The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-28
DETAILS OF The DISCOVERY AND
DEATH OF BOOTH.
GRANT GIVES JOHNSTON A CHANCE
TO SURRENDER.
JONSTON WANTS CHANCE FOR
THE LEADERS TO QUIT THE
COUNTRY.
HE WON'T GET 1T.


Dougherty and his cavalry. On reaching
CARROTS farm they were told by son OF
Garrett that there were two men in the barn.
This was at 2 a. m. Wednesday. Proceeding
to the barn, Lit. Baker was sent forward and
called upon Booth TO come out, give up his
arms and surrender, and that young Garrett
would 90 into the barn and receive the arms.
Upon his entering the barn Booth exclaimed
Get out of here You have betrayed me-"
A colloouy then ensued of which the follow
ing is the substance:
Lit. Baker. must give up your arms
and surrender; we have come to take you a
prisoner, and will treat you as a prisoner
We will give you five minutes to surrender
or we will burn the barn.
Booth. -"Who are you and what do you
want2"
Instructions had been given to 1t. Baker
not to disclose the character of those who
were in pursuit.
Lit. Baker.-"We want you. We intend
to take you prisoner"
Booth.-"This is hard case. 1t may be
that l am to be taken by my friends"
After some further colloquy of this kind,
Booth seemingly convinced that he was In
the foils of Federal soldiers, said
"Give me a chance for my life. / am a
cripple with one leg, withdraw your men a
hundred yards from the barn and / will
come out and fight YOU"
1t. Baker.-"We did not come here to
fight, but to take you prisoner. You must
give up your arms and surrender"
Booth.-''Let me have time to consider"
A communication in the barn between
Booth and Harold then took place, which
was not overheard by the party outside. In
Is or 20 minutes Booth called oat,
"Who are you / could have picked off
half dozen of your men while we were
talking. could have shot you two or three
times, but don't want to kill any body"
Lit. Baker.-"Then give up your arms and
surrender. We have come here to take
you"
Booth.-I will never surrender. l will
never be taken alive"
1t. Baker-"If you don't do so we will set
FIRE to the barn."
Booth-"Well, my brave boys, prepare stretch
err for me-"
After this a conversation took place between
Booth and Harold, during which Booth was
heard to say, "You damned coward, will you
leave me now But go, don't want you to
stay with me-" He then addressed the party
outside, and said:
'There is man here who wants to come out"
1t Baker-"Then let him hand out his arms
and come out"
Another talk here occurred between Booth
and Harold, in which the latter was begging to
be allowed to take out some arms with him, and
Booth was heard to say, ''go away from me, !
don't want anything more to do with you."-
Harold then came to the door and asked to be
let out.
1t. Baker said, 'no hand out your arms" Har-
rold replied, 81 have none"
Lit Baser.-"Yes you have, you carried a car
bine when you come here. You must hand
it out"
Booth.-He has no arms; upon my word and
honor as a gentleman he has no arms; al that
here belong TO me-"
1t. Baker then approached the door. Harold
then thrust out his hands and was pulled from
the door, tied and placed IN charge of a guard.
1t Conger was then satisfied that further parley
with Booth VAIN, and proceeding to the other
81 re of the barn he pulled out a whisp of hay
and lighted it. Within a few minutes the blaz-
ing hay lighted up the inside of the barn. Booth
was discovered leaning on a crutch which he
threw aside, and with carbine in his hands came
towards the side where the fire had been kindled
paused looked at the fire a moment, and then
started towards the door. When about the mid.
die of the barn he was shot 1t. Conger and 1t
Baker at once entered the barn and brought
Booth out After Identification, by order of War
Department, the body privately inferred in
the clothing which was upon it.
Herald's correspondent says the parlcy with
Booth lasted a long while that Booth told 1t
Dougherty he had bead drawn on him and could
| shoot him if he chose; that Booth could see
| those outside plainly while they could not see
| him inside; that when the fire was lighted Bootf
could be seen, aud then 1t. Dougherty ordered
| Sergeant Corbett to fire, which he did, through
| one OF the crevices.
Booth was armed with two six-barrelled anC
one even-barrelled revolver.
When the party started to return with tn,
| body, Harold refused to walk, when a rope wa
| fastened TO his neck and the other end to tn,
saddle of one of the cavalrymen. As soon as
| horse could be procured he was mounted.
The New York Worlds correspondent
says:
1t is learned that Harold joined Bootl
just after the assassination and i: is believed
brought the horse into the alley.
New YoRK, April 2S.-The following is tn,
statement of Sergt. Boston Corbett:
On Tuesday. P. NJ, my superior officer, Lit
Ed. p. Dougherty, received informatian tina
two parsons, answering to the description o
Booth and bis accomplice, were concealed il
a barn on the place of Henry Garrett abou
miles from Port Royal in the direction o.
Bowling Green.
| There we captured q man named Gitt VIII
| ferried Booth and his companions across th
| Potomac
At first he denied knowing about the mat
ter but when threatened with death if b
did not reveal the spot where the assassin
were secreted, he told>us where they could b
found and piloted US to the place.
Booth and Harold reached the barn abou
dusk on Tuesday evening; the barn was "a
once surrounded by curicavalry, and some Q
our party engaged in conversation with Boot
from the outside.
He was commanded to surrender seye-a
times but made no reply to the demand, save
If you want me you must take me-"
When first asked to surrender he asked =
"Who do you. take me for ?"
| short time after in rasnonsa 20 a. -.