Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-01-10

will fight your whole commaud.'
The Lieutenant replied, 1--WE did
not come to fight, but come to
take you, have got you. and you
had better surrender" Booth re.
piled, Give me little time TO
consider The Lieutenant re-
piled. VERY well. take time.
You can have five minutes " He
was heard to come toward the
door, or near the door. AZ he
came he said: ''Captain, / be-
lieve you are an honorable and
brave man. / have had half a
dozen opportunities to shoot you
and have bead dra xn on you
now, but don't wish to do il.
Withdraw your forces a hundred
yards from the door and l will
come out. Give me a chance for
my life, Captain, for | will not be
taken alive.' Lieutenant Baker
said: 1--WE have waited long
enough. Now come out, or we
will fire the barn. Colonel Con-
ger then said, 1--WE had better fire
the barn." and to this Lieutenant
Baker gave his consent. Booth
said, in his peculiar stage tone:
"Well, my brave boys, prepare a
| stretcher for me, then" After a
pause of about half q minute, he
was heard to say, Zone more
stain on the glorious old banner"
Just as he ceased speaking Col
| onel Conger applied a match to
some hay which he drew through
a crevice, and in an instant the in
side of the building was a blaze of
light The Lieutenant then open
ed the door to give him a chance
to come out, and from his position
on the outside could see every
movement made by Booth. He
seemed to be learning against the
hay-mow, supported by his
crutches, with his lcarbine In his
hand. He sprang forward toward
the fire with the seeming intcn-
ton of shooting the man who
touched the match. But1the in
tense light inside the building pre-
vented him from seeing objects in
the darkness without. He then
turned, and with the aid Of one
crutch came rapidly in the direc-
ton of the door, but halted about
the center of the floor. Here he
drew himself up to his full height.
and seemed to take a survey of
the terrible situation. He looked
first at the roaring flames, and
then his glazing eyes rested on the
open door. He resembled an in
furiated wild beast at bay. A cloud
of smoke rolled to the roof, swept
across the room, then came down
to the floor on the other side, an d
he appeared to be standing in an
arch of fire and smoke. He remain
ed but an instant in this position,
and then dropping his remaining
crutch, with his carbine in one
hand and a pistol in the other, he
dashed for the door. When with
in about ten feet of the opening
the crack of "a pistol was heard
from the rear of the barn. Booth
reeled forward. threw up one
hand, dropped his carbine, and
fell face downward on some hay
which was scattered on the floor.
Lieutenant Baker rushed in, fol-
lowed by Colonel Conger and
young Garrett. The Lieutenant,
not knowing how fatal the shot,
seized him by the arms, intending
to secure him in case he had only
been stunned. On turning Booth
over, Lieutenant Baker found
pistol is his left hand, which he
still held with a vice-like grip,
and it required great strength to
wrench it from him. A leathern
belt was around his body, with a
bowie-knife and another revolver
in ii. Lieutenant Baker then ac-
cused Colonel Conger of shooting
him, which the Colonel denied,
and said, Booth shot himself"
This the Lieutenant claimed was
impossible, as he saw him every
moment from the time the hay
was fired until he fell. Colonel
Conger said, 1.-THE man who did
shoot him shall go back to Wash
ington under arrest" Upon furth-
er inquiry it was found that Ser
geant Boston Corbett fired the shot
from navy revolver, through a
crevice in rear of the barn. This
was most difficult feat to per-
form, for the ball struck Booth on
the side Of neck, little back fthe
center,an passed entirely through,
breaking the spiral column. The
fire was making such progress
that Booth was taken out of the
building and carried short dis
lance and placed under tree. He
began to show signs of life. Wa
ter was dashed in his face and a
little poured on his mouth. His
I lips began to move, and he family