Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-23
J. wilkes Booth.

4uEs ~ L. UWfctti " fHJWeNi " wv
Nephe,o in this City-His account Of
Booth and Harrolds Capture-He
pronounces Bakers Story rfdiculously
False - 4 heretofore Unpublished
Document
The many conflicting and highly
colored stories of the capture of Booth
and his companion Harold, induced
Captain S. S. Garrett of the Metropolitan
Police of this city, some months since,
to write to his uncle, Richard II. Garrett,
Esq, residing at Port Royal, Virginia,
requesting private statement Of the
facts attending the capture of the assas.
sination conspirators, as they transpired
and were witnessed by the latter on his
own premises, during the night Of April
25th, 1866. With his letter the Captain
also mailed a pamphlet report of the
affair, which was generally circulated at
that time and accepted as being, in the
main, accurate and reliable. The letter
and the pamphlet inclosed duly reached
their destination, and in the course Of a
few days the Captain received reply to
his inquiries. The assassination excite
ment had then pretty much subsided, or
had given place to yet more important
matters, which engrossed public atten-
ton shortly after the surrender Of the
Confederate armies, and at the inception
of the present era of reconstruction in the
South; and thus it happened the corre-
spondence did not get into the public
prints of that date. Now that an occa-
sion has arisen, it is very proper that the
statements made by Mr.. Garrett should
be produced, and with the permission of
Captain Garrett we present them to day.
Before doing so, however, and in order
that the two may be weighed In the
same scale, and the bearing of the one
upon the other determined, we reprint a
document which, among others, has OF
late given rise to the query-was it Booth
who was captured by Baker and his men,
or was it some one substituted for him to
deceive the authorities at Washington
and thereby secure the reward of $780,
600 offered for his capture ? This paper
was contributed anonymously to the New
Orleans Sunday NeaoS, and was as fol-
lows:
| have no doubt the faces of some
persons will wear an incredulous smile
when / boldly and fearlessly proclaim
through your columns: Brother Ameri'
cans, you have been deceived j. Wilkes
Booth is alive
The delusion has continued long
enough 1t is time our people were
awakening to due sense of their sim.
plicity and susceptibility of being duped
| by the shrewd and cunning parasites OF
rascality, who have been land still are)
prowling about Washington, growing fat
on the spoils of war, and drinking to the
dregs the blood of the innocent victims,
whose 'lives they have recklessly bartered
for filthy lucre," and that it might re-
dound to their credit and self aggran'
dizement
It is time they were made fully aware
of the foul and most damning schemes
that have been concocted by these
wolves in sleeps clothing " to defraud
an over generous public 1t would be
follv TO recall in detail the tragic events
of the night of April IA, 1860. They are
too indelibly stamped on the memory OF
every American citizen. Suffice it to
saw. the President was assassinated, and
j. Wilkes Booth denounced, by common
consent, as the assassin.
That he made his escape from Wash
ington, none will deny that it was his
lifeless body that was brought back to
Washington, and so mysteriously dis
posed of-many have doubted, and but
few individuals beliece, who saw the
strange conduct of the officers in charge;
that It was not Booths body, but the
mangled corpse of a person resembling
Booth. who had been brutally murdered
and substituted in Booths stead, can
now be proven beyond dispute; that
General l.. c. Baker knew it was not
Booths body, can be shown-that he
claimed the reward offered for Booth
capture, and the one hundred thousand
dollars were paid out Of the United
States Treasury, are well known facts.
But it may be asked, How do you
know these things from what source
has your information been derived
To all such questions | would reply in
this wise, and before doing so have
weirhed my words well, and know full
well the purport Of what | say
know them from diligent inquiry, and
having kept my eyes open; and my in
j formation has been derived from a
thoroughly unprejudiced and perfectly
reliable source.
There are three men in the United
States who have seen j. Wilkes Bootf
since what purported to be his mortal re
mains was dragged by those iniuriated
bloodhounds into Washington.
He was recognized through his dis
mise on the 9th day Of April, 1865, on
hoard of a vessel which carried him far
beyond the reach Of his supposed aven
gers again be was seen by gentleman
in the month Of September, 1860, ano
there is a young man in this city to-day
who saw him no longer ago than Au-
gust, 1866, and conversed with him. The
names Of these individuals, duly signed
to their respective afiidavits, might pos
sibly be obtained upon application to ex
Judge Advocate Holt, or the notorious
l.. c. Baker, Chief National Detective
Police, as it is probable they may have
forgotten TO mention to their friends Of
in public a matter Of such trivial IN
mort" II not, / would venture TO say
the men referred 10 would not object to
repetition Of their Lames to doeument
Of a similar nature.
Re II known that I do hereby charge