Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-12
HOW BOOTH WAS KILLED.
The Testimony of fLieut. l., B.
Baker.

in charge, whom supposed to be an
accomplice OF Booths; he told me he
had locked them in, for he supposed
| they were desperate cases, and did not
know what crimes they had been guilty
of; l told him he must go into the barn
and demand their surrender aud the
surrender Of their arms; he protested
that he knew nothing of them, and that
he was afraid to 60 in, and showed him
in then heard a low conversation in
the barn, and heard some one, whom |
supposed to be Booth, say, Damn you,
for you have betrayed me-" Then said,
"Get out Of Here" Garrett came back
to the door and said, " Let me OUT he
is going to shoot me-" / said, You
cannot come till you bring out the arms,
He said, "He will not let me have them
let me out quick"
| opened the door and he lodged out
as though he was afraid Booth was going
to shoot him. shut the door very
quickly, fearing that Booth might make
break from the door Then young
Garrett said, Captain, | will do any
thing for you except to 90 in there again.
He is desperate, and will shoot me.
Colonel Conger came up, and we decided
to dismount our men. We had decided
TO fire the barn, and therefore we had to
dismount the men, because the horses
would not stand the fire. That occupied
half an hour, for we had to dismount the
men two by two, so as not to leave the
line uuguarded. / remarked to Conger
that | would make the proposition for
Booth to surrender. That being agreed
upon, addressed those who we're in the
barn-told them we had fifty men around
the barn, all armed, and demanded their
surrender. We had but twenty five, but
/ made the number larger in order to
intimidate them, ,.a
The first that heard said was: We'll,
captain, that is damned hard. This man
| is an innocent man, and 1t is hard TO
burn his barn. Give q lame man q
chance. Draw up your men before the
door, and / will come cut and fight the
whole command" / told him we did
not come there to 6ght him, but to take
him prisoner; that we had him, and that
he had better surrender like man. He
said "Give me FIVE minutes to consider ="
| said: "Very we'll" waited for what
| thought was FIVE minutes; then | said
| could wait no longer, and that the
time for action had come; then he said ;
Captain, there is man here who wants
very much to surrender y / said Very
we'll, let him hand out his arms that he
brought across the river" had ascer-
tanned that Harold had carried car.
bine
/ then unlocked the BOOKKEEPING tie
lock in the hasp-and told Booth that
the man could come out, provided he
brought a carbine and one pistol; then l
heard a conversation between the parties
inside, and Booth cursing Harold, telling
him to 90. that he did not want him to
remain, aud calling him d--d coward;
then Harold came to the door and raped
and said, "Let me out, quick; | do not
know anything about this man; he is a
desperate character, and is going te shoot
me-" | said, "You cannot come out
unless you bring your arms" he said
Captain, they are mine, and shall keep
them this man is guilty of no crime
Conger came up and said | had better let
him out, that he would be one less to fight
I opened the door nd Harold came out !;
Captain Doherty, who had charge Of the
cavalry, soon came up and took him in
charge put my back against the door
again, and put the lock on.
Then Conger said, "Let us fire the
barn Immediately then addressed the
person in the barn, aud told him We
should fire the barn in two minutes II he
did not come out; he again made the
proposition to come out and light the
whole command, and then said Cap
tain, | consider you TO be brave and
honorable man. have had half dozen
opportunities to shoot you, but | did not
do it he called me Captain, supposing |
had charge of the party there were no
names mentioned at all | repeated that
we did not come to fight him, but to take
him, and that we should take him had
been holding candle in my hand until
Harold came out, when Conger said II
was presumptuous in me to hold q can.
die, as Booth might shoot me; we failed
to make any soldiers stand in the light
of the candle, but Garrett and were
there all the time.
| knew that Booth intended to shoot
any one who made any approach to the
barn to fire it, but we did not expect to
do it there. Finally told him we would
wait no longer; then he said, We'll, my
brave boys, you can prepare stretcher
for me-" Conger came up to me and
said, 1--WE will fire the barn" | said,
"Yes, the quicker the better" When
Conger was firing the barn, the last
words that Booth said we're, One more
stain on the old banner" l opened the
door quickly, aud the first l saw Of Booth
he was leaning against hay.mow, with
a crutch under eaeh arm, and carbine
resting in this way at his hip. He was
in the act of getting up. He did get up,
dropped one crutch, and started toward
the fire
He got within five or six feet of the
side of the barn and peered all about, as
though he should like to see who fired
the barn, having the carbine poised
Then he seemed to give itup. 1t was an
old tobacco house, and there was a table
living there bottom side up. He turned
to throw the table on the floor, but be
dropped it and turned to look around
the barn. The fire was rolling over the
roof He saw the door open, and he
turned and dropped the other crutch and
started toward the door, with kind Of
imping, halting jump. BE used his leg
instead of the crutch. The last two or
three steps he took was with his leg. He
came within twelve feet ofthe door, when
heard the report of shot l was then
standing outside the door, waiting for
him TO come out
Q. Where was he shot2
a. Through the neck; the bullet per
forated both sides Of his collar; he gave
A spring when be was shot, and fell
down / jumped in, and while was
getting to him be partly turned over and