seller that rare original copies of it today sell for big money

[Jim Page]

Hey, Gene--

I read it recently; I found it here:
http://archive.org/details/jwilkesboothana00jonegoog

--Jim

[Gene C]

Thanks! Was it interesting?

[Bill Richter]

Yes I have read Jones' book. It is full of cleverly hidden suggestions and concealment of who did what. Rick Smith and I believe that he intentionally told a tall tale of Booth and Herold's staying in the woods and how they got from the woods to the boat. We believe that James Owens, the black employee of the Adams family in Newport, gave the Feds all sorts of hints as to the real story and was disbelieved by the Feds. He was probably maltreated in prison while questioned. In any case he died shortly after his release. Rick has an article on it in the Surratt Courier, 32 (Oct 2007), 3-6.

[Jim Page]

Hey, Gene--

It was a quick and interesting read, but, like Bill, I believe that Mr. Jones was still concealing much, for whatever reasons he had.

Tantalizing is the word I would use for the book; you know the writer knew and could say a heck of a lot more than he did.

--Jim

[L Verge]

Mr. Hess is right about it being the Chicago World's Fair where Jones thought he would sell his book. Bad move to sell something like that in the Land of Lincoln. There is a story here in Southern Maryland that Jones brought his unsold books back home and was so disgusted that he threw them all in a ditch and covered them over. Wish I knew where that ditch is -- not that they would still be intact.

Bill's and Rick's theories on the James Owens statement is a good one, especially for those of us who know the terrain around the pine thicket and Allen's Fresh. Mr. Hall had the story in his files with a notation to the effect that he needed to check this out because Owens sure knew a lot. Evidently he never did the checking, but Bill and Rick have.

[jonathan]

The Thomas Jones aspect of the assassination is one I find fascinating, though I only have basic knowledge of it. Just the fact that Jones did what he did, then for the most part just sat on that information for years is amazing to me. In one of the assassination books (can't remember which) there's the whole description of Jones sneaking Booth and Herold down to the river, that just keeps me on the edge of my seat. I can only imagine what that must have been like, when he went to the pine thicket and told them "it's time", and then the feeling he must have had heading back home after shoving them off into the Potomac….that is good stuff. I'll be clicking that link and reading that book for sure. In fact, I can't wait.

[John Stanton]

Me again. Jones was arrested early in the war, and did time. His wife died and he had to raise 10 kids. He swore "never again". He changed his M.O. He did not have personal contact with agents. He hid the mail in trees and holes, and the agents did too. Jones contact with Booth was a "Special Assignment" - one more escape for old times sake..Those who helped Jones could not talk, or they would implicate themselves. The Federals had very little to work with. Think about this- NO ONE IN KING GEORGE HAD THEIR NECK STRETCHED. (Quesneberry, Harbin, Cawood, Stuart, Lucas, Dade, Garrett, Rollins , McDaniel. (A Litney to the Saints). want more?. Here's a wild *** guess. (WAG). I believe that Fanny Dade bought amnesty for King George, and blew the whistle on Booth. No one knew where Booth was. Fanny (and Conrad) was arrested taken to D.C.. The next day Baker was down here in force. Fanny was released, as was Conrad, and they lived happily ever after.(Not with each other) (Maybe that's what made them Happy.)

---

PS (to the one I just wrote) Conrad married a sweet Lady from "Fairview" as in Fairview Beach, K.G. VA. Fanny married Conrad's "Eyes and ears" in D.C. - Andrew Norton. (from Fredericksburg.) Did I ever tell you about him? He worked in the front office of the U.S. Secret Service. Conrad got him his job. ( as JOH used to say "Oh the web we weave...)